Young agents sometimes buy into the idea that techniques which have always worked in sales no longer apply. They're advised that social selling and inbound marketing have replaced genuine hard work and making phone calls. The truth is new tools, like social media, LinkedIn and blogs, are just amplifiers. They amplify who you are. If you don't have the requisite acumen, the new tools amplify your inability to create value.
It's also true that you can learn a lot from the very best veteran salespeople because they know how to build value for their clients. That's how they differentiate themselves from the rest by routinely doing more than expected. Veterans are good listeners, and they know that relationships and trust mean everything. When you master these top qualities, you can transfer value creation into social selling.
Now here's some advanced hands-on advice on how to make a difference and add value. A common sales topic is moving suspects to prospects, and prospects into clients. But how often do we think of doing more than expected and creating more agency advocates? If we did, we likely would have more abundance in our organizations!
For the purpose of this article, let’s talk about “advocacy”, or moving from the CLIENT to ADVOCATE step on the ladder.
I would like to address the meaning of an “ADVOCATE” ~ as I see it, an ADVOCATE is someone who is ANXIOUSLY ENGAGED in the process of helping you promote your product or service. Advocates are rare in business, but when you have one, you know it. These are the people who believe in you, speak highly of you, and are willing to help promote your business because of who you are for them.
Rather than give you advice, I’d like to give you a step by step approach to creating these kinds of advocates in your business.
1. Start by running a report in your agency computer system for:
a. largest income accounts
b. largest “centers of influence” – people that know a lot of people in the community
(these may only be small premium accounts)
2. Check in with those clients – being “satisfied” is NOT enough ~ are they genuinely happy with your level of service? If no, set a time phased plan to win them back. Remember, most unsatisfied clients don’t talk about going away; they just leave without telling you why.
3. Ask for letters of recommendation – have them give specifics of how or what you or the staff have done to make their insurance experience better. Put together a “HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT US…” one page promotion piece. Have an accountability partner in the agency (a peer, Account Manager, the front desk) to remind you to get the letters and make the phone calls for referrals.
4. Get involved in asking for referrals and using those letters of recommendation. There is POWER IN A REQUEST and unless you ask, often clients are too busy to offer you one on their own. Ask for two of three sentences for them to reply on an email. Then copy and paste 5-6 of these onto one sheet. Use them everywhere…renewals, proposals, and have them on every marketing piece you send out about your organization. Check out the testimonial page on our site for how to format these.
5. Be visible. All of us are bombarded with information overload. Stay in touch with your clients, tell them you care; say THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS; ask to speak at a local Lions or Rotary meeting (they are always looking for speakers). Do something creative, funny and outrageous that makes you stand out and abolishes insurance stereotypes. (call me, I’ll give you some ideas on this)
6. Advocates give the gift of honest feedback. Good friends are those who are willing to be candid. Ask your advocates what you could be doing better, what they would like to see changed, or ways service could be improved. Then go back and DO SOMETHING with this valuable information. Likely, if they see some of these ways to improve, others do, too.
BENEFITS OF CLIENT ADVOCACY:
- Builds credibility
- Gets the word out about why you are unique in your field
- Client retention increases
- Growth through referrals
Of course, we practice what we preach as well ~ HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT OUR ADVOCATES SAY ABOUT US:
“Thanks to you, we are able to provide a customized program to meet our top customer’s specific needs. We are now moving in the right direction to not only meet, but exceed, the goal we set for our agency.”
“Brandie’s teaching is based on experience rather than theory. Due to her knowledge of insurance, Brandie knows how to set an agency apart from its competitors. She is able to take her understanding of the industry, and form it into a plan that is mutually beneficial for the agency and the client.”
“I would certainly recommend you to others, especially with your hands on approach to making the training you provide fill the needs of OUR organization.”
“…this approach is encouraging in the business world today.”
“There are many programs and consultants in the market to provide you with advice. Spending money is easy. Finding a program that works is a challenge. This program worked for us. They helped work through the points we needed to address rather than just telling us how to do it. “
Visit us on line to see more: www.PowerhouseLearning.com