Greetings Insurance Kings and Queens of the world! As you may have seen I was in Michigan this week with Kelly and the Michigan PIA. We are wrapping up our last day here before we head into what seems to be a hurricane! Good thing my flood insurance is up to date!!
When we head out on trips like this it’s always fun for a couple of reasons. The first is that I get to see parts of the country I haven’t seen, I get to meet a lot of interesting folks, both in the industry as well as whoever I encounter during my travels, and I usually walk away with some solid content for blogging! This week I encountered a commonality amongst independent agencies that I thought was mind blowing.
The common theme was that none of the folks we spoke to use a talk track that indicates they work with multiple carriers. My mind was blown for a few reasons. The first reason is that had I not entered into the industry of insurance I wouldn’t have had any idea that the local agency had options. The second reason is that we have strong competition from Geico and, in some cases, our own carriers so we need to consistently help our clients see the value of working with us versus the direct writers.
As experts in our industry we have to sometimes take a step back and remember that the folks who we serve probably have little insight into how our world works. Which is why it’s critical to remind them why they chose us and what it means to them. The greatest advantage we have over the direct writers is that we have options. It’s why we exist! If you call Geico they are going to deliver a Geico product that may not be the actual best fit for them. As an independent agency you can provide the best fit because you have the ability to work with different carriers. The consumer needs to know that!
My challenge to you all this week is to remind your producers that when they are speaking with a prospect to mention that you have the ability to work with multiple carriers. It will help them understand that you are actually going to look at not one, not two, but up to three different options for them. Take the extra step to explain why they are better suited with an independent agent. Another challenge to layer onto this is to also explain that while we definitely want to get them the best price, we want to first find them the right coverage.
It can make a difference when it comes time for them to sign on the dotted line and at the very least it removes the likelihood of a person who will leave you based solely on price. Lastly, if you ever felt that your team could benefit from having additional training, especially when it comes to selling points, give us a call at Agency Performance Partners. We’ve worked with hundreds of agencies on scripting and sales coaching!
