7 MAIN LIFE SITUATIONS THAT CAUSE PEOPLE TO SHOP FOR INSURANCE
The following mentoring training is taken directly from the new “ How To Build A $10 Million Insurance Agency in 5 Years (Or double what your agency is currently producing) Manual and Workbook. The manual can be ordered on our website at www.inspireanation.org
We as insurance professionals understand that people shop for insurance when emotionally triggered by a life situation. Unfortunately, the ability of agents and agency staff to quickly identify these life situations and have the appropriate conversations with our customers and prospects during these situations is becoming a lost art.
Marketing research by online companies such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook, show that these sites can determine when to show insurance specific ads to their visitors based on specific search items and keywords. Deeper analysis has shown that changes in a life situation is the primary factor that determines when a customer notices and responds to insurance marketing and advertising.
While this information is not new to the insurance industry, the millions of queries and searches that support these findings from non insurance focused companies validates our insurance urban legends.
Before I discuss these life situations, let me tell you what you and your agency should do to prepare to maximize these situations for the customer and the agency:
- · The agency staff should always listen for one of these situations when prospecting and when servicing a current customer;
- · The agency should role play conversations and talking points with staff members based on these situations
- · Identify businesses and professionals that support people when going through these situations, create a business referral partnership with them, and coach them on how best to refer a prospect to your agency;
- · Agency marketing campaigns should focus on identifying people going through these life situations
Here are the top life situations that cause people to shop for insurance:
Insurance is mandated by civil authorities; (Examples: buying a new house, changing residences, buying a new motorized vehicle (car, motorcycle, boat), changing vehicles, adding a driver)
Change in the family situation that gives people the ability to “start over” such as relocation, marriage, marital separation, divorce, death, child birth, child or aging parent relocates to or from the home;
A change that brings the current insurance relationship into the spotlight – claim, rate increase or decrease by their current insurance carrier, weather event that causes roofers and siding companies to solicit in the neighborhood
Something bad happens to them or someone they know; (Accident, Illness, death)
Their financial situation has a sudden change (This can be bad such as getting laid off from work, or suddenly needing to care for an aging parent, or good, such as a promotion, or getting a lump sum of cash);
They are introduced or referred to an agent by a family member or friend they trust (i.e. Emergency Contact)
They receive, see, or hear marketing ads, materials or presentations that interest them because they are going through one of the life situations mentioned above;
Let’s quickly identify a few situations and some professionals and businesses that work with people during these life situations that you might normally overlook as a business referral partner.
- Insurance is mandated by civil authorities:
• A new residence, changing residences: relocation service, homeowners association, Property Management Company
• New motorized vehicle (car, motorcycle, boat), changing vehicles, adding driver: driving school, drivers aid instructor
- Change in the family situation that gives people the ability to start over:
• Marriage: Wedding Planner, Church, Temple, Synagogue, etc., New Movers List, Bridal Shop, Photographer
• Marital separation, divorce: Attorney,Beauty Shop/Barber
• Death/Illness: Health Insurance Agent, Medical Supply Store
• Child Birth: Party Supply Center,
• Child is added or removed from a current insurance policy: Driving School, College Campus Boards,
• Child or aging parent relocates to or from the home; Senior Centers, Medical Supply Centers
- They are introduced or referred to an agent by a family member or friend they trust:
• Emergency Contact
• Yard Signs (This family’s home is protected by XYZ insurance)
What I am trying to make you understand is that almost any business or professional can help drive business to your agency if you properly utilize life situations and the right marketing materials for those situations.
Google, Amazon, Yahoo, EBay, and many other online vendors understand and utilize this information to sell billions of dollars in marketing to the insurance industry.
You can utilize this marketing information (often for free) simply by creating business referral partnerships that could include, direct referrals, posting your information in their shops, or on their website, or giving out a link to your website that allows the prospect to download materials and information to better explain some of the options available to them as they go through situations that are unique to them, but common to you. Again, make sure you pay attention during the business referral partner section of this manual.
Thank you for time today!
Billy R. Williams, PhD.,
President – Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring & the Williams Family Agency Investment Group
