Author: Al Diamond

Will you acknowledge that insurance is not the most desired topic of conversation for pretty much anyone?

Neither is the stock market or our own mortality---

No one is keen to speak of their demise even though we all know it WILL happen. But we don't want our local mortician to remind us by sending us marketing for his services.

When our broker calls us it is usually to ask for money for an investment or to break some bad news to us - also something that puckers us up when the call is announced.

And few of our clients (and no one else) is keen on hearing from the insurance agent - they assume every call will cost them money.

So how do we keep familiar enough with our clients to make sure they call us when an insurance topic arises?

How do we get them to feel good enough that we're their agent to refer all of their friends to us if they need insurance?

And, most of all how do we get prospects for our services to know our name and acknowledge that we are the "insurance pros' in the area for when they are ready to make a move?

Familiarity Breeds Contempt?? Only if it's bothersome or nagging.

Otherwise - Familiarity Breeds Trust!!

Your job is to be familiar with your clients resulting in a trusting relationship similar to their relationship with their family doctor.

We get a postcard from our realtor every month or two -FOR THE LAST TWENTY YEARS - simply stating that they sold another house in our area, posting a picture of the house they sold and the price they got. No solicitation - No demand - just the fact and their phone number for when we need them again. And they still send us a business card with magnetic calendar attached showing us who they are.

What did it tell us?

It told us they were familiar with the homes in our area and an idea of the selling price as houses were sold. Are we likely to use another realtor when the time comes that we need to buy or sell? Not likely - we have his magnetic calendar on our fridge and he reminds us of who he is without any hard-sell.

We get solicitations from insurance agencies and companies about every two weeks. What do we do with them? Why, what everyone else does with them of course-throw them into the trash can that sits next to our front door! They never get opened let alone considered. Nor do we remember who sent what solicitation.

The realtor appealed to an interest without an obligation, telling us for how much houses in our area are selling. The insurance entities were all touting, "We can get you insurance cheaper."

There were no demands made to us by the realtor - just remember who we are when you need us. In order to accommodate the insurance requests, we have to purposely leave our current carrier and agent and we have to find all of our data and go through the trouble of filing an application for a quote - something like the Spanish Inquisition - presumably for our own good!

YOUR CUSTOMERS:

The greatest benefit you have as an independent agent is that you are the "local" professionals - you know both insurance and the area. When you communicate with your customers bring them local news, whether it's the local high school or college sports schedule, highlights and scores, upcoming events within 50 miles in the next week, or even the weather forecast (especially in farm country).

By all means include a short synopsis of one of the many coverages you offer with a phone number for inquiry in case they need it. Concentrate the meat of your communications on what interests the customers, not what interests YOU.

YOUR PROSPECTS:

Your goal should be for all of your prospects to know who you are, your credentials and your history. You want them to know you even if they are not insured by you. Build a reputation for service to the community, whether insured with you or not. You are at your strongest if the individuals and businesses in your area think of you as a community service more than a purveyor of insurance products. Build your reputation as always being available to answer any insurance questions regardless of whether they person is insured with you.

THE ASSET PROTECTION MODEL OF SALES (APM)

We began using the principals embedded in the APM over 20 years ago when we noticed that the most successful agencies shared the same common traits with respect to the treatment of the customers. All of them were more interested in the well-being of their clients than they were in selling insurance. As a result they not only had the most loyal customers (their friends) but they also sold more new insurance every year as well. Invariably they were NOT price-sensitive salespeople, although they acknowledged that they had to have competitive pricing. But since they were service-centered, they and their customers recognized that if they were a few dollars more expensive than their competitors, there was much more that the customer got from the relationship than simply the cost of the insurance.

I know this doesn't sound exciting or tout the most current internet marketing methods. Those are useful as tools, not to familiarize people with who YOU ARE. Remember the song from 1985's "All That Jazz", 'Everything Old is New Again!'

Let us know if you would like more information about the APM and if you would like to convert your agency back to where it was a generation or two ago when it was truly Customer-Centric. We have the tools that will train you and your staff into that role. The sales made will be longer and to get but will last longer as will your relationship with your clients. 856 779 2430 - al@agencyconsulting.com

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Reprinted from The PIPELINE, the national newsletter for agency principals. The PIPELINE is published by Agency Consulting Group, Inc., a leading consulting firm for independent agents in the U.S. for over 35 years. Call 800-779-2430, E-mail info@agencyconsulting.com, or visit www.agencyconsulting.com for information about the content of this article or PIPELINE subscription information.

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Last Updated: August 18, 2017