Do your customers like you?

Have you ever thought about why your customers choose to come to you with their insurance needs? Competition in the insurance marketplace is greater today than ever before. A customer can get a quote and buy a policy—sometimes within just a few minutes—for almost any type of insurance coverage. Even if he chooses to shop around, there is an abundance of insurance comparison websites where a customer can compare coverage options.

Maybe what keeps a customer coming back time after time isn’t the greatest technology tools, the best price or even the fastest service. Maybe it’s something much simpler, much more basic…maybe…just maybe…he actually likes you!

Did you know that most people tend to do business with people they like? Bob Burg, the author of several books on sales and marketing has been credited with the quote, “All things being equal, people do business with and refer business to those people they know, like, and trust.” Perhaps the most important part of this equation is trust. After all, that is what an insurance agent is by definition—a trusted advisor.

If your customers like and trust you, you’ve already won half the battle. When you give good advice and help a customer choose the best value in insurance coverage, that customer will in turn tell others of his positive experience.

Be careful here, though. That same customer who has a negative experience will also share, share and share some more! Research by Zendesk on customer service and lifetime customer value found that 95 percent of customers will share a bad customer service experience while only 87 percent of customers share good experiences with others.

What is the takeaway here for insurance agents? You may not be the biggest insurance agency on the block or have the shiniest gadgets. Some things you can control and some things you cannot. Work on developing that personal relationship and you may be surprised what happens! Your customers are looking for an insurance agent they like and trust. That is what will keep your customers coming back to you time after time.