Leadpile’s Blog

Many of you may be thinking that I am crazy saying that there are benefits to the H1N1 virus. Getting the flu may not be fun, but if you are are in the business of household personal care items, you could not be happier. Brands such as Johnson & Johnson have been seeing a large increase in sales on many of their germ killing products. Purell hand sanitizer, Clorox, and cold medicine are just a few of their germ products that people are reaching to. Just looking around the office I can see all three of the above products with people using them constantly. With that being said, it comes to no surprise that in October along with Johnson & Johnson saw at 10.7% sales increase. That was the larger increase among all companies in this market.
People are going to do whatever it takes to not get sick, if that means buying a bottle of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes a week, they are going to do it (at least until the H1N1 virus subsides). If you are a marketing there is no reason why you should not be taking full advantage of this. Especially since we are still in a “recession”, having the biggest sale increase for that market is amazing. For all you green enthusiast who do not want to get sick and do not want to hurt the environment, there is a whole line of environmental friendly disinfectant products. Whatever the case may be, it definitely pays to work with what is out there and target what people are buzzing about.

The term insurance is a common term that is used in law and economics and can be defined with a lot of technical terms. However, at LeadPile, we like to keep it simple. We define insurance as the transfer of risk of loss from one entity to another in exchange for premiums.


Insurance has been around since the 3rd millennium B.C.E. The Chinese Merchants of this day would cleverly distribute their wares on several vessels to help spread losses in case one vessel was attacked or capsize. Conventional insurance became evident in 2000 B.C.E. when a contract was signed between companies issuing capital to traveling merchants. This contract stipulated that should the capital be lost while on transit, it would be a loss to the company issuing the capital and thus, in consideration of bearing such a risk, they charged a ridiculously high interest rate.


The Insurance Industry has come a long way since 2000 years before the Common Era, and that is why there is such a demand for Insurance Leads. Modern insurance today can be traced back to the Great Fire of London, 1966. This disaster cost London a staggering 10million pounds. This triggered the minds of many to insure their property against fires.


Leadpile did not exist in those days, but there are many insurance companies that can handle insurance needs for customers. It is for this reason that Insurance leads are such a hot commodity.


The LeadPile Lead Exchange can handle almost any type of Insurance Leads for Insurance Companies Types of Insurance Leads include:

• Home insurance – Compensates for damage or destruction to a person’s dwelling
• Auto insurance – Provides property, medical and liability in the event of motor-vehicle accidents.
• Property insurance – This type of insurance offers compensation in the event of theft, fire or weather damage. In special cases, people may insure against floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

LeadPile is one of the Nation’s leading providers of Insurance Leads. We have a large database of various types of insurance leads and can also deliver leads on a real-time basis. The leads are real consumers looking for help in choosing an insurance program.

We all know payday loans don’t exactly have the best image, however there are a need for them in certain situations. I came across this article on personalmoneystore.com, discussing a very interesting type of loan. This “automobile down payment loan” is said to be a loan that no credit check is performed, and there is no collateral securing this loan. However, after reading more about this, I thought this reminded me of a payday loan, but with a different name.

We all know lending requirements have gotten a lot more strict, however consumers still need to pay close attention to the specifics of any money they are getting. Don’t get me wrong, this is not necessarily a bad thing that consumers should not look at. However, maybe the key to getting a more positive image on the payday loan industry is to put different “names” on the loans. Leadpile will keep an eye out for any other names we identify as a payday loan.

Hyundai started the trend and now GM and Ford are jumping on the bandwagon. These automakers have rolled out new “job loss” protection plans for those looking to purchase a car. According to The Washington Post, “U.S. automobile sales are barely running above an annualized pace of 9 million this year. By comparison, car companies in recent years have sold 16 million to 17 million vehicles. Analysts say the sharp drop suggests that Americans have grown so reluctant to buy new cars that they are even holding back on replacing vehicles that have been in accidents or no longer run.” GM’s job loss plan would cover up to nine car payments of $500 each for customers who lose their jobs, and Ford is offering payments of up to $700 for 12 months.
I am not sure of the specific details of these plans and what sort of “criteria” they set, however this is a positive for those that were a little reluctant on buying a new car. With a little (or lot) of government help, and these sorts of plans being rolled out, maybe there is some chance the auto industry can get back on it’s feet????? Leadpile Lead Exchange is excited about the possibility that there might be some light at the end of this very loooooooong tunnel.

GM is speaking out and getting the facts straight to the public.  Check out this site: http://gmfactsandfiction.com it allows you to write the “myth” you heard and they will provide the “facts”.   

I was reading today that GM is closing four factories.  Although it has not been determined if that’s 100% accurate, many speculate that it is.  GM has announced that they are closing the Janesville Wisconsin factory.  Shutting down doors for approximately 1,200 workers, December 23rd 2008. The other potential factories, looking at their doors closing, are the ones located in Ohio, Ontario, and Mexico.  

Shares dropped horrifically for GM over the last few days. In an attempt to save money, GM is looking at a few avenues to save money. They are looking at closing down factories that focus specifically on GM’s big trucks such as the Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon. This is a way that GM believes will be lucrative in the long run.  GM has confirmed that they are not going to file for bankruptcy.

What do you think?  Do you think GM has an opportunity to come back from this nightmare?  

I am not sure how you could have missed what is going on with the economy, however each day there is new news. The latest news involves the government bailing out IAG Insurance Company with a 85 billion dollar loan. Last week the government was bailing out Fannie May and Freddie Mac. We are in a position of having to have our government save these mega giants. These bailouts show what kind of situation we are in now, but what could happen next?
The unfortunate side of this is that none of this has caused any major “positive” changes with our housing crisis. However, the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae bailout has allowed rates to go down and maybe have a few more people go out and get a new mortgage loan. The latest news is the possibility of changes with Washington Mutual. Hurricanes, takeovers, bailouts, high gas prices, loss of jobs, foreclosures… is there something good going out there? There has to be! Let’s find the positive.
No matter what happens with the economy, Leadpile Lead Exchange will be right there trying to connect consumers needing services with advertisers that can provide that service to them.

How many of you have been approached to get a life insurance quote from your insurance agent? Let me guess, you said I am too young to buy life insurance. Any successful life insurance sales person will tell you the key to life insurance is really “understanding” it. There are a lot of misconceptions out there regarding life insurance. There really are a lot of specific reasons consumers take out a life insurance policy, besides just to “be covered” when they pass away.

1. Business owners can take out policies to take care of their key employees, so the business can run smoothly if the business owner passes away. Is the deceased person’s spouse really going to be able to run the business if they passed away? Probably not.
2. Spouses take out a policy to cover their spouse so they can try and maintain a similar lifestyle, if their spouse passes away.
3. Some take out policies for a short period of time to cover loved ones, because they took out some extra debt and they want their beneficiaries to not incur this debt if they pass away.
4. Some take out a life insurance policy because they want to have their loved ones to not have to take care of paying for their burial expenses.

Overall, there are so many reasons why a person has to consider taking out a life insurance policy. The most common types of life insurance policies are whole life and term life.
Whole life insurance generally is more expensive because it generates cash value, and it remains with you till you pass away. However, term insurance is an insurance policy that generally lasts for 10,20, or maybe even 30 years only. These policies expire at the end of their designated time frame. Unfortunately, if you take out a policy and then cancel it or don’t pay, it can expire and if you wanted another one, you then will be rated on the age you are now. Buying life insurance at a younger age can have some long term benefits for individuals, because life insurance premiums are based on your age (and health condition too).
According to Yahoo.com, 94% of life insurance that is sold is sold over the kitchen table. This means that most consumers who get life insurance have chosen to get it while meeting face to face with their insurance agent. 4% of consumers feel comfortable getting a life insurance policy over the internet. This is where Leadpile Lead Exchange comes in.
We work with some of the best publishers out there, and they are ready to embark on generating more insurance leads. Not only will we want our publishers to bring in auto and home insurance, we will ask them to bring in life insurance. This is a very important lead type that is a very important insurance for every American. We ALL need life insurance at some level. Just like in any loan you take out… do your research with life insurance. Ask a lot of questions.

Bankrate.com just released the top 10 selling cars for 2008.  The hottest and most popular automobiles: 

• #10 – The Chevrolet Cobalt.  Listing price $14,217. Sold to date 114,250 vehicles.  Runs at about 25-30 mpg.  
• #9  -  Ford Focus. Listing price $15,363. Sold to date 123,449 cars. Average 28mpg
• #8  -  Chevrolet Impala. Listing price $21,348. Sold to date 138,952.  MPG depends on the cylinder of the vehicle.  Your looking at anywhere between 17-23mpg depending on the version
• #7 – Chevrolet Silverado (light duty). First truck on the top ten.. Listing price$25,921. Sold to date 148,046. They average 11-16mpg. 
• #6  - Nissan Altima.   Listing price $22,798. Sold to date 158,006.  Average 22-26mpg.  
• #5  - We are half way down the list . Introducing the Ford F Series (light duty). Nice to see another truck on the board.  Listing price $22,798.  Sold to date 164,828.  10-16mpg.  Wow, get ready to spend your money on gas with this type of mpg!
• #4  - Toyota Corolla.  Listing price $17,122.  Sold to date 169,868.  25-30mpg.  Nice!
• #3  - And now the top three!  Honda Civic! I’m not surprised to see this bad boy on the list.  Listing price $19,114.  Sold to date 204,961.  The MPG is great with whopping 28-42mpg. 
• #2  - Honda Accord.  Listing price $25,859. Sold to date 227,874.  Save some cash with this beauty 25-34mpg.
• Finally, what we have all been waiting for .  #1 best selling auto for 2008!  You ready?  Announcing the most popular car around, the TOYOTA CAMRY.  Listing price $22,859.  Sold an amazing 228,874 cars this year.  Take a vacation with the money you will save on gas with 23-34mpg.

Surprised to only see 2 trucks in the top ten?  I think not.  Overall car sales are down 10% this year compared to last year.  Leadpile Lead Exchange deals a lot with the Auto Finance vertical and the volume of leads coming through our system is slightly down also, however we are expecting it to turn around any day now!
There you have it, the top 10 autos for 2008!

General Motor Corp. is introducing the new Chevrolet Volt in 2010 and has a waiting list of over 33,000 prospective buyers for this new battery powered car.   Many buyers for this vehicle are from California, Texas, Illinois and Michigan.  Yes, many Americans are facing high gas pricing in these states.  

Its estimated to cost about $31,261 which is less than the $40,000 GM said would cost to generate the car equipped with a massive lithium-ion battery pack.  

The new Chevrolet Volt will be able to run 40 miles on lithium-ion  battery and can easily be recharged at a standard outlet. 

GM showed off a concept version of the Volt in January 2007 but has retooled the look of the vehicle significantly since then.  

What do you think of this new vehicle?   Are you on the waiting list as a potential buyer?  What other neat features do you anticipate this car having?  I wonder what the lifespan is for the battery? 

I love the style, what do you think! Hot Car? Or Two thumbs down?

Insurance leads can be so targeted.  I’m starting to think its an actual sign up versus just the contact.  Everyone needs insurance, for your car, health, life, and even home.  But the criteria that’s required can be a bit hectic.  In my view all you really need is a contact that is interested, find a solution to helping that client.  Provide a service to consumers looking for insurance. 

Lets talk about car insurance for a minute.  If I can give you ten people that are truly interested in getting insurance for their car does it really matter what make and model? Are advertisers just being choosy where they can make more money or all in all, is it about helping the consumer find the services he/she needs? Let’s bring up health insurance.  Everyone needs health insurance.  When people are going online and they need an agent to assist them with more information so that a comfort zone can be built and they can understand what type of health insurance would work best for them? Is that a bad lead? No, I think not!

A lead, everyone has a different definition.  The true definition is simply a consumer that is interested in the product or service and need your help! So are leads with name, phone numbers, email, and address in a lead exchange a bad lead.  For a lesser price I actually think its a steal! Be thrilled that you can actually talk to someone on the phone. Its better than picking up the yellow pages and aiming at getting yelled at.  Contact is all you need, cross sale, offer a relative of theirs that service as well, make a quality impression that the consumer will tell their friend how helpful you were.  A lead is only as strong as the person working it!

Let’s really look into insurance, we all need it and its a necessity.  Its a healthy part of life.