1. Network with Your Competition. They will often have no appetite for certain lines of business that you wish to target.
2. Hard Market. Today’s insurance market is one of the hardest markets many have ever encountered, even if they’ve spent decades in the insurance industry. Now is the time to reach out to your customers, review property values, and develop a plan for re-marketing those accounts with significant rate increases/non-renewal or other factors that demand a new look. — Nancy Germond, Independent Agents & Brokers Association
3. Be Product Wise. Know the product you are selling. Good and bad points. Be the expert that can explain how the product can help your client. — Richard Petry, Retired Insurance Exectutive
4. Customer Appreciation with a Personal Touch. Take the time to personally thank your clients for their business and confidence. Request an in-person meeting to learn about their business and meet the owner. This small act could serve as a catalyst toward securing new business and help to retain existing business for years to come. — Tony Caldwell, One Agents Alliance
5. Be a Safety Advocate. Become a safety advocate in your community, testifying and writing in support of traffic, fire, playground, bicycle, etc., safety measures and awareness.
6. Ask and Receive. Anything you can tell, you can ask. Engage the audience with questions. — Gina Butchin, Nautilus Insurance
7. Consider Your Audience. No matter how relevant, informative or even eye-catching your campaign is, if it doesn’t resonate with your audience, it’s immaterial. — Katherine Blaine, QBE North America
8. Consider AI. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all the rage right now but might seem less relevant to the independent agent in terms of day-to-day activities. That’s not true. There are a number of ways agents can use AI and the simplest is likely this: Use AI to help generate content, both copy/words and images. It is necessary to proof and verify AI generated material, but once you get the hang of it, AI will help the average agent to be far more prolific at posting content than they previously were. Try it — you can’t break it. — Doug Coombs, SIAA
9. Be Accessible. Make your website accessible and easy for customers with disabilities.
10. Be Mission Centric. The rising generation of talent is mission driven, socially conscious and cares deeply about the impact they’re making on everything around them — and they want to know that their employer values these things, too. Having a values focused culture will give you an edge in standing out when you hire the next generation of young talent. — Grace Grant, Gamma Iota Sigma.
11. Say No to Meetings. Your time is precious and cannot be returned to you. Know when a meeting should be an email. Choose your meetings wisely and use the time returned to you to build and nurture client and team relationships. — Tony Caldwell, One Agents Alliance
12. Recognize Safe Workplaces. Identify customers with superior workplace safety records and create publicity for them around that.
13. Be Proactive in Your Communications. Today’s market is a tough one, but effective communications with existing clients in particular will help mitigate client churn. People tend to be less reactionary when they understand what’s going on. Blogs, newsletters, short videos, can all help communicate to your clients (and yes, prospects) what is happening in the market and how it will impact them. In the long-term, they will appreciate the up-front, proactive nature of your communications, rather than unleashing surprises on them at renewal. — Doug Coombs, SIAA
14. Give Thanks. Send out thank you cards to clients, well before their renewal date. For long-time clients, give them a call and thank them for their business.
15. Sponsor Car Washes. Let local kids use your parking lot for car washes to raise money.
16. Maintain an Innovative Mindset. Policyholders want agents who present them with the best options available for their insurance needs. Agents and brokers who maintain an innovative mindset will look to partner with MGAs and carriers that freshen their tech to meet customer needs and target pain points in the insurance distribution process. By working with MGAs and carriers with sophisticated underwriting and distribution capabilities, you can provide quotes quickly and rest assured you are securing optimal coverage options for your clients. — Katy Murray, INSTANDA
17. Target Relevance and Customer Needs. Sell only the products that are relevant and customer need based, not pushing a product for profits. Concentrate on after sales services, available on as needed basis. — Unnikrishnan Nair P, UK Nair & Associates
18. Work with a Specialist. Agents and brokers can find enormous value in specialty insurers for policyholders who are navigating inflation, supply chain shortages, rising interest rates and more. A specialty carrier that knows the insured’s niche, including the leading and emerging risks, and best practices, will be able to supplement a broker’s expertise, boosting the broker’s value in the eyes of the insured, while ensuring superior service and coverage. Working with a specialty carrier can offer valuable risk mitigation insight for agents and brokers looking to protect their insureds from the variety of risks threatening business today. — John Smith, Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co. (PLM)
19. Get Involved. We all know that today’s talent and potential clients are looking to partner with socially conscious businesses. Make philanthropy and charitable giving a core part of your company’s mission. Find new ways to give back and support your community, whether through the local chamber of commerce, reaching out to local nonprofits and schools, asking staff about their passions, or partnering with a larger resource such as the IICF’s Global Membership Program, which offers agents and brokers easy access to a number of philanthropic resources in addition to networking opportunities. — Bill Ross, Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF)
20. Choose Partners with the Right Tech. Customers want seamless, frictionless transactions. MGAs, carriers and agents do too. Consider tech-enabled insurance partners who can simplify and speed up all aspects of the insurance process, allowing you to deliver superior products and service to your policyholders in a timely fashion. — Tim Hardcastle, INSTANDA
22. Be Note Ready. Keep a pen and notepad by your bathroom sink. It always amazes me how often I remember an important task while brushing my teeth. — Greg Rueter, R&R Insurance Advisors
23. Get a Mascot. Create a mascot for your agency. It could be a real pet or made-up cartoon. Hold a contest to name it. Use it in your advertising and marketing.
24. Sell More Professional Lines and Management Lines Business. Spend less of your valuable time trying to save the day from carrier non-renewals and market unavailability in more traditional lines of business. My advice? Offer your business owners something cool like E&O, D&O, Cyber, or EPL coverage. You’ll make more sales, separate yourself from the rest, and keep your sanity! — Juan Adame, Apogee Insurance Group
25. Think About Your Brand. Always be thinking about your agency brand and how you are projecting it to your clients and prospects. Think of it as your business personality — are people drawn to it, does it project a positive image, and have you built it intentionally? Consider how you can improve your image and how the community perceives you. Start with a mission statement, a few core values, and a value proposition. You’ll be surprised how easily the rest of it comes together. — Doug Coombs, SIAA
26. Don’t Accept NO. Anticipate any objections that customers might have to your pitch. Prepare compelling responses that highlight the value of your proposition. — Kristen Nevins, Direct Connection Advertising & Marketing
27. Stay Social. Stay engaged with your network and maintain relationships. Every connection is a potential opportunity. With the growing world of social media, your network is now continuously at your fingertips. Take advantage of such availability to share your wins and market your business. — Sarah Thomas, Jones Jones LLC
28. Meet Customers Where They’re At. It’s an old adage, but it’s easier said than done. 27% of people abandon purchases because the experience was too long or complicated, and yet so many insurance products require the policyholder to answer long lists of questions or wait for the agent to discuss with an underwriter before providing an indicative price. Digital, frictionless business is a must-have in the modern world to meet customers where they’re at. Revise your quoting and application journey to ensure you have a digital plan is a must. — Naish Berran, INSTANDA
29. Be an Expert in Your Field. Leverage your experience and expertise to reach your audience where they are and provide effective insights and advice to help potential clients overcome everyday challenges. Sharing your expertise will showcase how you can be a useful asset to potential customers and continue to help existing clients find success. — Jestin Davis, DOXA Insurance Holdings
30. Put the Customer First. Ensure the customer is always the main focus, and provide a human touch. It’s easy to hide behind electronics and forget that there is another human being on the other end of your communication. Take a minute to pick up a phone and share an update with someone instead of emailing it. Pick up a pen and write a thank you note to the agent who has given you a new piece of business or 10 years of consistent business. — Jennifer Brownyard, Brownyard Group
31. Contact Clients. If you’re an agent who reaches out only at renewal, you’re in danger of losing your clients to online quoting or competing brokers. At least quarterly, reach out to your insureds to discuss topics such as property values, solicit any changes in operations, update payroll and sales for commercial clients, or discuss general industry trends. — Nancy Germond, Independent Agents & Brokers Association
32. Boots on the Ground. Even as technology has developed since the pandemic, face to face interaction remains essential to supporting insureds today. Nothing trumps the value of an on-site visit to your insured’s business. A boots-on-the-ground approach can provide essential insights into an insured’s risk profile while helping to build the relationships among the agent, insured and insurer. — Larry Chasin, PAK Programs
33. Truth in Testimonials. Get local commercial customers and people you respect to be in testimonial ads. You get publicity and so do they.
34. Promote Your Work. Charitable giving is a powerful way to attract new talent and business partners, yet getting involved is only the first step. Take the time to consciously promote your dedication to philanthropy to generate additional business success. This could include regular social media posts, working with leading industry media to get your message and story out there, writing blog content about giving back or by sharing personal interest stories with the greater insurance community. — Bill Ross, Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF)
35. Communicative Proactively. As inflation continues to rise, insureds may not be prepared for the inevitable rate hikes and may consider reducing their coverage or shopping for better premiums. Proactive communication is key to client retention in these times. To maintain positive relationships with their clients, agents should reach out to their clients early, often and thoughtfully to explain how today’s macroeconomic factors may impact their insurance coverage and provide counsel as to how they can limit their unique risk exposures. — Rod Hughes, Kimball Hughes Public Relations
36. Hire Quality Sales Managers. Invest in a high-quality sales manager who knows how to motivate and guide members to their goals.
37. Develop Cyber Expertise. Learn all you can about cyber risk, security and insurance and share what you know with your customers at every opportunity so they understand the importance. Every business is at risk. Eventually they will appreciate your expertise.
38. Keep Up with Changes in the Law. Anytime your state changes an insurance law or regulation that affects your customers, let them know. Become a trusted source for information.
39. Power of Personalization. Incorporate personalization into your marketing efforts wherever possible. Address emails with recipient names, recommend products and services based on their preferences, and demonstrate the value of their individual needs. — Kristen Nevins, Direct Connection Advertising & Marketing
40. Ask Questions. Never be afraid to ask questions or reach out to someone for their input. This industry is uniquely supportive in terms of knowledge-sharing and making introductions and you never know where taking a small leap will lead. — Megan Bell, Falvey Insurance Group
41. Create a Welcoming Committee. Start a committee of citizens to welcome new residents and guide them on a tour of the town, its services and unique features.
42. Develop a Foodie Network. Gain some tasty publicity and goodwill by sponsoring and emceeing a local “Top Chef” restaurant competition. Invite prominent local citizens to be the judges.
43. Focus on Current Clients. Hunting for sales outside of your office doesn’t have to dominate your strategy. Your current clients present a great opportunity for new business sales.
44. Practice Active Listening. Pay close attention to your customers’ concerns and requirements when they speak. Pull out any pain points you can help solve that they may not have directly stated. This will help customize your strategy and add greater value. — Erin Dwyer, Direct Connection Advertising & Marketing
45. Don’t Be Blindsided in a Crisis. A crisis can hit any business at any time and too often companies are unprepared. Take the time to build out a comprehensive crisis communications plan. This plan will provide your company with a road map for addressing the situation, including clearly defined roles for personnel and appropriate language for whatever scenario may arise and steps to respond. — Rod Hughes, Kimball Hughes Public Relations
46. Plan the Plan and Work the Plan. Agency management means working with agency partners to outline expectations for service as well as production. This comes in the form of a simple or rolling plan between carrier partners and agencies. So, plan the plan — and work the plan to deliver on a win-win-win for insureds, agencies and insurers. — Steve Discher, ReSource Pro
47. Invest in Professional Development. Encourage your team members to learn and grow. Offer training and growth opportunities to strengthen their skills, stay up on trends, and keep them motivated. Keep it fun and let team members choose the areas they want to focus on! — Erin Dwyer, Direct Connection Advertising & Marketing
48. Make It Personal. Using AI (artificial intelligence) can be an efficient and inexpensive way to generate consumer-facing blogs, white papers, newsletters and emails. But be sure to fact check and personalize AI-generated copy. Shape it to sound like your company voice and eliminate that generic, chatbot quality. Also, by making the copy your own, you’ll be staying on the right side of evolving copyright laws. — Ronimarie Acord, Aartrijk
49. Never Stop Learning. With changes happening at such a rapid pace in our world today, it is important to question most everything. Emerging risks, coverage restrictions, carrier insolvencies, new underwriting guidelines, new policy forms, new applications — read them, discuss them, question them, and be sure you can explain them to your clients with accuracy. Include real-world stories and examples of how new coverages or restrictions might apply to their personal or business situations. — Kitty Ambers, Wave Financial Partners Inc.
50. Build a “Partner Ecosystem.” Building a partner ecosystem is critical as cross collaboration fuels the most successful agencies/organizations. — Marc Flood, Crum & Forster
51. Use LinkedIn Ads. LinkedIn Ads is your ticket to targeted marketing where you can target specific demographics, industries and job titles. Create compelling ad campaigns that speak directly to your ideal clients, and watch the leads pour in. Drive traffic to your website, landing pages, or lead capture forms, and offer irresistible resources like eBooks or webinars that make prospects excited to share their contact information. — Hadie Mulvey, IMCA (Insurance Marketing and Communications Association)
52. Capitalize on AI. Recent improvements to AI content generators are astounding! Simply input a thought or idea into one of the many free, online options and watch the magic happen! Be sure to edit the content for accuracy, but this can be a huge time saver for web content, blogs, social posts, newsletters, etc. — Ashley Wingate, Smart Choice Agents
53. Piggyback Promotions. Team up with other local professionals on seminars and speakers on topics of interest to target groups such as new homeowners, new pet owners, new parents, seniors, boat owners, etc.
54. Do Your Homework. Don’t call on a business client without having an idea of who they are, what they do, their history, and how you might be able to help them. This goes for existing clients also. Know what has happened and how things and personnel have changed since the last time you met with them.
55. Focus on Your Distinction. Drill down on what really makes your brand different from the competitors in your space. Don’t get distracted with things like logos, taglines and websites — those tactical things come much later. Focus on your people and the unique value propositions that your team brings to the table every day. The things that make you uniquely you. Work with your leadership team to “discover” your unique brand-sauce. Then leverage that sauce in every aspect of your business. From hiring to firing and investing in all aspects of your business, your brand needs to always have a seat at the table and be central to the focus of your decision making. — Jim Flynn, ONEFIRE
56. CRM and AMS. Your Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) and Agency Management Software (AMS) are not the same thing. Most properly built and well-maintained CRMs have a $100,000-plus sales opportunity annually. By leveraging marketing automation, you can do win-back campaigns for churned business, or closed lost business by knowing when their policy is up for renewal. — Trent Warner, Strategic Brand Builders
57. Make the Message About Them. Connecting with your target audience cannot be about what you want to sell them. Your brand’s narrative will only resonate with your target audience if your message is about them — their pain points, motivations, unique needs, etc. Once you understand your target market, create messaging that connects your offerings to their needs. The magic happens here: You’re offering your customers what they want, that your competitors can’t. — Kathryn Smith, Jencap
58. Know the Blog Score. A third of respondents to a new Insurance Marketing & Communications Association survey do not blog, and 81% of those who do don’t allow comments as a way to listen to their customers. But blogging is more important than ever. It drives potential customers to your website. It humanizes your company. It answers your readers’ questions about insurance and establishes you as their expert. — Ronimarie Acord, Aartrijk
59. Race to Win. Sponsor a local road race, bed race, slow bike race and/or toboggan race in your community. Get businesses, municipal leaders, fire fighters, police, nonprofits, etc., to compete for prizes.
60. Think Blog-Based Marketing. To enhance your digital presence with a limited budget, make a blog the cornerstone of your marketing campaign. Most importantly, don’t sell. Inform! 1.) Determine what your target clients want to know but are afraid to ask. 2.) Answer one or several related questions in a blog posted to your website. 3.) Use blog snippets to build social media posts and emails, linking everything back to your website. 4.) Rinse and repeat. — Ronimarie Acord, Aartrijk
61. What Are You Learning? Even experienced insurance professionals need to keep advancing their knowledge year over year. Try picking a topic for the year. For me, in 2023, it has been artificial intelligence. I regularly put the term in a search engine and went through the results, subscribed to newsletters on the topic, and took 20-30 minutes each week to examine the information out there. — Charles Wasilewski, Aartrijk
62. Use the News. Use real local news, weather, and events to discuss risk management and insurance scenarios in your own blog or newsletter. Examples might be a business hit by a data breach, car thefts in the community, a canceled outdoor event, etc.
63. Save Time with ChatGPT. Using ChatGPT as a personal assistant is a real time saver! For example, it can make banner ads, update a Wufoo form, coordinate with the web team to get it published, ask for approval from the chief content officer on Asana, and then post this test submission in my voice — while I was playing Farmville all day!
64. Stay Connected. Connect with every person you meet in a day on LinkedIn before you go to sleep. Soon you’ll have a growing and more importantly, targeted, following! — Mindi Zissman, Zissman Media
65. Pickleball Mania. It’s the fastest growing sport and it’s getting a lot of attention and parti-
cipation. Think of ways to help and be involved. Create a central portal or place for scheduling matches, finding partners, creating teams, keeping scores and standings. Or even offer space for a court.
66. Stay in Touch. Stay in contact with clients regularly to build rapport and relationships. Don’t just make the sale, and never get back in contact with them to discuss life changes, additional needs, etc. Your agency can rely heavily on referral business for growth, if you’re making your existing client relationships a priority, and building trust and loyalty. — Paul Taylor, Smart Choice Agents
67. Ban Stock Photos. Reduce or eliminate stock art on your social sites and agency website. Customers and prospects know it’s all fake. Instead, proudly show your people in action at work and in the community. Demonstrating a positive culture builds excitement — and a stronger employment brand. — Peter van Aartrijk, Aartrijk
68. Be Intentional and Consistent on Social Media. Be active, engage with your connections, and become a valued
member of the community. Join industry groups, dive into discussions, and share your insights with the right audience at the right time. When you contribute and connect, you position yourself as a trusted advisor, and that’s when the magic happens. — Hadie Mulvey, IMCA
69. Homeowners Replacement Values. 1.) Run a replacement calculator, then add a 25% – 50% buffer to allow for higher true replacement costs … probably higher than their current Coverage A. 2.) Ask if they installed solar, if so, does their replacement cost account for the increased values? — Warren Wettenstein, Wettenstein Insurance & Financial Solutions
70. Agencies Are Marketing Organizations. Given the complexity of insurance agency operations, agency principals can sometimes lose sight of the fact that while it is important to have insurance knowledge — that is a means to an end. Insurance companies pay a commission to sell their products. That should serve as a reminder that insurance agencies are first and foremost marketing organizations, and that the other operational capabilities should be viewed in the context of their role in facilitating sales and service. Technical knowledge has its role, but the agency investing in social media and digital marketing will enjoy the growth that the technicians are missing out on. — Dave Evans, Aartrijk
71. A Star Is Born. Become the face and voice of your own agency in advertising. Do it well and it will promote credibility.
72. Listen and Deliver. Deliver on promises or own up to why you couldn’t. Honesty is the best policy and ethics are a must. If your client is not interested in either of these you shouldn’t be working for them. Listen, find common ground with prospective clients, and listen to their thoughts and needs, work on getting them what they need, and if it works, what they desire. — Brian Braden, Crum & Forster
73. Be Curious. What are your customers saying about you? What trends are your agents and brokers seeing? What is your claims department hearing? Check in frequently to stay current on how your brand is perceived and how you could be doing things differently to meet emerging needs. — Lawrie Bolger, Aartrijk
74. Have a Social Presence. Persistency and consistency along with sharing high value content specific to your prospect’s role, industry and risks over time are the keys to getting responses and generating first appointments. — Susan Toussaint, ReSource Pro
75. Hold a Newbie Party. Hold an annual party for new residents, families and businesses of your town so they can meet each other, and you.
76. Breathe Your Personality. Still don’t have a marketing-communications professional at your agency? This is a must-have to grow. Engage a local professional as a part-timer or consultant; they could be a community college student, return-to-work professional, or a consultant. You will create more buzz, referrals, leads, quotes and new business. Retention will improve. Your firm consistently must breathe its personality out in the marketplace. — Peter van Aartrijk, Aartrijk
77. Data Is King. Selling insurance is too important to do so in any manner or method that is not backed by science and academic research. If anyone shares and suggests a process or method with you, make certain to assess the scientific support. — Frank Pennachio, ReSource Pro
78. Keep a Negative Keyword List. If you’re running a paid ads campaign, make sure you’re properly maintaining a negative keyword list. Your negative keyword list tells Google (and/or Bing) keywords you don’t want to bid on. I’ve seen insurance brokerages trying to sell “renters insurance” bidding on “jet ski rentals” because they didn’t have a negative keyword list set up properly. — Trent Warner, Strategic Brand Builders
79. Ramp Up Referrals. Create and enforce a regular and consistent program of asking for referrals from new and existing customers.
80. Forget Cheap, Fast, Free. Remove keywords like “cheap,” “fast,” and “free” from your keyword lists and ad copy. People that convert on these keywords will shop out their insurance annually and tend to take the most time to service. — Trent Warner, Strategic Brand Builders
81. Walk the Talk. Spread the word on what a great career insurance is. As an industry we need to reach out to young people to let them know that insurance is vital to our economy, it’s stable and offers solid career advancement. Volunteer at a high school career night, look for speaking opportunities at colleges and in your community, and offer internships to students. — Lawrie Bolger, Aartrijk
82. Invest in Your Employees. The growth of individual employees means growth for the company as a whole. — Melissa Muirhead, Cavignac
83. Business Is Online. The idea of being a neighborhood business is gone. Business is now done online, and the most effective businesses online have figured out how to become brands. Insurance brokerages can become brands by having a clear and consistent message in everything that they do. — Trent Warner, Strategic Brand Builders
84. Know Your Customer. It may sound simple, but “know your customer”
remains relevant regardless of where you are in the sales cycle, or even lifecycle of your customer. Understanding their needs, their market, their channels allows marketers and sales folks to tailor the materials and offers. It also allows us to show that we understand their needs, which goes a long way to building trust and relevance for our products. — Hallie Harenski, Crum & Forster (and IMCA Board Member)
85. Warm the Tummy. Send prospects a box of cereal, a pizza or a box of cookies. Tell them you’d like to meet for breakfast, lunch or a break sometime.
86. Embrace AI. Let’s face it, artificial intelligence isn’t likely to disappear. Identifying opportunities to incorporate generative AI into marketing and communications strategies can create efficiencies and ignite creativity. Because ambiguity still exists related to whether content is protected, we should develop processes about how we use these tools to foster transparency and rules of engagement. Have fun with AI! And I did not use ChatGPT to create this tip. 🙂 — Natasha Suber, SCOR
87. Respond Quickly. Be able to say “No” faster. Understanding your client and their needs is “table stakes,” but speed can often make the difference. Even if you cannot serve the need this time, being responsive quickly shows you know your market well and that you care about the relationship, which can prove meaningful over the long term. — Hallie Harenski, Crum & Forster (and IMCA Board Member)
88. Increase Your Digital Footprint. In today’s tech-savvy world, increasing your digital footprint is crucial for expanding your reach and connecting with potential customers. One highly effective strategy is to leverage social media platforms to create a strong online presence. Regularly post valuable content that educates your audience about insurance-related topics, industry trends, and tips for better coverage. Engaging content helps build trust and positions your agency as an authority in the insurance domain. Incorporate eye-catching visuals like infographics, videos, and images in your posts. These multimedia elements grab attention and enhance the shareability of your content. — Victoria King, IAT Insurance Group
89. Have a Social Media Plan. Make sure you have a social media plan each month, and you’re updating them at least 2-3 times a week. The worst thing you can do is have social media pages with no activity. Content should be relatable, informative and encourage conversation and discussion. It is a powerful sales generator when you use it as an education platform and can help you have meaningful discussions with your clients. — Joe Fisher, Smart Choice
90. Target Relevance and Customer Needs. Sell only the products that are relevant and customer need-based, not pushing a product for profits. Concentrate highly on after sales services; make them available around the clock, as needed. — Unnikrishnan Nair P, UK Nair & Associates
91. Infuse Your Marketing with Personality. No one you’re marketing to, no matter what job title they hold or what industry they work in, likes to be bored. Humor is a great tool to use. It’s unexpected, especially in financial services, it entertains, it shows your human side, and it makes you memorable. Don’t be afraid to use it. — Amy Hourigan, HAI Group
92. It’s “You,” Not “We.” Avoid the most common marketing error by saying “you,” not “we.” Been in business a million years? Shape that info in a way the customer will care: “You get a million years of insurance expertise on your side.” Don’t say, “We offer homeowners insurance.” Instead say, “Protect your home.” Customers won’t care about you until they know you care about them. — Ronimarie Acord, Aartrijk
93. Get Familiar with LinkedIn Sales Navigator. It’s a powerful tool that helps you find your dream prospects and engage them with personalized messages or InMail. This tool has advanced search filters and lead recommendations to help identify and engage with prospects effectively. It’s like having a secret agent on your side, guiding you to potential clients who are a perfect fit for your insurance offerings. — Hadie Mulvey, IMCA
94. Think Dogs and Cats. Pet insurance is in demand. Get licensed and start selling it today. Sponsor or advertise in the local dog park, pet stores and vet offices.
95. “Re-learn” Proper Telephone Etiquette. Too often some people rely on text messaging and/or email to convey information. This can sometimes be misconstrued or misunderstood. Why create an “email trail” when a one- to two-minute conversation on the phone can provide an answer, solve a problem, further solidify a business relationship, and/or create good will. — Michael Farrington, Crum & Forster
96. Focus on the 20/80. Focus on the 20% of your clients that generate 80% of your revenue. Have them be on your agency council, have special events exclusively for them, e.g., advise on retaining employees and ask them regularly for referrals. These 20% of your clients will generate 80% of your new business over the next five years. They are the fuel for your agency’s future growth. Treat them royally! — Lynn Thomas, Thomas Consulting Inc.
97. Try Something New. “That’s the way we’ve always done it” is stunting your brand’s growth. It’s time to rival that complacency. As insurance marketers, it’s our job to bring new, non-traditional ideas to our industry. Invest time in learning about emerging and trending platforms like Threads and TikTok. While these avenues may not make sense for your brand — their styles in content delivery, like short-form video, might be suitable in other communication channels that work for you. — Taylor Evans, IAT Insurance Group
98. Leverage Your LinkedIn Presence. By leveraging your LinkedIn presence, you can build meaningful connections, drive sales, and forge valuable partnerships with agents, brokers and markets alike. Every day for the past year, our workers’ compensation wholesale brokerage shared insightful and educational content, industry news, and success stories. As a result, we positioned ourselves as a thought leaders in workers’ comp and established industry-wide credibility. If you leverage your LinkedIn presence and take advantage of this free social media platform, it will be a game-
changer for your wholesale brokerage, too. — Connor Thomson, Associated Specialty Insurance Agency Inc.
99. Nurture Relationships. Relationships are at the foundation of our business, and learning, understanding, and applying interpersonal relationship skills can be steppingstones to successful relationships — with clients, co-workers and prospects. In 2023, these are not “new” ideas, but in the age of apps, APIs and automations, it can be easy to let these basic, interpersonal or relationship building skills fall to the wayside. It requires a strong mindset, a commitment to people, and discipline to keep these “soft skills” sharp and not allow our technology to replace the thing that sets us apart — our ability to build and nurture our client relationships. — Nicole Wilson, PAC Insurance Group
100. Build Media Relationships
at Conferences. Conferences present great opportunities to build valuable relationships with industry media. Attend industry events and set up meetings with trade reporters so they can get to know the broad strokes of what you offer and you can better understand the topics they want to cover. When the reporter needs a source for an article, your company will now be top of mind. — Rod Hughes, Kimball Hughes Public Relations
101. Data Usage vs. Data Ownership. Know the difference between data usage and data ownership! The most valuable asset an agency has is their customer data. Don’t unwittingly give away your greatest asset. With the proliferation and ease of data sharing, agencies must understand the rights to data usage and data ownership agreed to in terms/privacy policies with each vendor. Don’t retain ownership but sign away unexpected data usage rights that may extend even after partnerships end. — Kiki Johnson, Insurance Agent App
Topics Agencies
Was this article valuable?
Thank you! Please tell us what we can do to improve this article.
Thank you! % of people found this article valuable. Please tell us what you liked about it.
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Get automatic alerts for this topic.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
*
*
101 Sales, Marketing & Agency Management Ideas – Insurance Journal
