Maybe you haven’t asked, or maybe you have and have gotten some not-so-positive responses.  What can you do to become a trusted agency in your community with a stellar reputation?

Below are some tips to help build the trust you want to have with your policyholders:

“Professionals never guess—
they make it their business to know their business.”
- Michelle Moore, Selling Simplified

Priorities and Tactics

Professional Agency Priorities:

• Be knowledgeable about your company’s products and be able to explain coverage.
  
• Understand client needs and expectations.
• Present the unique benefits (i.e., differentiators) that your agency offers .
• Display certifications for training and memberships.
• Create and maintain a professional appearance.
• ​Take time to talk to clients personally.
• Know client accounts and needs.
• Advise on tailored coverage options.
  
  

“People don’t care how much you know
until they know how much you care.”
- David Maister, True Professionalism​

Tactics To Build Trust With Your Clients

For many consumers, the most important element in a transaction is customer satisfaction. An important aspect of this is simply making the customer feel heard.

Ten ways to do this:

1. Know who is boss. Henry Ford put it well: “Employers only handle the mone—it is the customer who pays the wages.” You are in business to serve customer needs, and you can only do that if you know what your customers want. When you truly listen to your customers, they let you know what they want and how you can provide good service. This is what pays your salary.
   
   
2. Be a good listener. Take the time to identify customer needs by asking questions and concentrating on what the customer is really saying. Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they feel. Beware of making assumptions; i.e., thinking you intuitively know what the customer wants.
   
   
3. Identify and anticipate needs. Customers don't buy products or services. They buy good feelings and solutions to problems. Most customer needs are emotional rather than logical. The more you know your customers, the better you become at anticipating their needs. Communicate regularly so that you are aware of problems or upcoming needs.
   
   
4. Make customers feel important and appreciated. Treat them as individuals. Always use their name and find ways to compliment them, but be sincere. People value sincerity. It creates good feeling and trust. Customers are very sensitive and know whether or not you really care about them. Thank them every time you get a chance. Convey sincerity. Your words and actions should be congruent.
   
   
5. Help customers understand your systems. Your organization may have the world's best systems for getting things done, but if customers don't understand them, they can get confused, impatient and angry. Take time to explain how your systems work and how they simplify transactions.
   
   
6. Appreciate the power of "Yes". Always look for ways to help your customers. When they have a request (as long as it is reasonable), tell them that you can do it. Figure out how afterwards. Look for ways to make doing business with you easy. Always do what you say you are going to do.
   
   
7. When something goes wrong, apologize. It's easy and customers like it. The customer may not always be right, but the customer must always win. Deal with problems immediately and let customers know what you have done. Make it simple for customers to complain. Value their complaints. As much as we dislike it, it gives us an opportunity to improve. Even if customers are having a bad day, go out of your way to make them feel comfortable.
   
   
8. Give more than expected. Since the future of all companies lies in keeping customers happy, think of ways to elevate yourself above the competition.
   
   
9. Get regular feedback. Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you could improve. There are several ways in which you can find out what customers think and feel about your services
   

   a.  Listen carefully to what they say
   

   b.  Check back regularly to see how things are going.

   c.  Provide a method that invites constructive criticism, comments and suggestions.​

   
   
10. Treat employees well. They are your internal customers and need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are. Treat your employees with respect and chances are they will have a higher regard for customers. Appreciation starts from the top. Treating both customers and employees well are equally important.