Agents Marketer Articles

Insurance Agents and Brand - The Care Component Can Help You Sell More Policies

2008-01-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

Brand is critical to an insurance agent for one overwhelmingly simple reason: Brand builds--or kills--referrals.

Brand is who you are, it's what you stand for. If you really want to know what your Brand is, eavesdrop on what the client says about you. Novices think Brand is the logo of your agency or the company you represent; or that Brand is the cute advertising slogan you run.

Nope. Brand is the aggregate of what the customer perceives you to be. And if you want that perception to be positive, you need to make sure that your marketing and sales communications deliver a series of positive messages to the customer that support your Brand.

One of the most critical of the messages any insurance marketing can provide is the message of "Care". Now, right away with male insurance agents we might be putting ourselves in hot water even by mentioning the word. Guys are tough, guys are business-like, and guys aren't supposed to be sappy when it comes to real-world business transactions like insurance.

Yet every customer wants to know that you pay attention to them, that when the chips are down you and your company will be there for them. In a world of intense competition--in an industry with hundreds of advertising messages screaming at the client each week--you need something about your own Brand that quietly reinforces to your client that you will be there when they need you most: Claim time.

Of course you care about your clients. Whether you sell them business or personal lines, you want them to prosper and flourish. Plus, if they do well and grow you'll have the opportunity to sell them new products as you continue to develop the relationship with them.

But how well do you signal the fact that you care? Michael Porter, in his book Competitive Advantage, reaffirms how vital it is for a company to communicate to its customers not only what value you bring to the customer, but also the lack of value that your competitors bring (p. 155). Of course, tact and creativity is urged when pursuing the latter. Arrogance and one-upmanship can quickly devastate an agent's brand.

If you don't signal that you care, then the client might not pick up on it. One good way to signal to the client that you are caring is getting back to the policy-holder quickly. If you are consistent in returning calls quickly, then it's a good idea to occasionally remind the client of this. You don't have to be heavy-handed about it at all; you can just say something like: "Did we do a good job getting back to you on that last quote?" Subtle questions like this will typically reinforce to the client that you are looking out for them and trying hard.

Of course, sometimes clients will also point out to you that you didn't get back to them soon enough, and then you have an opportunity to fix what you didn't do right.

Marketing yourself, as an insurance agent, is much more nuanced than simply buying leads and coming up with a good slogan. Every customer contact must reflect your brand--it must reinforce who you are.

Besides promptness in getting back to the policyholder you need to identify other actions you can take that show you care. Some suggestions:

always returning a call

asking one question about how the family is doing

remembering a spouse's or child's name

remembering one project or vacation or other event they are working on or planning

reminding them when it's time to review their policies well in advance

No matter what people say, no matter how gruff their exterior, almost every one of them has friends or associates which they can refer you to, Make sure that the policyholder feels they are cared about, and you'll get those referrals.

And that's a source of new insurance leads more precious than money can buy.

Craig Lutz-Priefert is Vice President of an insurance lead generation firm. MorePolicies.com provides insurance marketing services for local insurance agents. MorePolicies.com also provides quality natural insurance leads and agent-engineered websites.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Lutz-Priefert

Insurance Marketing - Random Activities Produce Random Results

2007-12-06T18:22:00.001-08:00

You sabotage yourself by not having systems. Those systems need to be based on your business, your strengths, and your objectives. You'll never earn what a top producer earns if you run your business by spur of the moment decisions, and random activities intended to produce results.

You need three clearly defined systems to have a real business rather than a low paying job. First, you need a system to get appointments with the right prospects. Second, you need a system for selling those prospects and converting them into customers. Third, you need a system to generate referrals from those customers that isn't pushy.

There are a number of marketing systems that you could purchase, but they aren't your system. Even when/if you purchase a marketing system it's really only part of your marketing plan. Your marketing plan has to be built around who you are, the reason your business exists, and the one clear message you want to communicate to your market through every marketing communication you make.

When you try to communicate different messages to the same people, or you try to be everything to everyone you confuse your market. There's a simple truth about a confused market, and that is they don't buy. And neither does a bored market.

Your systems all have to support and expand on the clear, succinct, and repeatable message that you want your market saying about you. The objective of marketing systems is to have enough systems in place to produce leads to qualified prospects. Traditional you-focused marketing doesn't work, but educational customer-centered marketing always works and you can make it work more effectively if you don't go for a one-shot connection.

Once you have a lead your sales system kicks in. A buyer won't buy until they're ready to buy no matter how much you try to push them into a sale. But a buyer that you've connected with and maintained the connection with will buy from you when they're ready because they feel like they already know you and trust you.

Your job is to have several options for moving that prospect through your sales funnel until they're ready to buy. Once you have the appointment you already have a tenuous relationship, and during the appointment you want to solidify that relationship by helping them to buy. Your sales process helps you to have a sales conversation that's focused on the customer and that leads to a natural conclusion that you need to work together.

Once they're your customer you need a referral system. Your referral system shouldn't be pushy, and it shouldn't sound like you're begging. Your customers should feel like they're sharing something great and when they do they connect you with their contacts.

Ready to get unstuck? Increase your Insurance Sales, check this out.

Could you sell more with a few Time Management Tips?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cheryl_Clausen

Suitability for Annuity Sales Makes Sense - Use it to Sell More

2007-12-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

What is wrong with doing things right? Isn't it in the long run the best for everyone? The new suitability rules about to enter the annuity business is a step in the right direction. I applaud it and I think it is long overdue. What bothers me about the new rules is that they haven't gone far enough, they need to be better. Suitability should be the backbone of our industry and should be as normal to us as a blank application.

What should be considered when looking at suitability issues?

Does the annuity make sense for the prospect? Does it get any more basic than that. Is it in the prospects best interest? How do we go about making that decision? What really should be considered?

· Does the time frame of the prospect match up with the annuity being proposed?

· Does a guaranteed income stream make sense for the prospect?

· Has the prospect considered inflation and how it can affect retirement?

· Does the prospect understand the surrender charges if funds are withdrawn prior to the end of the surrender-charge period?

· Does she understand that the withdrawal could also trigger an IRS pre-age 59½ 10% tax penalty?

· Does the benefit of tax deferral make sense if 100% of the funds are needed in an emergency?

· Does the risk tolerance match up with the annuity being proposed?

· What is the prospects investment experience?

· Has the prospect been exposed to other options to an annuity?

· Does the prospect already own an annuity? Does the prospect need a second one, or maybe a different one?

· Are the income requirements going to be met with the annuity being proposed?

· Does it make sense for a high percentage of the available funds to be in an annuity?

· Will the annuity help or hinder estate planning for heirs?

· What is the financial status of the prospect?

· What is the prospects current tax rate?

While completing a suitability form gives the agent time to ask probing and meaningful questions. These questions along with their answers will help the agent build a relationship with the prospect. There are many other questions that could be asked and completing a good and accurate fact finder is essential for both the agent and the prospect. Asking these questions will make a better agent and provide more opportunities to make annuity sales.

Bill Broich is thirty year annuity salesman who helps agents generate annuity leads and sales. To discover more visit his website: Annuity Leads.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Broich