An insurance agent’s brand is crucial for one simple reason: Referrals are what make or break a company.
Your brand is your identity. It’s who you are and what you stand for. You can learn a lot about your client’s Brand by listening to what they have to say. Some people think that Brand is the logo for your agency or company; others believe that Brand is the advertising slogan you use.
Nope. No. Brand is the sum of all that your customer sees you as. If you want that perception of you to be positive, your marketing communications and sales communications should convey positive messages to your customer to support your Brand.
The message of “Care” is one of the most important messages that any insurance marketing campaign can convey. With male insurance agents, this message could be seen as a way to get in trouble. Guys are tough and business-like. And guys shouldn’t be too sappy about real-world business transactions such as insurance.
Every customer wants to know you are attentive to them and that your company is there for them when they need you. You need to be able to tell your clients that your brand is different in a competitive world, where there are hundreds of messages aimed at them every week. Claim time.
You care about your customers. You want your clients to succeed, no matter if you are selling them personal or business lines. As you build a relationship with them, you may be able to sell them additional products if they succeed and grow.
How well can show that you care? In his book, Competitive Advantage, Michael Porter explains how important it is for companies to communicate with customers the value they bring to them and the lack thereof (p. The latter requires creativity and tact. An agent’s brand can be quickly destroyed by arrogance or one-upmanship.
The client may not notice if you aren’t showing that you care. It is important to communicate to clients that you care by getting back to them quickly. It’s a good idea for clients to remind you of this if you return calls promptly and are consistent. It doesn’t matter how heavy handed you are about it. You can simply say, “Did you do a good job getting back with you on that last quote?” Asking subtle questions like these will usually reinforce the client’s belief that you care about them and are trying your best.
Sometimes clients will point out to your company that you did not respond quickly enough. Then you have the opportunity to correct what you did wrong.
As an agent of insurance, marketing yourself is more than just buying leads and creating a slogan. Every contact with a customer must reflect your brand. It must also reinforce who you really are.
You must not only be prompt in responding to the policyholder, but also identify other ways you can show your care. Here are some suggestions:Always return a callAsking one question about the family’s healthRemembering the name of a spouse or childRemembering one vacation, project or other event they are planning or working onRemind them to review their policies in advance
No matter how smug or sane people may sound, nearly everyone has friends and associates they can refer to you. Make sure the policyholder feels loved, and they’ll be more likely to recommend you.
