In our previous blog post, we discussed the importance of knowing your customer. This time, we are going to dig a little deeper into that by examining what they are buying from you.
But before looking at your customer, let’s start by looking at your carrier partners. Make sure you have a strong understanding of what your carrier are providing so that you know what you are selling to your customer. Knowing the limits set by your carrier partners can help you focus on potential clients that you can actually serve, and allows you target new customers.
OK, back to the customer! Knowing what your customers buy from you in addition to who they are can help you turn a single policy customer into a multi policy customer. Start by asking “What do people buy from me first?” If you were to look at your agency’s book, which types of needs would you see your agency meeting most frequently? Would you find that most people have bought their home and auto insurance from you, or is your agency more focused on small, commercial-type risks?
Let’s say you can provide good coverage for young drivers, and a family decides to go though you for their 16 year old’s auto insurance. As you build your relationship with them and prove to be a trustworthy and helpful resource, they may decide to switch all of their auto insurance policies to you. Also, once that teenage driver moves out into an apartment on their own, they will add on renter’s insurance through you, who they know they can depend on. Their new roommate is impressed by the things they say about your coverage and services, and switches to you, too. Thus you cater to the upcoming needs of the clients you already have while proving to new customers that you can serve them, as well.
Seek to build up relationships with your clients by presenting yourself as a valuable continual resource rather than a solution to a single problem of theirs, which will encourage them to return to you with their future needs. Growing your customer relationships – and your agency – should be deliberate, predictable, and sustainable. Knowing what customers are interested in buying from you at the start allows you to take the first step toward developing a relationship with them and meeting even more of their needs down the road.
Next, we will have a look at how your customers are connected, and how you can use those connections to draw in more customers!