If you’ve just started an insurance agency, you are in a great place to begin building it. In spite of concerns about getting settled, making enough revenue, and attracting new clients, you have begun the job of building your business; now, all you need are some building blocks to make it stronger, more attractive for clients and more defensible against competitors. Let’s get started!
First, you’ll want to acknowledge your leadership in the agency. It can be intimidating to start your own agency; however, use your leadership skills to announce a weekly stand-up meeting for 10 minutes, where you and your staff team will discuss new growth, concerns, and solutions for each. Build relationships in a positive way with your staff and they’ll appreciate your efforts in the long haul.
Second, reach out to potential clients. Use a variety of small amenities to help clients remember you and your agency. Attend local receptions and events. Join community groups. Indicate your willingness to help with local charitable events. Putting yourself into the middle of the community announces to everyone that you are there to stay, not to build, sell, and leave. Other ways you can encourage potential clients include:
- Offer branded free laminated emergency phone number cards.
- Offer branded mini flashlights to local girl and boy scouts or other outdoor groups
- Offer local guide booklets, each wrapped with a belly band that has your agency ad on it
- Give away a free manicure each month to one lucky potential client and give away one free haircut to one lucky potential client.
- Use a coffee shop or main town restaurant to collect business cards for the drawings for all free items and contact everyone who placed a card in a collection box.
- As an agency, enter a local parade and design a small float for all employees to ride on or walk nearby
- Attend a different church or religious gathering each week to meet people and let them know you are setting up your agency in their neighborhood.
These ideas are simple, but they demonstrate how easily you can build the blocks of respect and integrity by getting to know your agency neighbors. They’d depend on you if you gave them a moment to do so.
Third, create your method of delivery to reach new clients: produce video clips to use on any platform and infuse each with a bit of humor. You can video yourself speaking using a light stand and a clip holder for your smartphone–it’s that easy. Upload it to your email and you’ll be able to send it out or display it on a table for events or community dinners. Don’t be shy about using humor to introduce yourself in videos; people respond very well to humor.
Fourth, bundle your online marketing. It can be difficult to prepare and package your online content, announcements, strategies, and other callouts to several different outlets. Use one source for all areas, and push them together to an online service center for insurance agencies. You can include your PPC content, as well as free articles or blogs.
Fifth, start putting together your business plan. If you don’t yet have an insurance business plan use the one provided here as a comprehensive guide. Inside this business plan, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for making your mission and objectives statements, financial projections, marketing strategies, operational plans, and other plans for setting up a successful insurance agency.
Sixth, become a speaker at community and school events. There are multiple opportunities to serve in any community; become involved in an area of interest that interests you and builds credibility for you. For example, become a volunteer fireman and speak about fire safety to schools. Or, if you’d rather not climb ladders or inhale smoke, become an advocate for a prenatal care unit at the hospital and advocate for knitted items and blankets. Choose your volunteer activity and become a speaker on behalf of those you care for.
Seventh, this probably goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: join your area Chamber of Commerce. This nonprofit group does more for communities than any other and offers a wealth of business associates you can meet. Don’t put off joining this group.
After placing these building blocks onto your new insurance agency, you’ll certainly have more clients, more interest in your local area, and more attention coming your way. Enjoy!
