It couldn't be easier, but first you have to re-program part of your thinking. What I am going to tell is the truth because I have done it myself.

It truly works.

If all you think about is selling annuities your brain slowly closes in on the problem. Soon you will be on the internet at night and don't forget those Saturday morning meetings, etc.

You have to live also and while I have always preached to be focused and to have a narrow view of marketing, sometimes you need to blend that with my secret method....Give It to Get It.

Here it is (don't laugh, it works)

Schedule at least 2 hours and commit to doing something for charity or for another person each week. Pick up trash along the highway. Go to the food bank and volunteer. Mow you elderly neighbor's lawn. Give blood. Wash your wife's car (not at the quick wash.) Volunteer at the local hospital. Deliver food to shut ins. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Just try it and see how your whole attitude about selling annuities will change. Perspective becomes a major focus of your selling efforts.

One rule to follow...Never tell anyone what you are doing! Silence is golden. Keep it a secret but when the opportunity comes to help another agent who may be struggling, then tell them the "Secret."

Laugh if you wish but this one thing has helped me become a better annuity salesperson more than anything else. It is all about reprogramming your thoughts and how you approach the obstacles of life.

This annuity marketing tip really works and will give you tons of prospects and the marketing work is done for you.

This is a built in sale with people who really want you to see them. Here is what you do...

· Find several LTC salesmen and invite them to a meeting. They will always be interested in new sources of revenue and marketing ideas.

· Offer them $20.00 for each LTC Medical decline they get. Pay them in cash when they give them to you. Another option is to partner with them on future sales, most will want a share of compensation and the LTC salesperson could be a door opener for you with the prospect.

· Call the MD (medical decline) and tell them you are working with their LTC agent (or have the agent call if they are sharing in future compensation) that even though they have been declined there is new information for them. Privacy concerns will need to be addressed and bringing in the LTC agent will help.

· Provide information listing options available to them for alternative LTC options. In many states proceeds from annuities can be exempted from spendown. (always confirm any information you provide)

· Move to a fact finder and see if their situation can be helped with an annuity.

· Prepare the close and make a sale.

We both know it isn't that easy but your new prospect will be about as easy a prospect as you'll ever find. If the agent wants to be more involved, take him with you. If a sale occurs, sharing compensation may be in order.

You can get tons of these prospects just by talking to the LTC folks, they have limited ideas what other options are available to their prospects.

There is no one who is doing this and it is almost unlimited prospecting because of this statistic I found the other day. LTC agents will sell 14 policies a year and half will be declined. Just think of those numbers!

This annuity marketing advice might allow you to sell a tax deferred annuity and remove the interest instead of providing your prospect with an immediate annuity.

California has tax laws that require immediate annuity payouts to be taxed. Naturally California would be the one to figure out how to squeeze all the available tax dollars.

What is the tax? 2.35% of the paid benefit. The insurance company providing the income benefit will calculate the tax liability prior to providing the income to the client. The insurance company then pays the Sate directly.

Taxes, taxes and more taxes.

Makes you wonder how many state accountants it took to dream up this idea. They must have had help from the state assembly. (Oh by the way, they also will charge any income taxes that are due the state!)

Several other states tax immediate annuity income benefits.

Maine 2%

Nevada 3%!!!!

South Dakota 1.25% on the first $500,000 and then a reduction

West Virginia 1%

Wyoming 1%.

A method for avoiding the tax would be to buy the annuity in a different state that doesn't tax income benefits. (many companies allow this) Another option is to put your funds on deposit earning interest and remove the interest on a monthly income. Many insurance annuity contracts also allow for 10% of the value of the annuity to be removed without penalty and many will allow you to do this on a monthly income basis.

If you know your states tax rules you will be in a better position to advise your client.

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink.

Mead is a honey beer (and can be wine) and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

Many annuity products have a honeymoon period with the client. The honeymoon is the time period from how the insurance agent may have explained an annuity to the harsh reality of performance! Often mistakes and misunderstandings occur when indexed annuities are sold. These products can be complicated and have many moving parts which come into play in different scenarios. Many times the grim facts of performance come to light and the client is unsure what they actually bought and why does the insurance company get to keep the money so long?

Full disclosure makes selling these indexed products so much easier in the long run. Always leave a company provided brochure for the product sold and keep a copy in the clients file for future use. By cutting corners we may be able to sell a couple more annuities than if we disclosed everything but you know what? It is the wrong way to sell.

Equity indexed annuities are not the easiest product to explain, there are just a lot of factors to determine. Be careful and take your time so the honeymoon period lasts as long as the contract.

Start with this. Equity Indexed Annuities are fixed annuities and your funds are NOT invested in the stock market! Your funds are invested in the general bond portfolio of the insurance company and any gain is provided by the use of option futures between the insurance company and Wall Street.

Full disclosure, take your time explaining the product, focus on the underlying guarantees, the benefits that come with the contract and guess what....

Maybe The Honeymoon Will Last!

For agents in the Insurance industry that are considering buying business insurance leads it is very important to research the Insurance lead company before you do business with them.

Here are a few things to consider when buying business insurance leads.

For starters. Where are the leads coming from? You want to make absolutely sure that the Insurance lead provider that you are considering is obtaining their business insurance leads on their own through lead generation web sites that they own and operate and can deliver them to you fresh.

Otherwise, you run the risk of purchasing recycled leads.

Also, look for the lead companies that do not require you to purchase contracts in order to do business with them.

If their leads are of good quality you will no doubt continue to buy so their would be no need for a contract.

If the company you are considering does require a contract you should either move on or continue to gather more information.

Look for low minimum deposits. Anything that is $300 or below would be considered acceptable. For instance, say you make a large deposit and find out that the leads are not any good. Is there any guarantee that you will get your money back?

Lastly, speak with someone in sales or the customer service department. Ask as many questions as you feel is necessary to find your comfort level.

If the company does not have a number for you to call than move on to the next one.

Who are you going to call when you need a refund?

If at any time you are not happy with the customer service you are receiving while doing your research than it is more than likely you will not be happy with the leads. So again, move on.

Remember, you work hard for your money, so make sure it is being spent in a way that will make you more money. Good luck!