Benefits trump price 

People buy solutions, not products.  The old straw used as an example involves the store that sells drills.  People don’t really buy drills.  They buy holes.  They want a hole in a particular place and of a particular size. 

What about home and auto and business insurance; what are people buying?  They are buying a consulting service (you) and a promise (the contract).  Both are intangibles that need to be tangibilized in order for a customer to make a decision on which agent to do business with. 

If customers cannot see your expertise, cannot touch your knowledge, cannot hear your experience, it may be difficult for them to make a decision in your favor. How can they know the value of your service? 

The value of your service lies within you and your people.  You need to market “what customers get for what they pay” in every deed and every promotion that takes place in your agency. 

Performance builds value 

From prompt and friendly answering of the phone and e-mails to concise explanations of coverage features and benefits to annual reviews to excellent claims handling…performance is key. 

But you also need to keep reminding prospects and customers about how good you are.  Do it through newsletters; testimonials in your brochures and at your Web site; reminders that a high percentage of your new customers come from referrals. 

Let customers know how much you care 

Our view is: customers don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. 

Make sure you offer annual reviews with an eye toward making sure that your customers are properly insured.  Send birthday and congratulatory notes. Make Howdy Calls---simply stated, “how are you doing, how are we doing, anything we can do to help.”  

Participate in the community, actively and with sponsorships of worthy programs.  Pay special attention to young people---sons and daughters of your customers, and kids who are doing positive things in town. 

Marketing takes place in every corner of your agency 

From your receptionist to CSRs to your most successful producer, marketing things are taking place every day, every minute in your agency.  Customer contacts are being made. 

Let everyone know how much you value quality and how you define quality performance in the agency.   

Let everyone know that they are empowered to “go outside the lines” to satisfy good customers and that their decisions will be supported.   

Constantly practice catching people doing something right and recognize the deeds specifically.