The marketing world runs on its customers. After all, without the customers, there’d be no income. For insurance agents selling policies, you are not exempt from the overall push to satisfy your customer’s needs. Doing so in a smart way will net you more than just a sale, it’ll get you positive reviews which increases the chance of future sales.
Talking about it is easier than doing it. Any sales rep will tell you it’s hard to teach good salesmanship. However, we’ve found a few solid tips that, if practiced, will sharpen your skills. They all fall under acknowledging what a customer wants and needs.
Research What People Are Looking For
It helps to start on the right foot, and that comes from insight using research tools. There are search engines available online that comb through the questions people ask about your industry. Taking the time to see what people are looking for can give you a leg-up when it comes to the first conversation.
Answering those questions before a customer even asks can surprise and delight them. It puts you in a knowledgeable position and builds trust that they can rely on you for solid information. People want to know that they’re placing their time and money in the right hands.
This same concept can be applied to data collection in general. Once you start a database(Customer Relationships Management System or CRM), you can stock up on important info that your client base is searching for. This way, you can keep tabs on how questions evolve in your industry, plus you can see which patterns come out of it. Are people talking more about purchasing a policy during January? Does this correlate with anything else like perhaps sales in your area, or real estate pushes?
See From Their Perspective
The easiest way to gain perspective is to stand in someone else’s shoes. Think about what you would want if you were in their position.
This can be done by building a customer model. You can use the CRM we talked about earlier (which would be a great use of the tool) or simply grab a notepad and jot down ideas. These are some questions to get you started:
- Why is this person contacting me?
- What are they trying to protect? (What’s actually important to them?)
- How would I want to be treated?
- What would I expect in this situation?
After answering these questions, you’ll have a better idea of what you should do when interacting with a customer. The best rule is this: act with integrity and transparency. The majority of people will react positively to this type of interaction.
Ask for Reviews
Do you already have an established customer base? Are they satisfied? Great, then you have an amazing source to get information from to improve your communication. Ask these happy customers what you did that satisfied them, and what you could do to improve for the future.
This can come in the form of surveys, polls, or simple conversation. Pay attention to the areas that people focus on, for that is where you’ll find the most insight. If the majority of your customers talk about your office and how nice it was, then that can be telling of a few things.
Perhaps people in your area prefer a calm environment. It puts them at ease. So, using this knowledge, a welcoming office is an excellent asset to invest in.
When you start down this path, be prepared to make changes (even if they’re uncomfortable at first) to your conversation style or even your surroundings. When your customers see you taking the time to make them feel welcome, and you’re attentive to their needs, it sparks a realization for them. That you want to help them, and this is the most powerful tool in your arsenal.
