Whether you’re new to insurance sales or you’ve been at it for years, no matter how many customers you have, an ongoing challenge is attracting and retaining new customers. Below are five strategies to help you.
1: Engage in Active Listening
If you take the time to get to know your clients, you will gain a better understanding of their needs. Ask questions. This will enable you to establish a closer connection and foster trust. In your conversations, be open to adapting your approach based on client demographics. If you are talking with a Baby Boomer or Generation Xer, you might want to be more formal. If your client is a Millennial or a Gen Zer, an informal (but still businesslike) approach may work better.
2: Build Credibility
Focus on how you can assist your prospects and clients. Be thorough in your research about what products or services might deliver the best solution for their situation. When you’re able to demonstrate your familiarity with available coverage options, you demonstrate your expertise. Your ability to tailor a program to address employees’ needs and balance them with the employer’s budget will be appreciated.
3: Be Professional, Transparent, and Honest
Effectively communicating the value of the insurance products or services you are recommending is critical. Always be professional, transparent, and honest. Prioritize your clients’ best interests over all else. Anything less will come back to haunt you and undermine your sales. If you’ve had particular success with another client engaged in the same industry or of comparable size and employee demographics, showcase how you helped them and how your expertise can benefit their business, too.
4: Communicate Often
We’ve suggested before that to nurture a stronger connection with your clients, you need to be regular contact with them. A solid Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool can help. You can use it to organize client and prospect information, track sales and marketing opportunities, improve your lead conversions, and boost customer retention. Read our prior post, Intro to CRM Tools for Insurance Agents, to learn more about CRM and some of available platforms.
5: Ask for Referrals from Satisfied Customers
If you develop a positive working relationship with your clients, you should feel comfortable in asking them if they know others who could benefit from your counsel and expertise. What’s important, though, is that you are not premature in asking. Your ask should come post-sale and post-enrollment. You may even want to ask at your first follow-up weeks or even months after your enrollment. The leads you receive can build your network and help fill your future sales pipeline. If your request doesn’t prompt any referrals on your first ask, don’t be afraid to bring up the question later.
Another strategy that can help you attract and retain clients is to partner with the right general agency. Word & Brown can help you in so many ways, including:
- a diverse product and service portfolio from a roster of regional and national carriers
- statewide sales support and quoting assistance in California and Nevada
- industry-leading technology, including HRIS tools for your clients
- teams of experts focused on Underwriting, Small Group, Large Group, and Ancillary
- enrollment assistance – in-person, onsite, and online
- in-house Compliance expertise plus an online WBCompliance Wiki
- up to date product training, broker education, and marketing support
- value-added extras like a Premium Only Plan (POP), COBRA admin services, + more
Call your Word & Brown representative today to learn more. Or if you’re not already doing business with us, call 800-869-6989 or get started by filling out our online form.
