According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are more than 41,000 insurance sales agents in California. That seems like a lot; however, it’s not the full story. The California Department of Insurance says its Accident and Health Agent list contains approximately 225,000 records for individuals that hold an accident and health agent license.
In Nevada, the BLS says there are 3,480 insurance sales agents. However, the Nevada Division of Insurance says there are 239,079 licensees.
Of course, in both California and Nevada, some licensees may be out of state. (Nevada says nearly 190,000 producers are non-residents.) Others may work for a company that requires them to have a license as part of their support role in an insurance-related job. That might include banks, agency personal not in sales, and others.)
Regardless of what number you look at, the bottom line is if you are selling insurance in California or Nevada, you have a lot of competition. So, what can you do to market your agency and help it stand out from others? We have three tips.
How to Market Your Health Insurance Agency
1: Make the most of your online presence. Make sure you are “findable” online. A good place to start is by Googling yourself. Where did you show up? Are you or your agency (if it has a doing business as/DBA name) showing up in the top 20? Top five? Add “employee benefits” as part of your search. Does it better – or worsen – your results? If you’re new to the business and you are just setting up your agency, remember that selecting the right name for your business is key. Something too generic can undermine your search results, putting your name on page two (or a later page) in your Google search results. Read Build Your Brand with a DBA as published by Legal Zoom.
There are many tools online to help you build your website. Some of the most popular sites are GoDaddy, Wix, Bluehost, Mailchimp, WordPress, and Squarespace. PC Magazine published an 11-site comparison and Tooltester reviewed 17 sites in 2022 articles. Consider engaging a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert to help you improve your search results if you’re falling short of your goals.
If you and your agency are not on social media, what are you waiting for? It could be the first place your prospects or referrals go to find you. Your competitors are there – and you should be, too.
Blogging is another way to go to get your name out. It doesn’t matter whether you’re blogging on your own website or contributing an expert opinion on others’ sites. It all helps position you as a knowledgeable industry professional, and someone people and companies can turn to when shopping for employee benefits.
2: Invest in CRM. A good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is important to every business, but it is absolutely essential for an insurance sales professional. It can help you get and stay organized. It can give you greater insight into your business – with information about your successes and shortcomings. It can streamline your follow up and give you the ability to send custom communications to clients and those prospects who have not yet become clients. It can improve your follow-up and help you warm up a cold lead. CRM can improve your time management, automate your marketing, and enhance your customer service. And in a competitive marketplace, service is kay to attracting and retaining clients. Check out our article, 5 Signs You Might Need a CRM System, published last month for more information.
3: Believe in yourself. Customers and prospects alike want to do business with those who are confident and knowledgeable. Confident sales professionals know their strengths and are working regularly to develop them. They are self-aware, but not arrogant. (It can sometimes be a fine line.) Customers need to believe you are the right person to help them find the solution that addresses their employees’ health insurance needs, while still controlling costs for their businesses. Developing quality content for your website, email messages, blog, presentations, and other marketing will help you reinforce your reputation as an employee benefits pro – helping you attract new customers, gain referrals, and keep current customers coming back year after year. Read the Inc. article, 7 Awesome Ways to Begin Believing in Yourself, if you need a bit of a push toward greater self-confidence.
For additional suggestions on marketing your agency and yourself, read our prior 2022 blogs: 5 Social Media Engagement Tips, 7 Ways to Generate Group Health Insurance Leads, Insurance Broker Marketing Services Grow Your Business, and 5 Outreach Ideas to Make Your Agency a Local Celebrity and Enhance Your Profile.
Stay tuned to Word & Brown’s blog for other tips on sales and marketing, carrier and product news, technology, and compliance.
About the Author: Missy Bynon is Marketing Director at The Word & Brown Companies. She has been with the firm since 2011. She has more two decades of branding, marketing, communications, and public relations expertise.
