Blogging For Client Retention - Part 2

Hooray, you've decided to add blogging to your repertoire for 2012! I'm proud of you for making such a wise decision, now let's talk about a few tips on how you actually get it done. Blogs do NOT have to be painstaking or take an abundance of your time. In fact, you can put out 2 blogs a month (that's 24 client touches a year) in less than an hour! Here are some practical tips to get your blog up and running:

1. Where To Blog: The first thing you need is a place to do your blogging. I don't mean a place to write, like a coffee shop vs. your office, I'm talking about a place to host your blogs where people can go to find them on line. The easiest and most user friendly place for people new to blogging (or even not so new) has got to be blogger.com. It's designed and set up to get you blogging in a matter of minutes with a couple of clicks and it's completely free. You get to name your blog whatever you want AND you can have as many different blogs as you want.
2. What To Blog About: Once you get your free account up and running (2 minutes), it's time to start picking the topics for your blogs. This is very easy to do for at least the first 50 or so posts. Put a pad of paper next to your phone at the office. Every time a client calls in with a question write it down on your pad of paper and then answer it in your blog. Clients ask the same questions over and over again, you might as well type the answer once and then send the answers out to all of your clients before they get around to asking you. You can also find a topic or two every month just by paying attention to the news and posting about an insurance topic you see come up in the headlines.
3. How To Write: Make sure you write the blog as if you were talking to one person. Imagine yourself sitting across from your favorite client and answering their question and type it out as if you were talking. You want your blogs to be very readable AND you want them to have your personality sprinkled throughout so that your clients can actually hear you talking when they're reading your blog.
4. It's Not Just About The Words: Spice up your blog and break it up with a photo or video. It's easy to add both with blogger by clicking the image or video icons on the tool bar.
5. You're Not Writing A Novel: People don't have the time or desire to read an insurance book, so keep your posts short and sweet. Think "Reader's Digest." Keep your articles short enough to read in 3 minutes AND try to throw in a personal story or experience every once in a while to let your clients get to know you better.

That's it! A few simple steps and a few tips to follow and you'll be a blogging pro in no time. There's one last tip to make sure you follow, don't give up! Blogging is something you do on a regular, on-going basis as a way to communicate and retain your clients and build strong relationships. You can't do that if you write a blog or two and then quit. Commit to making it a normal part of your agency and it'll take you a long way!

Good luck and good blogging,

Robert Edgin

Blogging For Client Retention - Part 1

Blogging is easier than you think, and more beneficial than you probably realize. I actually don't blog because it brings me new clients. I don't blog because people are searching for an agent based on the quality of their writing. I blog because it gives me an opportunity and a reason to touch my clients.

Every time I communicate with my clients our relationship is strengthened. Every time they read an article I've written I become a more valuable resource in their life. And isn't that what we're after with our clients, a strong relationship and to be seen as a trusted advisor - a valuable resource?

Blogging will increase your retention and is so incredibly simple that everyone should be writing an article or two every month! Take a look at what some simple articles can do for you. These are the stats from my blog, which was viewed 912 times last month! That's 912 viewings that let my clients know they're dealing with a professional that has the knowledge and experience to take care of them!

You don't have to be a professional writer in order to put out articles that will educate and inform your clients. You just need to follow a few simple rules and tips for blogging success:

1. Don't use your blog for sales pitches! The whole point of your blog is to demonstrate your knowledge and professionalism, NOT to try and sell something. There's plenty of opportunities to sell your clients what they need to protect their families. Your blog is not one of them!
2. Answer Client's Questions! The easiest things to write about are the things your clients are always asking you to explain. Start writing down the questions your clients ask you each day at the office and if you simply answer the questions in writing you'll have a never ending supply of things to blog about - things your clients WANT TO KNOW any way!
3. Use Client Stories! People love to read stories, and I'm sure you have some client stories that show the value of using your agency and having the proper protection for when things go wrong. You probably have examples of clients NOT having the proper coverage as well, which can also serve as very educational articles and motivate people to get the right coverage for their family.
4. Keep It Short And Sweet! Don't feel like you have to write 10 paragraphs in order to deliver value to your clients. Think Reader's Digest! People have a short attention span and anything that takes longer than 3-5 minutes to get through probably won't be finished. If you need to break an article into multiple articles (part 1, part 2, etc) people will come back to read part 2 much more often than sticking around for 10 minutes to read a lengthy 1 part article.

I'll give you some practical tips on setting up your blog in part 2 of blogging for client retention, which I'll put out in a few days! I promise, it's worth the effort, especially since it takes a lot less effort than you probably think. For examples of articles, you can check out my blog at www.myinsuranceguys.blogspot.com.

Robert Edgin

Only Turkeys Don't Take Advantage Of Thanksgiving Day

Are you making an impression on your clients this Thanksgiving and using the holidays to set yourself apart?

This is a sneak peek from one of the ideas I'll be sharing at the state wide meeting in January, 2012. I LOVE creative mailings! Sending your clients something unique really sets you apart and helps you stand out in their mind. Showing your clients a little of your personality and a bit of your creative side will help them connect with you on new levels that you're probably not experiencing yet.

Here is one of my creative mailings from this year that I just sent out for Thanksgiving. It was mailed to 300 of my best clients with a pocket calendar for 2012.

Here's a big, helpful tip for you: mail Thanksgiving cards INSTEAD of Christmas cards! It's hard to stand out with a Christmas card when there are 25 other cards taped to the mantle! Thanksgiving is a great time to show your appreciation for great clients AND there is a lot less competition (cards) arriving in the mail.


My card is hand drawn so my clients know it is personal and created for them! Anyone can buy a bunch of cards and have their staff send them out in the mail, but how many insurance agents, financial advisors or even friends and family take the time to hand draw them a card for Thanksgiving? None would be my guess, which means my card gets extra points!

The inside of the card also has a personal, hand drawn note and then a short message about how much I appreciate having the recipient as one of my best clients. I've also included a few things that I'm thankful for (my family) to give my clients a reminder that family is important to me.

NEVER talk business in your cards and notes and other personal mailings to your clients. Your Thanksgiving card should be all about the appreciation you have for your relationship and your warm wishes for a special day. Talking about business in a holiday card is downright tacky!

I did something VERY SPECIAL for my top 300 clients that I'll be sharing with everyone at the January kickoff meeting. In the bottom right hand corner of the card I put an arrow directing my clients to turn the card over.On the back of the card I made them an irresistible offer and gave them a link to access a special "for your eyes only" website because they are one of my best clients.  The goal is to get clients engaged and involved with my agency. Engagement and involvement are HUGE keys to happy clients and long-term relationships and you should look for every opportunity possible to connect with your clients in new ways that encourage them to get more involved with your agency.

It's not too late to get a Thanksgiving Day card sent out to your clients. Even a card that arrives a week late but talks about Thanksgiving is better than trying to compete with the Christmas rush. Use this opportunity to connect with your clients and build a better relationship heading into 2012!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Robert Edgin

J Szes Is Working It!

Jerry Szeszulski is working it, how about you?

I know there are a lot of little things that have to get done every day and, because of that, the most important things get ignored. I know that sounds backwards but that is the way almost every single agent I know runs their business - BACKWARDS! Not you? How much time do you spend doing these things?

• Auto changes
• Home Changes
• Mortgage Changes
• Answer Claims Questions
• Answer Coverage Changes
• File Claims
• Answer Billing Questions
• Fix Billing Problems
• Send EOI to lien holders
• Etc.

On a scale of 1-10 for increasing your retention and growing your business how important are those things? Yes, they have to get done BUT how important are those activities in regards to growing your business? If you answered not very, then give yourself a prize. If you do not actively spend time doing things to grow your business and keep your clients happy then you will NOT grow your business or keep your clients happy! Seems like a simple concept but it is missed by most agents. But Jerry gets it!

Jerry has started a new blog to share information with his clients AND he is focusing on something he wants to sell, safe financial products. Since the P&C market is tough in Oklahoma, Jerry is focusing on something else until things come back around. Pretty smart guy!

Check out Jerry's new blog, it's a great example of working ON your agency instead of IN your agency:
http://jerrysgibberish.blogspot.com/

Way to go Jerry!

PS. It was probably a good idea that Jerry did not use his last name in his blog address. It's a lot easier to spell gibberish than Szeszulski!

21st Century Communication Part 2 - Video Mail

Every Insurance Agent Sends Emails. You Can Be

Different And Stand Out With Video Mail!

How many emails do you receive every day? How many do you receive that you actually remember? How many do you receive that you look at more than once and then forward to your friends? The average person sends and receives 228 emails per day, spending almost 50% of their work day dealing with emails. The email open rate has fallen to 17% in 2011 which means people are overwhelmed and inundated with an excessive amount of email and they are choosing to ignore most of it.

If you have a marketing piece or something important you need to send to your client there is a good chance they won't even see it unless you find a way to stand out and get your email noticed. Fortunately, there is an easy way to do that! There is a way to get your email opened, read (repeatedly), and then forwarded to their friends. It's called video mail, and the response you'll get from using it will blow you away!

Since we're talking about video, I'll let a video explain how important a video mail system is and how impressive you can be to your clients by using this simple tool.

What should you use video mail for:

1. Policy Information
2. CashBack Notices
3. ID Cards
4. Billing Notices
5. Setting Up P.I.R.s
6. Welcome Emails
7. Thank You's
8. Get Well/Thinking Of You
9. Monthly Insurance Tips
10. Happy Birthday's
11. Anything Else You Can Think Of!

I've sent  video mail that was watched by a client 8 times and then forwarded to their friends who called me to discuss their insurance coverage. The reason? Their current agent isn't doing anything near as cool as video mail. In fact, they're agent probably doesn't contact them at all so when they see a live human being, personally interacting with them and delivering a message to them it really stands out!

Can you think of a simpler way to connect with your clients and let them get a little of your personality and character while doing something as simple as emailing them? Think about all of the personal touches you can make in a very short amount of time without ever leaving your desk!

Video Mail Services: There are plenty out there to choose from ranging in price from free to very, very expensive. I settled on a service called eyejot.com ( http://www.eyejot.com/affiliate/acr419ifick/join ) and paid the $99.95 per year to get the Pro Plus version. The $99.95  keeps my emails free of adds, allows me to send videos that are as long as I want them to be and to as many people as I want to send them to AND allows me to customize and brand the page that the person receiving the email will see. Mine looks like this:

It has links to my social media sites as well as my personal web site and has a personal message on the side. Again, there are plenty of services out there to use, this one just seemed to be very simple and user friendly for me and the people I send video mail to. To join them: http://www.eyejot.com/affiliate/acr419ifick/join

Video mail is just one piece of the 21st Century Communication puzzle, but it is a very good first piece. Just adding this one thing to your office will give you the opportunity to be different and touch your clients far more often and in more ways than most other agents in town.

By Robert Edgin

21st Century Communication For Insurance Agents - Part 1

10 New Ideas To Grow Your Agency And Keep Your Clients Happy During Challenging Times

Times are changing in the insurance industry and unfortunately too many agents are NOT keeping up.  New threats to our profession are popping up every day including a constant barrage of ads trying to convince clients that they no longer need us.  Consumers can - and do - buy insurance without an agent almost 65% of the time. Those that choose to work with an agent expect more than ever before from that agent. They want to be wowed and impressed not only by an agents knowledge (all agents are expected to be knowledgeable) but also by their ability to communicate and provide an experience they can not get from anyone else.

What worked in the past doesn't work the same anymore, but if you're willing to learn new ways to communicate with clients and new ways to be successful than these can actually be very exciting times. As times get tougher and more agents go out of business (because of their refusal to change), those of us that are left will get the lion's share of both the clients and the income. 

                                                                                     

In fact, I predict that the professional agents who can survive the next 5 years will find themselves in the best position of their entire careers, making more money and reaching new levels of success. But, you must make it through the tough times first. You MUST adapt. You MUST incorporate new strategies to engage with your clients. You MUST expand your communication arsenal. You MUST take action today, or find yourself out of business tomorrow.

There are three rules to keep in mind when developing your client communication strategies:

1. Frequency: How often do you touch your clients? How often do they see you, hear from you, get something from you or interact with you? Studies show that if you don't touch your clients a minimum of 13 times per year then they don't even remember your name. Did you catch that? Your clients don't even know who you are if you are not touching them in some way, shape or form at least 13 times per year! If they don't know who you are how likely is it that they are going to be loyal to your agency when rates get a little tough? If you don't touch them 24 times per year then they don't feel special about you or think that you feel special about them. Did you touch your clients 24 times last year? If your clients don't think that you're special are they going to send you referrals? Most agents touch their clients 2 times per year and unfortunately those touches are coming from the home office in the form of renewal packets and a bill. If they only hear your name or see something from you 2 times per year and both involve them paying large sums of money, how good are they going to feel about you?
2. Perception: You get to choose the way your clients see you. Whether you want to be the funny agent or the high class agent or the ultra professional is completely up to you and completely under your control. It doesn't really matter what you decide to be to your clients as long as you are something besides just another insurance agent. There are plenty of those around and believe me, you don't want to be one of them. Clients need to know why you are different and what makes you tick so they can have a connection and you can develop a lasting bond. Remember, these are social times we live in.
3. Uniqueness: Clients expect more than just insurance policies from their agent and their insurance companies these days. If all they cared about was the actual policy and coverage it provides then we wouldn't have lizards selling insurance and Flo wouldn't be the best known spokesperson of any company, in any industry, in the entire country. People want to be entertained! They want an experience, not just a transaction. They want something different, and your communication strategy gives you the opportunity to give them everything they want PLUS the things they really need (like a knowledgeable agent looking out for them). If 95% of the agents in your area do things a certain, specific way then you need to do the opposite. Fortunately, 95% (or more) of agents don't do anything so being different is not too tough. Don't be a part of the herd, following everyone else and doing what they do will only get you one thing - slaughtered. As Robert Frost says, take the road less traveled and it WILL make all the difference.

There are 10, 21st century ways to communicate with your clients that WILL give you a true advantage over your competition - both big and small - and help you take your agency to the next level. My next post will be about the first method, video mail. Why do I use it, how do I use it, when do I use it and what does it get me in return.

By Robert Edgin

"I Know I Can Find Cheaper Insurance"

What do you say to clients when they tell you they know they could find cheaper insurance somewhere else?

I just met with a client who's agent is no longer in the business and who's policies were transferred to me. This was our first meeting together and unfortunately we were reviewing their policies which had about $400 in increases (not my favorite first meeting!). Right away the client attacked with the cheaper insurance statement and I had to make the decision on how to respond. Here's what I said:

This might not be the right response every time BUT it is good to remind people of why they have insurance - and more importantly - why they have insurance with you! The result from this meeting was a client who better understands their premium, better understands their policies and better understands the value we bring.

By Robert Edgin

What Are People Really Buying From Their Insurance Agent?

I know a lot of insurance agents who think that their prospects and clients come to them because they need to buy insurance. Do they need the insurance? Yes, but are they taking time out of their day to drive across town and sit face to face with an insurance agent (not known for being the most exciting people on earth) simply because they need to buy insurance? No!

If all they really wanted was to buy the needed insurance they would just get on line or pick up the phone. Then, 15 minutes later they would save 15% on their car insurance and then move on with their life. There are many, MANY ways to buy insurance that are both easier and cheaper than using an insurance agent. They may need the insurance, but they want something more!

They'll hardly ever tell you they want more because often enough they don't even realize it but the fact that they are talking to an actual, living and breathing, local, professional agent should tell you enough. Do they want good rates, sure. Do they want convenience, absolutely. But if that was all they wanted you wouldn't know they existed because they never would have called you. Deep down inside they want more than an 800 number or web site can give them, and if a professional agent has the opportunity to fill those needs, that agent has no competition! At least not from the 800 number and internet insurance companies.

People still want to feel cared for, taken care of and protected. They want someone to put their arm around their shoulder and say "don't worry, you're safe with me." People want to interact professionals who are more concerned with protecting their family than entertaining them with a funny commercial. People want the expertise and knowledge that an agent provides and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their personal agent is looking out for them. People want an insurance agent! People want YOU and they are buying YOU as much or more as anything else they are buying.

Does everyone feel this way? No, but why would a professional agent waste their time on someone who doesn't? Let those people go elsewhere until they find themselves in a situation without the helping hand and support that an agent brings. Let the prospects focused on cheap go with cheap.  Find the prospects focused on value and you'll build a lasting, successful agency.

So many agents whine and cry about the prospects who went elsewhere because the rates were cheaper. They were never prospects to begin with, they were price shoppers and future headaches. The old saying still holds true, if you win on price you'll lose on price because you won't always have the best price. However, if you educate clients about what they really want - the best value and the best agent - then price is only ONE of the considerations. Quite often, it is not even the primary consideration!

My favorite sales are to new clients who's current price is $200-$400 below mine. I know that if I can help them realize what they want deep down inside and understand the importance of the best value then the sale will not be hard to make. I also know that a client who chooses to pay more to work with my agency will be a client for life and a great referrer of similar clients. My least favorite sale to make are to people who are already paying more and are actually saving money when working with me. I know I'll have much tougher sales to make in the future to the second client because they typically switched started working with me for the wrong reason - price!

Stay focused on what people are buying first and foremost when you sell them insurance. They are buying the peace of mind and comfort of working with you, a local, professional agent. They are buying you first, insurance second.

By Robert Edgin

Creating and Using Bar Codes for Smart Phones

Bar codes are cool, easy, and they take your reader EXACTLY where you want them to go!

   Any clients or prospects that are even the slightest bit techno-oriented will love the idea of scanning in your barcode with their phone just to see what happens. It gives them a chance to use their technology and show off a cool toy to their friends - or anyone else who happens to be nearby! The really cool part is that what they are actually showing off is you and the site you sent them to!

Barcodes are very easy to make and can link to any site on the web. It takes less than 2 minutes to make a bar code and they work with all smart phones! Here's the scoop on making your own barcodes:

1. Find a barcode generator: There are a lot of choices in websites and software when it comes to generating barcodes. For me, the two most important factors were the ease of use (I do NOT consider myself to be a techno-geek) and the ability to make barcodes for free. After researching many, many websites I picked the online barcode generator by tec-it because it fit both of my personal requirements. For a direct link to their site...scan the barcode! Make sure you pick the 2D barcode as it is the most commonly read by smart phones.

2. Copy the web site address and post it into the "data" field.

3. Instead of generating the barcode, I would recommend you download it. This gives you the opportunity to crop the barcode and remove the reference to the tec-it website that you'll see under the generated barcode.

4. Once downloaded, right click your new barcode, select "save as picture" and then name and save your picture.

5. Insert the picture into your advertising, newsletters or whatever else you'd like.

That's it, you're now a barcode generating pro and the talk of the town amongst your technologically inclined clients and prospects!

Enjoy!!