So you are looking to not only hit your targets but seriously crush your goals and stay one step ahead of your contemporaries!
As a successful Insurance agent, you know you have to stand out to build your business, right? Thinking out of the box is non-negotiable.
So what are the ways you can beat the competition and make sure you are attracting more leads and converting? Let’s take a look first at the brief answer.
How do I stand out as an insurance agent? There are a number of ways you can stand out as an insurance agent, including looking for networking possibilities, keep connecting with any contacts, use LinkedIn to research and follow up, make sure your conversation is engaging and not purely about insurance and have memorable marketing info.
Now we’ve nailed the brief, let’s look in more depth at how you will guarantee to stand out and stay ahead of the game.
So we all know that connections are important, but how important? Read on to find out!
1. Connect, connect
It’s highly likely that you have definitely heard this one before, however, there’s more to helping people connect with each other than you might have considered.
When you are a person introducing two other people, you will naturally hold a position of power within that group and also stand to influence many more.
With the passage of time, the greater the number of people you connect with, the higher you are likely to find more customers and sales as your influence touches a growing number of contacts.
2. Avoid talking about insurance
Not only can talk about insurance seem to be not the most interesting subject to discuss at a networking event, but sometimes it can seem to those at events, that everyone they meet is in the business of Insurance!
You really need to avoid a situation where everyone you network with has their insurance requirements discussed! The old ‘unselling’ technique has a real place here.
It’s all about connecting with people and those who you network with will be more inclined to remember an interesting engaging conversation with you as a person, rather than a speech about the latest home insurance.
We even go so far as to say, that someone who wants to talk about insurance at a networking event might be purely being polite and using their powers of empathy! So its always best to give them your business card and contact them after the event. By doing so, you’ll be in a better position to sell and find out whether this person is really interested or was just making small talk.
3. Arrive early at events
There is always a temptation to show up fashionably late. It makes it quite easier to blend into a room full of people and it is more likely that you come across someone you already know.
However, by doing so, you are already missing a key opportunity; meeting the organizers.
Organizers hold a great deal of what is known as “connection power”. When you happen to be one of the first people to show up, you can help out, get to know them in a one to one setting and compliment the whole event.
One of the most useful benefits of making the effort to turn up early is it will add to the likelihood that you’ll get you a “shout out” during the microphone time later during the event.
4. Remember to follow up
As it is the case in sales, poor follow-up is bound to make all your networking efforts simply worthless. If you think that someone will buy insurance from you or refer to your agency after just a single meeting at a networking event, then you might be in for a shock.
You have to develop strong relationships. Design a follow-up plan that allows you to strengthen the connections that you make at networking events.
There is a real skill to networking without making sure you aren’t constantly in ‘sell’ mode around potential clients and it’s worth discovering those networking skills which ensure you don’t overdo it and cause those you are engaging to walk the other way.
5. Explore networking events
Thinking a little more laterally than just following up on locally advertised events will stand you in good stead to jumping over your competitors in the insurance sales stakes.
There are many ways you can network which you might not have thought of and are worth exploring such as:
● Mastermind groups
● Business networking groups
● Charity events
● Local youth sports events
● School board meetings
● City government events
● High school sports games Sports Games
There are also many websites you can visit that will show you local events in your area such as Eventful, Eventbrite and Patch.com
6. Set up networking goals
Like anything in business, setting up proper goals for yourself will greatly help improve your results.
Take a look at some goals you have a real chance of achieving such as:
● Adding new LinkedIn connections
● Distributing a certain number of business cards
● sending a set number of follow-up emails to your contacts.
Like any other goal that you set, these should be focused on the activities that will put you on the right track to increasing your sales.
7. Have a memorable business card
Surprise those you network with and source a super creative memorable business card. It could be said that your average person won’t expect their insurance agent to have a stylish business card, so make your card stand out!
There are many websites where you can find creative and appealing designs such as Vistaprint or Canva.
Take a leap and design your own business card instead of giving out an old hat company-issued one.. Feel free to market yourself in a way that resonates with your potential customers and get creative.
8. Use LinkedIn to follow up
LinkedIn is an ideal, low-effort tool for building stronger connections with the people you meet at networking events or anywhere else for that matter.
There is nothing awkward about requesting a connection on LinkedIn from someone you just met and had a conversation with.
Also, keep in mind that a LinkedIn connection is not the end goal, in fact, it is just the beginning and a great first step forward towards building a deeper professional connection with anyone.
9. Follow customers on Facebook and Twitter
Most of the insurance agents think of social networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook as tools they can use only to reach out to their current and prospective clients.
However, it can also be used as a professional networking and monitoring tool in a very effective manner.
Make use of your agency’s Facebook and Twitter account, and not your personal one, to like and follow the businesses whose owners you have come to meet.
Using Facebook to send a friend request to a person that you have met professionally is not recommended at all unless you have a connection with them that is deeper than business.
10. Follow up on email
Once you meet someone with whom you feel a strong connection with, send them an email. You can easily develop a standard template for emails, however, it is highly recommended that you customize each email which efficiently references something that you have discussed with that individual.
Even if you don’t have something specific to say to this individual, you can always take a peek at their website and mention something about it. This would allow you to get their attention.
However do be aware that generic, unsolicited emails may go straight to your to targets trash or spam file.
11. Follow up via a phone call
If you seem to have a good networking connection and you are trying to build it into a great one, then why not give them a quick call perhaps when they are least expecting it and maybe ask them a question about their business as a quick angle into a potential sales conversation scenario.
If they happen to be a really important connection, then it’s useful to perhaps add a calendar note to get in touch and reach out to them at least once a month.
12. Remember names and use them often
It is a known fact that people love hearing the sound of their own name and it will automatically make them like you even more.
An additional benefit that comes with it is that when you use other people’s names, a psychological situation can kick in where they feel a little more obliged to learn your name and know more about what you do.
Keeping your potential customers close in terms of remembering important information about them is crucial to building a relationship and in the long term could potentially lead to a sale.
And finally…
So that’s about it! Everything you need to know to set your sights higher in terms of insurance leads and potential sales.
A personable approach will always win the day and lead to fruitful customer relationships and ongoing sales along with taking every opportunity you can to network with stylish memorable marketing literature that will definitely set you apart from your competitors.
