Insurance marketing sounds like it's about selling your insurance products. While that might be the ultimate goal, successful marketing is more than just a product promoter. When you're marketing, you're helping your clients make the right decisions about insurance. You're a coach as well as a promoter. How can you fulfill this coaching role effectively?
The Stages of Decision-Making
As people make decisions about what they want to purchase, they go through a number of typical stages of decision-making, according to Consumer Behavior. They recognize that they have a need, search for information, evaluate the product, choose that product, and continue to evaluate it as they use that product. Even though you're not selling a tangible item, your clients still need to go through a decision-making process to choose their insurance.
Assisting Client Decision-Making
How can you help your clients through those different stages of the decision-making process?
Guide them from the beginning. Provide information such as blog posts that help your clients recognize what their needs actually are; they may not know exactly what products they need when they initially visit you.
Understand that your clients have a need for reassurance as well as for information. According to Chris Goward, quoted in A Wider Funnel, "If you can provide a payoff for your prospects’ unspoken needs, you will find yourself handsomely rewarded."
Be accurate. Provide information to your prospective clients, and don't distract them with too many extra offers.
Be clear. Your clients need information, but if you give too much information or information that's overwhelming, you could lose them during the decision-making process. This is a time when your blogs, FAQs, pamphlets, and email, text, and phone support really shine.
Be transparent about what you have to offer. If you don't have a product that fits their needs, support your clients in extending their search. This builds trust in your company because you are seen as a resource, not just as salespeople.
According to ConversionXL, "39% read reviews on a regular basis." Product evaluation is a key part of the decision-making process. Encourage current clients to provide feedback on your services and products so that your prospective clients can see that you are a business that provides exceptional service. This might include encouraging people to provide referrals or online reviews.
Recognize Your Clients' Diversity
Of course, not all clients are looking for the same insurance products, nor do they have the same interests and needs. As you create your marketing plans, ensure that you recognize different customer personas and define how you can best support each of them through that decision-making process. Some might need more information, and others, more reassurance. Providing resources that are flexible enough to meet the needs of a diverse client base will help you market to the many, rather than just to a single client profile.
At American Agents Alliance, we're here to help you become a stronger insurance agency. Talk to us about how we can help you with networking, resources, and education. Contact us today.
