Your success as an insurance broker is dependent on you developing a good relationship with your clients. But, since every client is different, you may not feel you can take the same approach with all of your clients.
Here are five tips to remember as you’re building your professional network:
Be honest
First and foremost, it’s important you be honest in all of your dealings with your prospects and clients. If you are less than honest, no matter how charming, witty, or good looking you may be, you’re likely to lose your client’s trust. And once that’s gone, your relationship is doomed. Your prospects in the long term as a business person are not good either, since a dissatisfied customer will tell between nine and 15 people about a negative experience – and 13 percent of dissatisfied customers will tell more than 20 people.
Ask questions, get to know them
In nurturing your relationship with your clients, it’s vital you ask questions and get to know what they want, need, and expect. Talk with them about what insurance coverage they have now – and how it’s working or not working for them and their covered loved ones. What added or replacement coverage are they open to in the future? Ask about their budget.
If your client is an employer who is not in a position to purchase group health benefits for their employees (because it will cost them too much), maybe they are open to employer-sponsored or voluntary Dental, Vision, or other coverage.
Or, maybe, they’ve been turned down for Major Medical coverage in the past due to employee participation or employer contribution requirements. Don’t forget the annual Special Open Enrollment Window for group coverage, November 15 to December 15. That’s when employers that have been turned down in the past can enroll and get coverage without the usual participation or premium contribution requirements.
Educate your buyers
Walk your clients through the range of products you have in your portfolio. Talk about the diverse roster of carriers that you represent and the availability of employer-sponsored Medical, Dental, Vision, and other coverage, as well as options for voluntary coverage, which is paid for entirely by participating employees. You may be able to help your clients expand their employee benefits without increasing their company costs.
Present solutions
Asking thought-provoking questions will help you match your clients’ needs to the products in your portfolio. Show them how what you have to offer provides the solution they’re looking for, at a cost they can afford. Be authentic, positive, and transparent. People want to do the right thing. You just need to be able to show them the way. Simple communication works. And it can help you build strong, long-lasting relationships.
Nurture your relationships
Customers want more frequent, meaningful, and personalized communications. Once you have a client, make sure you make an ongoing effort to communicate with them. This shows your continuing interest in their needs and goals – and your focus on customer care and retention. (If you client doesn’t view their relationship with you as beneficial to them, they may be willing to leave you in favor of some other broker makes an effort to capture their business.)
Read our post, Four Qualities That Make for a Good Insurance Agent, for information about key qualities of successful insurance agents.
