One of the most valuable tools available to help you get to know your clients, their circumstances, goals, and preferences is a client needs assessment.
A needs assessment provides you with a better understanding of your client’s objectives. You’ll be able to gather real insights into their situation, so you can more easily identify potential gaps that need to be addressed.
Below are important considerations in talking with your client and completing a needs assessment:
1: Work to establish and nurture trust from the start. Your fact-finding and assessment discussions with your client are just the beginning of building a successful, long-lasting relationship. Treat your clients with respect and kindness to foster a collaborative connection.
2: Ask open-ended questions. This will lead to deeper, critical thinking, exploration of ideas and alternative solutions, and improve your communications. It goes beyond yes/no answers and can prompt clients to share more information and open themselves up to a greater analysis of their needs. This will lead to a more engaging interaction.
3: Understand clients’ goals and pain points. When you are better able to understand any issues your clients are facing, it is much easier for you to tailor a solution to address those challenges. That will also help you develop targeted marketing messages, compelling value propositions, and increase your sales efficiency by helping you with your resource and time allocation.
4: Actively listen to your clients’ answers and ask follow-up questions. These will help you confirm your understanding, improve your service, build rapport, and further enhance your connection. When people feel heard and valued, they are more likely to engage in meaningful conversations.
Your use of a needs assessment tool will also help you do four things:
- Ensure adequate coverage, thus helping your clients avoid being underinsured and potentially large medical bills.
- Optimize plan selection. Your conversations will enable you to help clients choose a plan that matches their specific needs, budget, and preferences.
- Provide increased financial security. Without the right coverage, your clients’ future security is at risk – but it doesn’t have to be when you’re able to match needs to the right coverage solution.
- Promote greater peace of mind. Knowing they have the right coverage can alleviate clients’ stress and worry about their future health care costs.
Ask your carrier representative or your Word & Brown rep about whether your preferred carriers offer a needs assessment tool. (Many do, and some are available in W&B’s online Insurance Forms Library.)
If you’re not yet working with W&B, it’s easy to get started. Register today on our website, or call us at 800.869.6989.
