When you’re starting out as an independent insurance agent, it’s tough to stay competitive and win new clients. Your budget is tight, and you need an affordable way to grow your book of business.
So where do you begin? Here are three ways to set yourself apart.
Make it personal
Twenty nine percent of customers who leave their insurance provider cite not feeling valued as a customer.
Frustration with their current agent creates an opportunity for you to jump in. And this is where being a little old school is the best kept secret.
Very few businesses take the time to write out a card and send it in the mail. For this reason, a well-timed gesture grabs the prospect’s attention and makes you stand out. Which is why you need to consider including a handwritten card or two into your prospecting efforts.
And once you’ve acquired a new client, continue to make them feel special with handwritten cards for their big occasions: wish them a happy birthday, thank them for referrals and surprise them with an occasional gift card.
If your hand is already cramping up just thinking about writing that many cards, don’t worry. ClientCircle will do it for you automatically. Our handwritten cards look genuine, use real ink and are sent with a forever stamp just like your family would use, for a truly authentic experience.
Be available on prospects’ terms
We all know the frustration of waiting on hold. We’ll wait it out if that’s our only option, but in a world where consumers can choose from a variety of insurance carriers and agencies, they’ll just go somewhere else if your process is inconvenient.
That’s why you should make yourself available to answer questions on a variety of channels. In addition to picking up the phone, make sure you have web chat on your website and that you can respond to inquiries via text, email and third-party messaging apps like Google or Facebook. If that sounds like a lot to juggle, ClientCircle will help you keep all your conversations in one place.
Find your promoters
Even if your client list is small when you start, many customers are willing to recommend you if you ask in the right way.
The first step is to find out which clients are your happiest. You can do that with a simple survey.
Even though people may not know which of their friends are looking for insurance, many will leave you a review online if you ask. And as long as you keep taking care of your clients with meaningful touchpoints throughout the year, they will be quick to recommend you the moment their friend or family member mentions they are looking for insurance.