What, in your opinion, separates a great insurance sales agent from a great politician or the school’s most popular student? People in all three of the aforementioned categories have personalities that captivate a large number of people. In summary, they are very well-liked but may not be the same kind of person. So it stands to reason that each draws a distinct demographic or makeup.

While you can’t win over every insurance buyer’s trust, you can start to take advantage of all the qualities that people frequently look for in an insurance agent. Technology need not be a barrier, and it’s crucial to keep in mind that the rules of the game remain the same even when consumers want to purchase insurance online.

To effectively market your insurance products online, all you need to do as an insurance sales agent is to humanize the insurance sales process and show off your personality. Here are some pointers that are relevant to all kinds of insurance sales agents.

Which Kind of Insurance Sales Agent Are You? Can one be both?

In any field, there are people who are well liked by many because they are honest and soft-spoken, and there are people who are well liked by many because they are assertive and take charge. Similar to how two equally well-liked presidents might have vastly dissimilar policies, two top insurance salespeople may achieve outstanding results by employing very different approaches to closing a deal with a lead.

Based on the client’s behavior, a great insurance agent will be able to switch between various approaches. When you sell insurance policies, you need to be compassionate enough to be believed while assertive enough to ensure that the client is actually protected by the insurance products they purchase.

Are You Dependable and Caring?

Insurance is different from other industries where sales is all about being aggressive. Sales are secondary to preventing financial loss by defending people’s lives and livelihoods for an insurance sales agent. Insurance buyers are allowing you into their lives and putting their trust in what you say before entrusting everything they value to the insurance companies you represent. Sales agents who are looking to take advantage do not last long.

If an insurance lead perceives you as a trustworthy and reliable person who will be an ally, you’re already a long way ahead! On the other hand, if you’re just looking for a quick buck and don’t care about your customers, they’ll sense it and hang up. Eventually, people will hear about you as well.

As much as we believe the adage “fake it ’til you make it” is sound advice, the truth is that you can only fool so many people for so long. Your true colors will eventually be revealed, so stop pretending and start caring.

What Makes You Unique?

Your most distinct personality traits will emerge right away when you’re looking to provide an insurance quote, giving the customer an idea of how you conduct business. In other words, the success or failure of a sale ultimately depends on your human qualities.

If you had to name one thing you do as an insurance sales agent that makes clients want to work with you, what would it be? Your response might be that you have a winning personality, are patient in educating customers, and understand how to gain someone’s trust. Or perhaps you believe that you protect and simplify the lives of your clients and that your reputation for doing so carries weight.

Ideal Insurance Sales Agents

It’s critical to establish yourself in your community as all three of the following types of people:

1. Educator
2. Friendly neighbor
3. Protector

You are expected to be more than just the good guy as an insurance agent. The client wants to get the impression that you are knowledgeable and know more than they do. They want to be sure that you are not just trying to make a lot of money off of them by selling them a big package, but that you are also interested in saving them money in the long run. In fact, the entire concept of selling insurance is to ensure that your client does not fall into a financial sand trap, and you must demonstrate that you are capable of taking on that heavy responsibility.

Instead of just telling them what to buy, they expect you to educate them about the items they are purchasing. Since most people don’t trust insurance companies, you act as their protector and amiable neighbor, guiding them in the right direction.

Other Functions of Insurance Sales Agents

1. The good guy
2. The expert
3. The mitigator

Insurance sales agents explain how to avoid large losses and how the insurance companies they represent can protect you from a potentially crippling financial disaster. Prospective clients can tell the difference between a great agent and one who only knows the information required for insurance sales agent licensure.

If you chose to work in insurance sales, it is likely that you naturally have a knack for interacting with people, and in the field, maintaining that skill should always be your top priority. Let’s ascertain what people appreciate about you so that you can use that to your advantage before you close another deal.

Assignment 1

Step 1: Assess Yourself

Start by making a list of how you believe people perceive you, particularly in light of the six categories listed above: educator, friendly neighbor, protector, good guy, expert, and mitigator. Next, give yourself a one to ten rating based on how well you fit each category.

Step 2: Find out why people like you.

Discovering what people’s true opinions of you are the next step. If you haven’t already, ask your spouse why they chose to marry you. They might become a little worried or think you’re feeling insecure. It’s acceptable to give the reason behind such a complicated question, but make sure to get some frank feedback and take notes. Have your spouse give you a rating on the aforementioned categories after the discussion.

Do not end there. Inquire about your areas of weakness and how you can appear more dependable or compassionate. Most importantly, find out if you have good listening and dependability skills. Do you take initiative or do you prefer to wait and see how things play out? Are you the first person they’d contact if they needed something?

Inform your closest associates and friends that you are looking for their candid opinions on your character and how they feel about approaching you with a significant issue. Also, have them rate you in each of the six categories.

Always keep in mind that if a loved one or friend criticizes you, they are actually doing you a great favor. This is what makes a successful insurance sales agent! If you receive the same criticism from more than a few people, chances are you need to improve.

Assignment 2

Compare your perception of yourself to how others perceive you. Based on your findings, start keeping a journal of all of your interactions, not just those with leads and prospects. Keep in mind the drawbacks and advantages you discovered when interacting with people, and try to improve your people skills. Being the best version of yourself will eventually come naturally.

Buy Insurance Leads

Whether you purchase insurance leads or create your own, you must constantly present your personality to complete strangers if you want to close even a small percentage of the leads you speak with. The more people you meet, the more business you’ll close; numbers are everything.

One cannot overstate how crucial it is to always have a large number of insurance leads in the pipeline. The ideal, most cost-effective way to market your agency online and generate business is to purchase qualified insurance leads.

Dedicated account managers are available at Apex Insurance Group at all times to offer suggestions that can be put into practice based on what has previously worked for insurance agents. Insurance shoppers from Apex Insurance Group are interested in online insurance purchases and may become your next client.

Authenticity and Branding Your Insurance Agency: A Word of Advice

The most important factor in attracting new insurance customers and keeping the ones you already have is authenticity. It’s difficult to sell yourself while simultaneously learning everything you can about a client. Every communication must be sincere and purposeful. Customers will learn about you from every post you make on social media, so choose your online persona wisely.

These days, there is a lot of talk about brands, and since you represent your agency, you should be aware of typos because they signify carelessness and a lack of attention to detail. You should also consider how the post makes you come across. Stay away from posts that are polarizing and draw you into one side or the other. If you do, you will alienate half of your readers. Do you ultimately want to lose clients because of their opinions regarding the next president?

Social Media, Photos, and Videos

A fantastic way to introduce yourself to others is through videos and photos of yourself. Make sure the material is high-quality, and that you look your best and are appropriately attired. There should be no cost since the majority of smartphones produce high-quality photos and videos.

Download a video editing app to trim the videos, but stay away from filters and other artificial effects. Cut your video down to under a minute—this is even the rule for the majority of entertaining videos—because no one will watch anything longer than that (unless you’re posting a song about insurance!). While some insurance agents are very creative and dress up and play characters, others are just as successful as the neighbor down the street. Find your authentic voice and regularly share it with the world. Make sure you’re satisfied with what you’re posting before you do it because you’ll soon start to be recognized by people, whether for good or bad.

Families automatically foster a sense of community, so feel free to use family photos or even include your children in your videos and photos. Think creatively (without going too far), and enjoy the project.

The fact remains that you are looking for new clients, which is not all that dissimilar from reaching out to make new friends, so post frequently and ask your loved ones to share your content. Results will come if you persevere and enjoy yourself while working on it.

Personalize the Quote

To add a human touch and a smile to an otherwise very somber price tag, you can even send prospects video quotes. A sincere smile is more difficult to ignore, and a video message is even better! You must humanize the insurance sales procedure, and we are here to assist you in doing so by bridging the digital divide.

A Word to Life Insurance Agents

More than anyone, you sell a sensitive product. Life insurance agents are trained to probe deeply, but if you are having trouble closing the deal over the phone, try using Zoom or Facetime to create a genuine connection.

You can speak face-to-face about your insurance programs with clients, no matter how far you may be, just as you did with family members you could not see during the coronavirus quarantines.

Some life insurance agents have financial planning specialties.

Some life and health insurance agents sell mutual funds and retirement income products such as annuities and are thus financial resources that can be used. Even some insurance agents offer estate planning services. Have you given becoming a financial planner any thought as well? Potential clients might require assistance with retirement planning. As you might expect, the insurance salesperson who has gone beyond would be given this very important responsibility.

Property and Casualty Insurance Agents

The majority of insurance salespeople focus on selling auto insurance, but if you can provide comprehensive financial planning services that also cover home, life, health, and Medicare, you can sell insurance in the manner that your local insurance company has traditionally done. Let the consumer have a one-stop shopping experience.

You can talk about the crucial services that insurance sales agents provide at your agency using video conferencing. Successful insurance salespeople put a lot of effort into building trusting bonds with their customers. They make an effort to fulfill all insurance needs; some even sell dental insurance.

In the end, insurance sales will go well for the insurance companies that provide everything. Although agents can still specialize, maintaining a wide range of products is essential for retention.