The other day I was talking with a friend about my work and she interrupted me to tell me all her wonderful experiences as an insurance agent. It made me reflect on why my previous agent left. This article won’t cause any problems for my former agent. He didn’t notice me as a policyholder and he certainly didn’t notice me when he left.
I chose to remain with the same insurance company that I had worked with for 12 years when I moved to Oregon. I didn’t know any agents in my new area, nor anyone else in the same situation. So I did what most people would do. I chose the agent with the biggest ad! He HAD to at least be somewhat successful to afford an advertisement like this, right? I phoned the agency and got a quote. Then, I bound my coverages. After I moved into my new house, I called the agency to get a quote and made my first payment. I would have thought they would be happy to see me. Nope. They’d probably say “Oh!” You are the one who moved in! I’ll get Bob (not his real title) to introduce myself to you. Nope. They said, “Thanks so much for the check.” To be fair to Bob, he might not have been there or was in a meeting. Bob never spoke to me. Ever. But that’s not true. A few mailings were sent to me offering life insurance. Eight months later, I met another agent.
But, I am getting ahead of myself. I want to tell you about the insurance agent that my friend used. He was the best and she couldn’t stop talking about him. He found out that she was new to town and had never met anyone. He also learned that she was just starting her own business in the region. He began to introduce her to businesspeople in the area. He gave her any literature he believed she would find helpful. He invited his wife to join him at any business functions they thought would be of value. His staff, who had enough business to hire 4 employees, would call him whenever she stopped by his office asking questions.
It was worth the effort to spend so much time, thought, and energy on one policyholder. Consider this… He provided all her business and personal coverage needs. He has been a friend of hers for over 50 years and she continues to recommend him. The best part? HIM HAS NOT BEEN HER AGENT IN OVER SIX YEARS! He was able to relocate her from the area, and she still raves about him. This agent maintains a strong relationship with his policyholders and helps them become referral sources for him. My friend never mentioned whether his rates had gone up or down. Rates became secondary. The relationship he had with her and his interest in her success was what made the difference. This was a testament to the power and importance of building relationships with clients.
Let me tell you about my experience as an insurance agent. As I mentioned earlier, it was 8 months ago that I met another agent in the area. We met at a Chamber networking function. His positive attitude and positivity were very appealing to me. He was sincere and genuine, which made him easy to relate to. After chatting for some time, we decided to meet up to discuss his work and exchange business cards. When I returned to his office a few days later, I realized that he was the same person who I had met before. Also, although we discussed insurance issues, he was friendly and open to conversation. I felt that he was taking the time to get to know me and wasn’t pushingy. A few days later, I returned to him for his insurance proposal. He had several brochures and pamphlets for me. He had learned that I was not only new to the area, but also to Oregon. He had also learned that I enjoy hiking and camping. Even though I wasn’t yet a customer, he took the time to gather a few items to help me. He showed that he cared.
As you can guess, I was made a client. His rates were great for me. But, honestly, I was happy to work with him, even though his rates were slightly more than what I had been paying. My agent didn’t care about my business and my new agent did. My new agent cared and helped me to improve my coverages. I was willing even to pay a higher premium to switch. (It’s not worth having insurance if it doesn’t protect us in the way we want. I am not only his client but I will be his client as long as I live in the area. people are viewed as who they really are, not what they do. He has already recommended me to other clients.
I also asked my friend who her agent was at the end our conversation. She said that she had picked someone from the phone book when she first moved to town, but had never made contact with him. Guess who I’m going for her to?