Insurance is often misunderstood. Consumers often fear they will pay a lot in premiums and still struggle for coverage if they file a claim. Insurance agents and brokers have to overcome these negative perceptions to help their policyholders find the right insurance products for their needs. Taking the time to learn how to build customer trust and authority is critical as an independent insurance agent or broker.
Read on to learn how to build customer trust and authority.
Five Ways Insurance Agents Can Build Customer Trust and Authority
Recent marketing firm research shows consumers do not trust businesses the way they did in the past, with 55% of consumers agreeing they don’t trust companies they buy from as much as they used to. 81% of consumers trust the advice of family and friends over businesses, and 65% of people don’t trust ads.
These findings highlight the importance of developing consumer trust for any business, but especially for someone in an advisor role, like insurance agents and brokers. Here are some ways to start building customer trust and developing authority:
Share your face through video engagement.
Some people would prefer to avoid sharing their faces on social media by avoiding pictures and videos. But engaging with people digitally is often more successful when you share yourself and your image with your audience. By recording videos, you can start to build more trust and authority because viewers can see your face and judge your authenticity for themselves. You can use body language to help convey your message and develop more trust — and because you’re on video, your audience can see your movements and get to know your personality.
Develop authority in your niche by creating and sharing educational content.
One way to establish authority in your niche is by being a thought leader. Creating your own thought leadership content — and sharing other people’s ideas — can make you stand out as an authority. Try writing longer-form posts on LinkedIn or in video form on YouTube. Try sharing other people’s content with your own thoughts added to prompt a discussion on your social media channels. And comment on other posts to engage with more people in your network to continue growing your credibility and establishing your authority.
Use storytelling to share more about your agency and yourself.
Being honest and transparent when talking about yourself and your agency is a give-in but think about other ways to develop consumer trust. Storytelling is a popular way to share information and knowledge with others. Telling a compelling story is a good way to share new products and services. Try using your social media channels to create an online persona where you can use storytelling to persuade, educate, and help others.
Be a genius at customer service.
Insurance agents and brokers need to have excellent people skills. But going above and beyond when working with customers helps you stand out as someone customers can trust. This means responding to every voicemail, email, and text message quickly. Another best practice is addressing online reviews and customer comments when received, especially if a customer complains about your agency. Be proactive and provide great service to continue growing trust with your customers and potential customers.
Make yourself easy to contact.
Customers often need immediate answers and help, especially when it comes to complex needs like insurance. Agents and brokers can show their trustworthiness by being easy to reach, whether by phone, email, text, or instant message. And returning calls promptly, even if you need to do further research, can help develop trust and authority. Show your customers you are available and make it easy to contact you.
Join the American Agents Alliance for More Helpful Tips
Exclusive lead generation and nurturing programs from the American Agents Alliance can help you on your way to building customer trust and authority. And members of the American Agents Alliance can also access sales training and communication scripting before their first call to help make the most of your lead generation program.
Become a member of the American Agents Alliance today for access to more great benefits for independent agents and brokers.
