The stereotype of the insurance agent as a fast-talking car salesman-type out to separate folks from their money is a familiar one. Like it or not, even the best independent agents have to work hard to prove that image wrong. So what can you do to convince potential clients that you’re here to help, not victimize them? Develop trust and shatter the stereotype by following these basic tips:
Are they renters who are about to transition to homeowners? Do they have a teenager who’s going to be driving in another year? Are they thinking of buying a second home at the lake? You can’t tailor service to people’s specific circumstances unless you know the specifics of their lives. Take time to listen and learn.
Check in with clients periodically just to see how they are and to stay on top of whether their needs changed. Communicate with them using the kind of technology that suits them best. If they like email, email. If they like texts, text. If they prefer a phone call, get on the phone. Building and maintaining a real relationship with them is the best way to show that you’re a person, not just some money-grubbing policy pusher.
Send them reminders at renewal time. Make your website engaging and user-friendly and helpful. Create podcasts or videos or blog posts or newsletters, or send email blasts that give clients information they need. Be accessible. Send thank-you notes for referrals, or even send thank-you notes now and then just to thank them for being clients. Follow up with them after a claim so they don’t feel abandoned.
There a million little ways to serve your clients, and the investment of time and energy will not only make them feel good, it will remind them of your value.
No, you don’t have to invite them to your house for meatloaf, but interacting with them on your agency’s Facebook page or through your Twitter or Instagram or Whatever account is another terrific way to remind clients that you’re a real person who enjoys connecting with other people.
Solicit their questions and then answer them. Ask them questions and listen to their answers. The key is to engage with them and to keep them engaged.
Insurance agents are people too. Remind your clients of that by putting the focus on them, not selling, and chances are they’ll always be “your people.”
How do your agents excel at combatting old stereotypes?