- Be Kind. No matter how educated, talented, or rich you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all. – Jonathan Friedland, Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company
- Be happy! Be happy with who you are! Be happy to represent your company! Be happy to help an agent/client with their needs! Life is too short to be stressed and unhappy. Work with a smile — it translates in your voice and in emails. – Debbie Simpson, QEO insurance Group
- Be Creative. Creativity is a sales and marketing professional’s biggest asset. The more you can use it, the less effort you will need. – Carli Ackerstein, Marquee Insurance Group
- Scientific Method. Selling insurance is too important to do with any method not based on science. – Frank Pennachio, ReSource Pro
- Customer Focused. Prioritize customer service with 24/7/365 access. Offering 24/7/365 customer access can improve agency profits and value, as well as reduce expenses – all while easing the talent crunch on agency staffing. – Tony Caldwell, One Agents Alliance
- Recruiting Is Sales. Brand Identity + A Strategic Plan = Successful Recruiting. What makes your agency unique? What makes your opening different? What is the candidate’s long term opportunity? These answers build your brand identity. – Mary Newgard, Capstone Search Group
- Remember the Fundamentals. Amidst all the new tools and tech, it can be easy to overthink. Remember the fundamentals and stay true to your plan. Know your customer, your desired geography, how you want to show up in the market, and use data to track, learn, and adjust. Then become intentional about how you enable marketing efforts to meet your customers when, where, and how they want. – Chris Cline, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.
- Get Paid. Account managers/CSRs are on the front line with clients every day. They should be paid for new business account rounding and presenting leads to other departments, if the new coverage is written. In personal lines we recommend a flat dollar amount per policy. In commercial lines or benefits, a percentage of the new coverage written, such as 10%-20% of the commission first year only, the amount paid depending on whether they do it alone or get help from a producer. – Catherine Oak, Oak & Associates
- Riches in the Niches. Focusing some marketing efforts on a niche might seem like it will limit your potential prospects. In reality, specializing in a niche can make you a subject matter expert and the go-to insurance person for that niche, and it won’t exclude you from writing clients outside your niche. – Sam Nudelman, Firefly Agency
- Building Trust. Customer trust starts at the very beginning. More insurance shoppers begin the buying process online and agencies need to build trust at the customer’s first click. Make sure your website is well-designed, easy to navigate and has clear contact information. When a customer reaches out via email or message, be responsive even if it’s just an acknowledgement of the request. – Robert Holt, National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA)
- Website Review. Remember that your agency website is not a “set it and forget it” proposition. Review it regularly for content, updated contact information, etc. Review it for overall look and feel at least annually, if not semi-annually. Once your agency’s website starts to look stale, that’s how your agency will be perceived overall by site visitors. – Doug Coombs, SIAA
- Get Reviewed. Agents should encourage customers to leave online reviews, which both help prospects get more background on the agency and help boost an agency’s SEO. – Chip Bacciocco, TrustedChoice.com
- Stop Fighting Social Media. Finally admit that social media is a non-negotiable and it’s more than a brand-builder, it’s a sales tool. – Nola Morris, Denim Social
- Re-Purpose Your Customer Testimonials Any Chance You Get. As the famous copywriter Gary Bencivenga said, “Nobody buys without belief.” Customer testimonials are one of the best proof elements in an agency’s marketing arsenal. Make sure you re-purpose them any chance you get in emails, websites, brochures, etc. And don’t bury them on the bottom. Move them to the top, so your prospects keep reading! – Paul Ptashnick, copywriter & marketing consultant
