In my opinion, we have stereotypes for a reason; that they are made up because of the common, humorous, or general behaviors of some that make us generalize or stereotype.
Let’s take the insurance industry for example:
If I’m referring to gender, you will tell me that 97% of Account Managers/Service Teams on the agency side are?
Yes. Female.
And that 97% of the Producers and Owners on the agency side are?
You guessed it.
What about this? That one of the old stereotypes of insurance agents is that consumers compare them to “Used _______ Salesmen.”
Right.
Funny thing is that today’s buying public and astute industry professionals are getting tired of seeing these stereotypes. I am sorry to say that I was at a recent young agent conference somewhere in the south and witnessed the room filled - nearly 97% as referenced above, with young men. It was such a shame. I thought, “Sheesh, why is this continuing to happen”.
Then I realized, it’s because our owners are hiring more like them. But there is a change happening. That change is more and more of what and how the buyer, the consumer, wants to buy, and we are finding our insureds are wanting more diversity.
In fact, look at the change in the real estate industry. Twenty years ago there were few licensed women and now, more than ever, we are seeing changes in the way people want to buy, both in commercial and residential real estate. In fact, a recent article by the Trulia team says that the majority of licensed agents nationwide, over 60%, are women, and that women command as much as 30% higher listing prices. And that emerging trend is not just in residential real estate…
So what can we do to overcome stereotypes?
I think that stereotypes at times are the unanswered questions or concerns that we may not address when it comes to the reasons why and how buyers make decisions.
For example, we know that trust is a big deal for our buyers. We know that people make decisions emotionally; they want to know that the decision to make a change “feels right”.
I remember being a young agent many years ago, being dropped in the deep end of the pool and having high goals to meet. I didn’t know anything about insurance coverages, policy provisions, or rate and premium comparisons. I certainly didn’t really understand the claims process, or mid-term audit consequences or utilization penalties in employee benefits.
Lastly, because we had a couple of other competent insurance producers who were women, I also didn’t know about the industry stereotypes. Not in fact, until years later. It wasn’t a part of my environment, so I didn’t let it affect the way I became a top selling producer, an overcomer, and a better business person.
What I did know a lot about was my personal naiveté about insurance, and how much I didn’t like paying my own premiums. I knew about my own judgments and fears about the industry, and the unknown.
I decided to use what I DID know to my advantage.
In truth, it’s all I had at 25 with little true hands-on mentoring. I just decided to talk about how much I didn’t like writing checks any more than they did, and that I was committed to doing everything I could to hear what was important to them and fulfilling the promises I made.
I used conversation like, “Brian, you know, the way I see insurance is no different than the way I see everything else, whether it’s buying a new set of tires for my car, a new pair of shoes, or where I’m taking my client to lunch this afternoon. Really, it’s as simple as the thing I buy, the person I’m going to buy it from for the price I’m gonna pay.”
I was casual about not letting stereotypes get in my way. Young, 25, naïve to business in so many ways, but oh so familiar with life’s challenges and people’s judgment and perception.
I found my way by being upfront about stereotypes, by saying what the client may have been feeling, by speaking up about the process. And you know what? 20+ years later, I find the same authentic conversation works today.
Today I use that kind of genuine care to discover more about my clients, to really learn to listen, and to speak up about their cares and concerns. I am committed to create a spirit of open dialog, get to the core of major obstacles, and uncovering stereotypes that get in their way of achieving greatness.
Brandie Hinen is the CEO of Powerhouse Learning, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations break barriers of the status quo. You can learn more at Powerhouse Learning or contact her at brandie@powerhouselearning.com.