Member Login

Category: Marketing

Insurance Agent Traits That Consumers Want

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

NDOI The Insurance Agent Consumers Won’t Leave

Characteristics of an insurance agent that makes consumers want to stay.

The benefits of a personable insurance agent are beginning to be recognized by the mass media. Many consumers are waking up to the value of insurance and what it can do to protect them. As a result, they want to work with a company or an agent who is professional, knowledgeable, and actually helpful. Once they have found the agent to suit their needs, there will be very little that will make them want to start the process from scratch and find someone else. Read on for the popular traits that insurance consumers want out of an agent.

Time

Everyone has the same number of hours in the day. How do you spend yours? If you invest your time in strengthening your client relationships and seeking out new leads, you’re on the right path. If you’re valuable to consumers, you are valuable to your insurance agency, too, meaning you are much harder to replace or lay-off.

Expertise

Clients love having to make one single phone call to get the guidance they need, rather than waiting for the agent to check facts or consider proposals. Even though checking is better than giving out bad information, aim to stay on top of industry knowledge and understand your client’s needs.

Good Advice

Successful agents are able to help clients save time and money by proposing reliable and tailored insurance policies. However, better agents are able to advise clients on technology, ways to save, and more so that relationships are strengthened.

Focus

Successful insurance professionals are clear about what they want from their career. They are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to succeed, and they choose to do work that will bring value to consumers. Honing in on personal skills and more can help fine-tune an agent’s strategy.

It’s time for insurance agents to become professionals that clients won’t want to leave. Talk to the professional consultant about how to get your agency to where you want it to be. Contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

How to Build Trust with Your Insurance Clients

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

How to Build Trust with Your Insurance Clients

Ways to create a deeper and more rewarding relationship with your agency’s customer base.

The insurance industry is built on good relationships between insurers and clients. The insurers create policies to protect the clients, and the clients trust that the coverage will be enough to safeguard their assets. To continue to be successful as an insurance agent, your clients need to continually see you as capable, dependable, and with the client’s best interest in mind.

Implement these strategies to create a better trusting relationship with your client.

Be an expert. Although this should go without saying, becoming an expert in the industry can only further your knowledge of how to protect the client. You should understand the products you offer well enough to be able to confidently answer questions when they arise. When you know policies inside and out, customers will feel more comfortable with your services.

Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Overselling and underdelivering will only pose your agency in a negative light. Insurance agents, like many salespeople, fall into the trap of overselling to land the final sell, but it’s almost never worth it. If you aren’t confident that you can deliver on something, don’t promise it to the client.

Communicate clearly. Communication is certainly of the most important elements of the agent/customer relationship. Keeping in contact with your clients lets them know that you are actively thinking about them, and it also gives them the opportunity to reach out and ask any questions they may have.

To learn more about how to be successful in your business, contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

Fun Client Appreciation Event Ideas

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

Fun Client Appreciation Event Ideas

Check out these different ideas for a client-appreciation event.

For many independent insurance agencies, it can be hard to stand out against the competition. Because of this, it’s extra important to appreciate your clients for choosing you over a large, national insurer. While social media and email campaigns can help to keep your consumers involved and engaged, that doesn’t always mean that they will stick around. People like to feel valued, which is why it is a great idea for insurance agencies to throw client appreciation events! A successful event can create raving fans, leading to more referrals and top-notch reviews.

Check out these ideas to get you started!

Host a movie night. Movie theater rentals are a great budget-friendly idea to screen a family-friendly film. Although you may not get much time to interact with your client, it’s a nice gesture that encourages them to think of you as a good support system.

Holiday-themed events. These types of gatherings can be an incredible business generator if executed properly. From Christmas parties, Thanksgiving potlucks, and Valentine’s Day socials, these events get everyone involved and talking about your business.

Set up exclusive tours. Contact your local museum or gallery and arrange a tour of the whole exhibit and even the off-limits areas. A private tour is exclusive, which helps your clients feel special.

Host a pottery or painting class. These are fun activities that get people involved and give them something tangible to take home. It helps them remember you and the event.

Offer a complimentary dinner. A basic (but effective) way to show clients appreciation is to host a dinner for them and their friends and families. Choose a place suitable to your audience’s preferences and get to know their guests because they could be future clients.

To learn more about how to be successful in your business, contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

Clicks vs. Followers

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

Clicks vs. Followers

Here is what businesses should know about clicks versus followers.

When you own your own business, you have to make some pretty tough choices. You don’t have the time or money to spend on hopeless campaigns and marketing that won’t generate results. In short, you need to make sure each penny is put to good use. This is especially true when it comes to marketing. There is a great debate about whether clicks or followers are more valuable to a business. As with most things in life, there is no clear-cut answer. Even so, here’s what you should know.

Understanding how each platform has its advantages and disadvantages is going to help your business make smart moves. For example, being at the top of Google is only valuable if thousands of people are searching for what you do. No one marketing solution will be right for the same business, so it’s best to understand what your options are.

Email Marketing & PPC for Clicks

If your business is having a big sale coming up or needs a quick boost in traffic, there is no better way to do it than with email and PPC (pay per click). A pay-per-click campaign works great because you can skip the line on Google searches and be found right at the top. Email marketing works great because it is cost effective, and it sends valuable information right to the consumer. Emails can be jazzed up every month to keep clients engaged and involved.

Social Media Marketing for Followers

Social media marketing generates high-quality results, but perhaps not as fast as the above. A strong social media campaign can reach thousands of new clients and put you in front of people who are local to your area. Another advantage of social media marketing is that your customers can tag themselves at your location, share your information, invite friends and family to follow you, and really amp up your business interaction. As a follower, they can see your updates throughout the day and can actively feel engaged with your business.

When it comes to establishing which is more valuable (clicks or followers), assess your business’s needs and goals. Marketing your insurance agency doesn’t have to be difficult! To learn more about how to be successful in your business, contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

Tips for Powerful Presentations

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

Tips for Powerful Presentations

Engage your audience with a powerful presentation.

It’s safe to say that almost all of us have sat through a boring presentation in our lives. Whether the topic was irrelevant, the presentation was dull, or we were completely disengaged, we know that information in that setting is not going to be well received – especially if we’re bored. A great way to start making better and more engaging presentations is not a minefield, although it can appear daunting. A powerful presentation is the most critical tool in communication and business today.

Clear communication can do wonders for any insurance agency. When you articulate your ideas clearly, you:

  • Win multi-million projects
  • Secure buy-in from your team on your new vision
  • Build awareness
  • Inspire change
  • Communicate ideas that have the power to spread

Most presentation organization is left to the last minute, causing the dedicated team or person to throw together a whole meeting. Insurance agencies spend billions of dollars and time on their brand, yet rush through pulling together their keynotes. Finding time to research, write, design, and rehearse a presentation is a challenge. However, you must invest the time and energy into doing these tasks if you want your audience to invest their time and money in you.

A powerful presentation is: 
Clear, easy to read, has simple language, infographics that visualize key points and highlight the benefits.

A poor presentation is: 
Overloaded with facts, stats, numbers, corporate jargon, dense text, inconsistent design elements, and no key message.

It is more important than ever to cut out all the clutter from your presentation to present clear and consistent messages. What gets left out of your presentation is more important than what goes in. Be sure not to drown the audience in complex words, mixed messages, and unreal theories. Your design must support the speaker. Look for bite-sized chunks of information, easy-to-read material, and keep it to the point.

You have the power to make a difference! To learn more about how to be successful in your business, contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

Texting Within Your Insurance Agency Marketing

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

Texting Within Your Insurance Agency Marketing

How your agency can utilize text message marketing.

In our digitally-driven era, it’s not surprising that 91 percent of U.S. adults own a cell phone. Amazingly though, 90 percent of marketing messages are read within 20 minutes of being sent. As an insurance agent, that is a pretty powerful source of marketing. To help your agency make the most of this resource, read these tips.

Build a database that’s compliant.

There are several organizations that regulate text message marketing. Why? Because text messages are delivered via the cellular phone network, which is heavily regulated. The Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Mobile Marketing Association, CTIA, and Telephone Consumer Protection Act all have a role in regulating the industry. Basically, don’t buy or rent a list of numbers and blast messages to them. Instead, ask visitors to opt-in and ensure it is easy to sign up and stop messages.

Promote incentives, discounts, events, and new products.

There are so many ways to utilize text message marketing these days! Make the most of it by sending out different texts that will inspire and engage your audience. You don’t want to be sending out the same introductory message all the time – so get creative!

Be mindful of timing.

It’s important not to send information too often. You don’t want to give the reader a reason to opt out of receiving your texts. One way to do this is to commit to not sending more than one or two texts per month. Additionally, be aware of the time of day in which you send the text. Avoid doing it during rush hour, too early in the morning, or late at night.

Marketing your insurance agency doesn’t have to be difficult! To learn more about how to be successful in your business, contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

How to Collect (and Use) Third-Party Endorsements

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

How to Collect (and Use) Third-Party Endorsements

Tips to secure third-party endorsements for your insurance agencies.

With so many agencies—both locally and nationally—competing for business, you can stand out when you allow the words of others to do some of the work for you. A third party endorsement letter is like a testimonial on steroids, and just like testimonials, third party endorsement letters give you the essential credibility you need.

A third party endorsement letter is a letter that a client writes on your behalf on his own letterhead that he sends to one or more of your potential customers—at least that’s the way it will seem. In actuality, you are the one who will write most of the third party endorsement letters that come from clients. Here is how it works:

Let’s say I have a great commercial client named Dr. Jon, who is a dentist. I’d like to get a letter from Dr. Jon that goes out to all the other dentists in the area whom he knows. I approach Jon and say, “I’m starting a new marketing program, and I need your help.” In my experience, people want to help, so more than likely Jon agrees to hear me out. I continue, “Jon, I’d like to share everything we’ve done for you with other dentists so that we can help them get better coverage and save them money. I know you are busy, so I’ve written a letter, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to put that letter on your letterhead. I’ll bear all the costs and send it out. All you need to do is read the letter, and if you approve, add your signature at the bottom. Then I will send you the list of dentists we plan to send this letter to, and you can add or delete whichever names you like, okay?”

Jon agrees to this since there’s not much work on his part and he truly is a satisfied customer.

After Jon approves the letter, provides the letterhead, and approves the list of recipients, this letter from a respected dentist goes out to all the other dentists in his network. They’re receiving a letter from their colleague endorsing my agency and me. Do you think that would be powerful? Absolutely. A word of advice: Make sure that when you reprint the client’s letterhead, you add your phone number so you get the calls from prospects, not Dr. Jon.

I could even follow up the letter with a thirty to sixty-second voice broadcast message from Dr. Jon, recorded right there in his office on my smart phone after he approves the letter. About a week after the letter goes out, I send the follow-up voice broadcast that says:

“Hey, Dr. Jon here. I just wanted to make sure you got the letter I sent last week. If you haven’t read it, please take a moment to do so. It could save you a lot of money and ensure that you’re properly protected. Thanks, Dr. Jon.”

Not every client will be the right fit for endorsing such a letter, but keep your eyes open for the right opportunities to make the most of this powerful promotion tool.

To learn more about how to be successful in your business, contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

Should You Script All Messages?

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

Should You Script All Messages?

Scripting messages for insurance agencies.

Let’s talk about the messages that will be going out to 100 percent of the market. The best messages contain the credibility that comes not from your own words, but from the testimonials of your satisfied customers. Messages should also be well planned and market tested. The messages we use to reach our audience are all highly scripted. We know exactly what we’re going to say, we know when the messages will be sent and to whom they are going, and we ensure that they are written in a manner that won’t offend anyone.

When considering the right script for TV, remember that repetition is important in the television world. That means you don’t need to create multiple commercials—two or three great ones are all you need to promote your company and increase brand awareness. Just make sure they are properly scripted, and that you keep the 3 M’s in mind: Ensure that the message matches your marketplace, and that the marketplace responds well to the form of media you have chosen (in this case, television).

It’s true that it is not always easy to determine what messages will work in your market, but with time and practice (and by asking yourself the right questions), you can hone in on the proper messages to send out. One key question to answer before you begin the process of scripting is this:

Are we going to target price or target protection?

That is one of the first things to determine because you don’t want to send mixed messages. Conflicting messages will not resonate with the marketplace the way a universal, cohesive message does. Think of some of the largest insurance carriers out there that focus on price. Every message they send out to the marketplace is about cost savings. When you think of Geico, you think of saving “15 percent or more on car insurance,” right? That is the kind of cohesive messaging you want to use.

If you decide to target price, and your ad sounds something like: “Save up to 37 percent on your auto insurance if you call today. Don’t wait.” Then after you give viewers a reason for calling, provide viewers with a Kall8 number so that you can track the calls that are coming in because of the ad. You may also consider using a 24/7-operator service since people watch television at all hours. If you don’t have somebody available to answer your phones after your commercial airs, then why have the ad in the first place? You can provide an answering service with a script so that you can plan what they will say and how you will follow up with after-hours callers.

Your scripts are the key elements of every message you send out to the marketplace through multiple media sources; so don’t take the creation process lightly. We have several sample scripts to share with you in our Unstoppable Profit Producer Program, and you should always ask for the advice of industry experts who are in your network. Find someone who wants you to succeed and ask for direction as you construct your all-important scripts.

To learn more about how to be successful in your business, contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

Launching a Lost Souls Campaign

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

Should your insurance agency launch a campaign for inactive clients?

From time to time, it’s natural to get some “dead” clients—people who used to have policies with the agency, but for whatever reason, decided not to renew. A certain amount of attrition is just a part of business, so we should just chalk those up as a loss and move on, right? Not even close.

We love to market to people who used to be our clients. As long as the reason they left had nothing to do with something we personally did or said, we’ve found that they will be willing to come back if you make the right moves.

We found another diamond when we started with a large list of people who used to do business with us, and we decided to launch a lost souls campaign. We sent them each a hand-written letter on a yellow piece of paper, and sent it out in an airmail or goldenrod envelope (anything that will stand out).

The letter says:

“I know you left our agency for reasons that were important, and if we did something wrong, I apologize. We want to see if we can make it up to you, and if you are still looking for the best rates, we’d like the opportunity to talk with you again. We have some new carriers who are featuring some exciting programs, and we’d like to make sure that you’re able to take advantage of every one of the discounts that are available to you.”

The overall tone of the letter needs to be apologetic. Make sure that you don’t place any of the blame on them for leaving. Assure them that you know they must have had a good reason.

This area of the marketplace is so vital because it represents an entire group of people who have heard of you and know what you do—and if somebody’s done business with you before, he or she is four times more likely to do business with you again. In some ways, lost souls are almost as strong as referrals. They are already connected to your business in some way. So keep that list of lost souls as an open door for marketing opportunities, reach out to them, keep them in the loop, and communicate with them from time to time to see if you can bring them back into your circle of safety influence. Once again, it’s just one more way to continue to grow your business profitably.

To learn more about how to be successful in your business, contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

Are You Tracking Your ROI?

Posted on by Mike Stromsoe

Are You Tracking Your ROI?

Signs you need to start tracking marketing ROI.

As a business owner, it’s natural to feel busy and rushed off your feet. Do you often feel so overwhelmed with running your business that you sacrifice staying up with what’s new in marketing and managing vendors? Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day that you overlook a critical aspect of marketing – measuring your return on investment (ROI).

Here are a few signs that signal that you need a system to track your marketing ROI.

#1: You aren’t sure what sources are driving leads.

Do you know how many phone calls your social media marketing drove? Can you compare that to how many calls you got from your search advertising campaign? It might be time to upgrade to a marketing system that tracks these details on a routine basis and provides you with 24/7 reports. Even small businesses can enjoy get this info, and doing so can provide huge dividends. When you know what is driving your inquiries, you’re able to hone in on that marketing tool.

#2: You rely on notes and memory to track conversions and sales.

Look for a system that manages and records the whole conversion process – from citing the source of every conversion like a phone call, email, or web form, to capturing the lead’s contact information in one digital system. This way, you won’t have to find a scribble on a piece of paper to know where a prospect or customer stands.

#3: You rely heavily on intuition rather than statistics.

Although there’s something to be said for intuition when it comes to running your business, marketing is something that can and should be measured. Make sure your marketing vendors are providing clear reports that help you see how your marketing programs impacted the bottom line.

To learn more about how to be successful in your business, contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program. We can offer guidance, helping you perfect your professional posture. We also offer a premier wealth creation program that helps you to work less, earn more, and enjoy life.

Skip to toolbar