Move Beyond Transactions to Trusted Guidance

Move Beyond Transactions to Trusted Advisor

Many agents jump into sales pitches with product knowledge, but no client insight. Buyer personas may sound like just another marketing concept or something that only big companies use. But it is not.

In the previous blog post, we saw how Coke’s marketing went from hero to zero fast. The team marketing New Coke wasn’t off its game. They just didn’t know how much their customers really loved original Coke. Who knew that changing a soda formula could cause such a fizzy response?

Using buyer personas helps you comprehend the diverse range of your clients’ needs. After all, the needs of your client, who is a 64-year-old executive starting early retirement, will likely not be the same as those of your 35-year-old parent who is a full-time caregiver to their special needs child. 

Age may open the door to insurance sales, but it doesn’t tell you who is on the other side of that door. Just because your client is turning 26 and aging off their parents’ plan does not mean you know their needs. Only with tools like buyer personas will you clearly determine their needs.

Selling based on age is transactional and quite simply doesn’t translate into the kind of relationship needed for sales and retention. When clients recognize their agent as a trusted advisor, they show greater loyalty.

Here are a few proven methods to build genuine client relationships and improve your overall retention of your book of business.

• Get to know your clients beyond their age.

  • Use your Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) to keep detailed notes on their demographics, key interests, wants and needs, and preferences. Then, revisit and update this during their annual review.

• Personalize communication channels with your clients.

  • If they prefer email contact and follow-up phone reminders for appointments, respond accordingly. 

• Their coverage lasts all year; so should your service. 

  • If you’re only reaching out during selling season or with a birthday reminder, it’s time to develop a more formal plan for staying in touch with your clients. Consider holidays, appointment reminders, newsletters, community events, etc. 

• Educate about plans and options.

  • You can’t expect to be a trusted advisor if you’re unable to solve their problems. Help them find plans that take into consideration their doctors, prescriptions, networks, medical conditions, and ancillary products. Your explanations should meet their level of understanding, which may include their comfort level with technology or their ability to comprehend a complex plan. Using easy-to-understand one-pagers can be an excellent takeaway for people who want time to review a plan. Don’t “dumb down” the explanations; keep it simple. 

• Emotionally connect with your clients.

  • In our last blog, we discussed how genuine connection stems from listening to your clients and staying one step ahead of their needs. If you know someone was recently hospitalized and still dealing with bills or follow-up care, that’s your cue to bring up a Hospital Indemnity plan, which pays them directly and helps cover what their insurance plan does not pay.  

Agents who skip these steps and approach insurance sales like a transaction will lose every time. Too often, agents approach sales like a numbers game. Insurance is not a one-size-fits-all plan.

Do not try to sell to everyone in the same way just because they are of a certain age or background. That method is just like “spaghetti on the wall,” where you throw all the spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. 

In today’s competitive insurance market, it’s not about how many calls you make, but how well you connect with clients on the other end of those calls. The agents who succeed are the ones who listen to their clients and understand their needs. 

Want to know more about your audience, how to market to them, and how connecting with Messer can grow your book of business and your bottom line? Visit Messer online.