You all likely know how important it is to always ask clients and centers of influence several questions; their answers can help you meet their expectations, in turn building a mutually rewarding relationship. When you question centers of influence, they will typically give you important insight into how you can convert them into a customer and a rich source of referrals. Ways to approach these prospects include:
o Why exactly did you decide to meet with me today?
o What, to you, does the perfect insurance agent look like?
o What's the one thing that you want to make sure we accomplish in this meeting?
o Have you ever had a bad experience with an insurance agent? If yes, what happened?
To get more and better referrals, the expectations in a client-advisor relationship cannot be one-way -- in other words, everyone must be satisfied with the outcome of any sale or transaction. Clients and centers of influence who understand upfront how your business works, how you work, what they should expect, and what you expect from them are more likely to be low-maintenance and easy to work with. They are also more likely to be happy with you than those agents who are simply setting and meeting their own expectations -- and happy clients tend to give more sincere and qualified referrals.
To really show prospects and clients how much they mean to you, try one of the following tactics:
o "Once your insurance policy is put into place, you may, in the future, read or hear something that you have a question about -- or, your situation may change. I want to make sure that you know that, at any time, you can call my office and request to personally speak to me on these issues as they arise.
Usually, I can set up a meeting within a day or two -- unless it's an emergency, and then we'll move even quicker. You can also count on me to touch base with you once a year if I don't hear from you.
I ask you to please take the time to return my call so we can reassess your situation and make sure your policies are still working out for you. Does that sound OK? What's the best time for me to call -- during business hours, or in the early evening?"
o "Did you know that I offer all my clients a second opinion for their family and friends who may have received financial advice from another agent that they question? This means that if you ever hear that someone you know needs insurance or is unsure they are buying the right policy, you can call me to arrange a no-strings, free second opinion. It's no strings on both sides, too, so I do need you to understand that I may not be able to help them, and they may not meet my client criteria at that time.
This opinion service, however, is one of the reasons my clients tend to value my services so highly."
When you ask the right questions and make it clear to your clients and prospects that you offer a personal yet no-pressure touch to your service, it will be much easier to convert prospects into clients and clients into referral sources.
Marilee Driscoll's "Invisible to Incredible" programs and teleseminars show how to use marketing and do-it-yourself PR to raise visibility, credibility, and profitability. She can be reached at md@marileedriscoll.com. For more information, visit www.invisibletoincredible.com.
