Customer service satisfaction! I hear from so many of my clients that they never get a call back from their Agent, or they've never met their Agent in person. People like having someone who is "personal" with them, especially when they are spending so much money on their needs.
Lack of Customer Service by agents only fuels the direct writers, especially those who leverage the internet for sales.
To combat this large advantage of economies of scale, agents have only a few tools to use and must use them all well.
The first is relationship building. This can be done by cross-selling, value added services, claims service and an overall customer-centric environment. For example, the president of a business who write the P&C and Health for, will be less likely to move his personal auto and homeowners to a direct writer because the value of the relationship is worth more than a couple hundred dollars in insurance cost.
The other main tool used by an independent agent is the ability to quote multiple companies. This is seen as a very valuable service by customers.
The key Is building and maintaining a good relationship with exisiting clients. Always return their phone calls. There are several other things to do to to grow your business by cross selling and getting referrals. Keeping and growing existing business is a whole lot cheaper than getting new business. You will gain many more clients if you practice the following:
1. Always send a thank you card to every person you have an appointment with even if you don't make a sale.
2. Keep a list of client birthdays and send them a birthday card yearly, also Christmas cards. Enclose business card.
3. Send them a mailing at least quarterly. This could be a newsletter, useful info, or personal note. Always enclose a referral sheet and self adressed stamped envelope.
4. At every appointment leave business cards and a refrigerator magnet. "It is easy to loose a business card but hard to lose a refigerator"-RM
This is simple stuff but has worked like a charm for me. Once you cross sell or have their friends as clients you are much less likely to lose them to your competiton.
Agents should be trustworthy to clients and provide the best costumer service and after sales service. After selling and getting a commission from a sale, insurance agent should always go back to the client and develop a much better relationship. Insurance selling career is not only "income building" but it is more importantly "relationship building". The better your relationship with the client, the more referrals that you get and more potential clients can be found, which eventually means more income on your part.
Referral is one thing that keeps insurance selling alive. _________________ A life worth living...
