Change is hard, there’s no doubt about that. But if you want to grow your business and acquire new clients, you’ve got to stop making the same mistakes over and over again.
You can’t continue selling as you have been or you’ll put yourself out of business. Our client and prospect base is changing rapidly. Social media, three-second attention spans and two generations who are growing up exclusively in a digital world have put an end to business as usual.
If you’d like to survive in this business, you’ll need to adapt to the trends that are changing the way people buy. To do that, you’ll need to stop making these 3 (very!) common mistakes.
Mistake #1: You’re communicating with people the way you’re comfortable with.
The average age of an insurance agent is 58. How close in age are you to that number? The closer the proximity, the higher the probability is that you’re not getting your communications right. It’s time to rethink the “across the kitchen table” and “at my office” mindset, and start communicating with clients and prospects how they’d prefer.
For those under age 45, more than half would prefer contact via email, with 19% open to a video conference and 14% to getting their communications via text, according the 2014 Insurance Barometer Study by Life Happens and LIMRA. If communicating this way doesn’t come naturally to you, then it’s time to reach out and find someone to help you begin navigating these technologies.
Mistake #2: You’re using a “foreign” language.
Did you know that there are nearly 19 million of what LIMRA calls “stuck shoppers” in the U.S.? These are people who understand the benefit of life insurance and are willing to buy, but have somehow gotten stuck in the buying process. LIMRA found that a key factor in the stuck shopper dilemma was lack of clear and authentic communication.
Our industry is mired in technological terms. The LIMRA study “Get Real Already” found that nearly three-quarters of people couldn’t define “permanent life insurance” or “underwriting”.
Your customers aren’t going to buy if they don’t understand what you’re talking about. Use everyday language that puts your prospects at ease.
Life Happens has spent millions of dollars and more than 20 years developing marketing material proven to get consumers to take action. Read more here .
Mistake #3: You turn a blind eye to social media.
You can come up with a hundred excuses why you don’t need to be on social media. But with 2 billion people using these outlets—from Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn—it just makes sense.
Social media can help you strengthen relationships you have with clients when you interact with them on these outlets. Just view them as an extension of the communication tools you already use, like email and phone calls.
Not sure how to get started?
Life Happens Pro has a comprehensive offering of social media content for you to use: graphics, statistics, prewritten posts, as well as some posts that have already gone viral.
Now you can have all those resources at your fingertips through this easy to use and affordable cloud-based marketing tool.
Introducing A Smarter Way to Grow Your Business, Meet More Customers and Close More Sales
Life Happens Pro is built on decades of industry experience and proven sales techniques. It was designed to give independent agents a simple and cost-effective way to engage and nurture leads, close sales, and build long-term relationships.
This powerful tool gives you:
Award-winning videos including Real Life Stories proven to make people 57% more likely to consider buying life insurance. The videos are easy to embed on your website, send via email or use as social media posts.
Social Media Made Easy. You are able to pick and choose from hundreds of attention-grabbing social-media graphics and posts that you can share directly from the platform with just a few clicks of a button. Plus, these posts have proven potential to go viral, letting you reach and even wider audience.
Email marketing tool with messages targeted for key audiences and the ability to personalize the email and easily integrate our other marketing components.
Customizable flyers and brochures designed to evoke emotion and get people to take action on their insurance needs. Access a library of gorgeously designed flyers and brochures you can use to show potential clients how insurance can protect their family and business.
Best-in-class calculator apps that can be placed directly into your website and customized to match. Giving customers this power makes it easier to close the sale!
A Turnkey Email Marketing Tool
Choose from among hundreds of flyers, brochures, videos and graphics to hit just the right note with clients and prospects.
Pre-retirees…parents to be…business owner…busy parents… we have marketing material specifically targeted to reach these key audiences. Personalize your message and set the stage for a phone call or meeting, or use as an effective follow up. These resources can also help you create a great automated marketing campaign with ease.
In short, Life Happens Pro delivers all the benefits of a full-service marketing department for a fraction of the cost.
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The moment you start your risk-free trial, I'm confident you'll quickly see the impact it can have on your business and your success. Come see for yourself!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marvin H. Feldman, CLU, ChFC, RFC, is president of the Feldman Financial Group in Palm Harbor, Fla., and president and CEO of Life Happens in Arlington, Va. He is a 41-year Million Dollar Round Table member and was the 2002 president. He is a 33-year member of the MDRT Top of the Table and a past Top of the Table chairman. He also is the recipient of the 2011 John Newton Russell award, the highest honor bestowed on an individual by the insurance industry.
