How to Improve the Client Experience

These days, clients look for more than a great product; they want an experience. To grow your agency, you need to improve the client experience.

While many agencies provide a similar product to you, you can make yourself stand out by making the experience more personal. Clients are looking to support a company that shares their values. Personalizing the insurance buying experience allows you to connect with clients in a way that captive agents can't.

Selling insurance on value, not price

As an independent agent, you have the freedom to focus on your clients' needs, not the needs of the insurance providers. What sets you apart from a captive agent is the ability to offer multiple options, and to sell on value, not price. When you focus on the value, it lets you tailor the insurance to each client's lifestyle. The better you understand your client, the more personal the experience will be, and the more valued the client will feel.

Independent agents have the luxury to sell insurance on value and not price because of multiple carrier access. Independent agents can show loyalty to the client, not the insurance company. Loyalty is key in great client relations, as well as retention.

The client/agent relationship should be a two-way street

Starting as an independent agent means building a client base from the ground up. You may be tempted to sign every client. You want to have a service that attracts clients, but not every client is equally valuable to an agency. It's a reality that may sound harsh, but it's something you always have to keep in mind when you are approached by, or courting, a prospect.

The more you know about your client from their lifestyle, family, business, hopes, and dreams, the easier it will be to sell multiple policies. We're not saying you need to push every policy at once. If a prospect approached you about home insurance, focus on that, but take a minute to evaluate the client and what they can bring to your agency. Ask not (only) what value you offer your client, but what value your client can provide your agency.

Affordable American Insurance (AAI) is a group of independent insurance agencies working together to provide our clients with the best possible experience. If you have questions about any of our services, please be sure to contact us.