Mon, 15 May 2017 13:14:26 +0000
| Insurance is not bought. Insurance is sold. I am sure Mark Twain said it first. If someone is on the phone for you, always assume that they are looking to get a quote for insurance. Never ask questions like, “why are you calling today?” or “how can I help you?” Whether it is a direct inbound insurance call, live insurance call or warm transfer insurance call, the prospective insurance customer is on the phone with you, they would not be, unless they wanted to get some insurance. |
A better way to start the conversation is to ask positive questions like “what type of insurance are you looking for today?” and “what types of insurance do you currently have?” Another way to start the conversation is to introduce yourself and your experience, “hallo I am Mwanza, and I have over 10 years of insurance experience, I am going to find you the best insurance, at the best rate.”
New insurance buyers can lead to long-term clients and referrals. Many agents do not want to spend their time on new customers, that are getting insurance for the very first time. There have been many studies done, that have shown many consumers have loyalty to the company and persons who provide service to them for the very first time. First time clients have the potential to become long-term clients. So do not over look them.
Further, many first time insurance shoppers will most likely refer you to their parents or other family members and friends. While the new customer may not be the ‘ideal’ or much preferred client, they may refer you to one or even several clients someday. It is important to never turn down someone just because they are not an ideal client, because they are purchasing cheap products, or are looking to get insurance in their own name for the very first time.
Talk with the insurance caller to understand their total insurance needs. Always remember that someone who owns a car may at times need home insurance as well. They may have a need for health insurance, own a motorcycle, a boat or work for or own a company that needs commercial insurance. They may also have a spouse, child or family member that needs multiple forms of insurance. Developing a good rapport with the caller and truly understanding their needs will enable you to not only sell more policies but will enable you to deepen the relationship you have with your clients.
Whoever answers the phone should be pleasant and be the best representative of your brand and agency. If you are selling auto insurance for instance, it is important that the person answering the phone is cheerful, upbeat and friendly. If you have a receptionist answering your phone and routing the calls to the insurance agents in your office, the receptionist must be considerate of the caller’s time and needs. Many times insurance callers are in a hurry, they want to speak with someone as soon as possible; the receptionist must have a sense of urgency and get the insurance callers to an agent hastily.
Do not assume that every call will end up in a signed contract, otherwise you may get frustrated. While a majority of the insurance calls and insurance referrals may result in the caller accepting your quote on the initial call, many will want to think about it, compare it to other quotes or even talk to a family member or friend before making a final decision. This does not mean the call was not a good one.
A good live insurance call or insurance referral is one that the person is genuinely interested in speaking with you about receiving an insurance quote. Once you provide an insurance caller with a quote, it is important to follow-up with that person. You will need to have a way to schedule a call back and follow through so that you do not forget. Having a strong consistent nurturing and follow-up system will lead to your writing more policies and getting more insurance business.
New car buyers should not be neglected. If an auto insurance caller is transferred to your office and does not currently own a vehicle, it should not be viewed as being a bad thing and a waste of your time. These new call buyers will mostly be financing the purchase of the new car and will be required, by their lender, to have full coverage.
If you receive a call with someone wanting to know what the cost of coverage is, on a particular type of car that they do not own, you should try to help them by giving them a quote for their current auto and then modifying it for a new car. You should also suggest that they contact you while at the auto dealer, so you can give them a quote in real time. In order that they can use that information to factor the price of insurance into their purchase decision. Being flexible and helping someone is a great way to build a long-term relationship with the insurance caller.
Additionally, social media platforms such as facebook, linkedIn, and twitter have witnessed rapid growth over the last few years. Many of these platforms have matured, and feature embedded functionalities that better help businesses to reach out and interact with their target audience base.
At the same time, many other new social media platforms, such as Google+, are also trying to establish themselves in the marketplace. With the rise in penetration of smart phones with enhanced social media applications, more customers now carry these platforms with them wherever they go.
Social media is now acknowledged as a growing phenomenon for the insurance industry. Customers increasingly use social media platforms to obtain sales-related advice from their friends, family and other contacts, and gain feedback on various products and services, including those in the insurance domain.
They also expect insurance companies to have a presence on social networking sites. Customers are also having some of their insurance related queries resolved by sharing their concerns publicly on these platforms, pushing companies to respond. Look out for part II.
