In the competitive insurance industry, buyers are aware they can get similar offerings from other companies. But what they can’t get from just anyone is the personal sales experience created by an agent. Put simply, the agent is the primary differentiator in most insurance purchases today. This means agents have almost complete control of their own destinies. Successful agents analyze their sales processes and brainstorm ways to make them more customer friendly.

 

In this article, we ask two agents, Bea Guzman and Kyle Jeppesen, to share their unique sales processes. Bea has been a Twin Falls for over five years, and Kyle has been a Farm Bureau agent in St. Anthony for 37 years.

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BEA GUZMAN

“I don’t consider myself a success,” Bea says when asked about the secrets to her success. “Not yet anyway!” But she does have some definite ideas about what it takes to become a successful agent.

 

“The number one thing is to be available. When Scott [Badger] says ‘get out there’ he’s right. You always need to be out there because you need the visibility. Out of sight means out of mind. If you’re not in front of your market all the time you can’t succeed. You can be busy at the office but you can be busy doing nothing. It’s easy to hide.”

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Bea also swears by two tips she learned at a sales seminar. “The first was you should never eat alone. You want to spend your lunches with people of influence. The second was to ‘always be in the green’. This means that if you’re not doing something to generate income, then you’re not doing anything.”

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Bea also goes beyond the company’s referral program to reward referral partners who help her. “I bring treats to my business referral partners. It’s often difficult to get past gatekeepers unless you come bearing gifts.”

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Bea visited all of her business referral partners three times last year, bringing each a Perkin’s pie. Included with the pies were a “Thank You” card and Bea’s business card. “You have to take care of the people who bring you business. They’ll remember you if you do.” Bea also responds right away to any requests from these partners. “If a bank calls and needs something from me – for example they might need a binder – I’ll turn the car around and take care of it right then.”

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Another way Bea takes care of her customers is by calling them at their renewal. “If I don’t have a good phone number for a client, I’ll send them a Facebook message thanking them for their business and asking them to call me regarding their renewal.” 

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Participating in local events that her business clients are involved with is also crucial to Bea’s success. “You need to say yes to any of these community or charitable events. It helps with your networking and name recognition.” Among the many events Bea has co-sponsored with her business accounts include local golf tournaments, Chamber of Commerce events, the Kimberly Days parade, and the Hansen days parade. “I always get business out of these events,” she says. Bea also plans to join and support the local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce when it opens.

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Last September, Bea put on her second annual “Fiesta De Appreciation Al Cliente”, an appreciation picnic and party for her customers. The fiesta featured food, music, games, face painting, and prize drawings. “I began planning the party in January. Every paycheck, I put away money for the party.” At some point during the event Bea takes up the mic to personally thank attendees for their business. “This is also an opportunity to interact with my customers and tell them what I do for them. They don’t know what you do for them unless you tell them.”

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Bea has also used paid advertising to good effect. “You cannot market on a budget. More specifically, you can’t have a shoestring budget and expect to succeed. You need to pay. I’ve paid for marketing and advertising and it has paid for me. Radio advertising has definitely helped me grow my business and build my name recognition. It’s working in part because it includes my phone number. When you advertise on the radio in Spanish, your audience expects a phone number.”

 

Bea also stresses meeting with clients face to face. “DocuSign is convenient but it has taken away something. You don’t see the customer anymore.” Bea recently added a client via DocuSign but never met her until she participated in the Hansen Days parade. “This lady saw my banner at the event and she was so happy to see me. It’s so nice to meet clients in person. Finally meeting this client in person was awesome. Clients need to know you’re just like them. Meeting them outside of work helps with this. You look different outside of work. You’re a real person, you’re more accessible to them.”

 

Bea has turned taking new photos for policies into another opportunity to meet clients. ”I love it when we need new photos. I take my husband and we go out in the mornings, evenings, or weekends to get pictures. My husband can talk to the men and together we can make a real connection with the clients. Sometimes we’ll talk forever. Sometimes they’ll ask us to join them for dinner or invite us to parties.” Many of Bea’s clients have become good friends. “I have one client my husband and I always visit when we swing by Hagerman.”

 

Once Bea has established a relationship with a client she nurtures it. “I try not to take any of these relationships for granted because it’s easy for someone else to solicit them. If I know a client is sick or suffered a loss or tragedy, I’ll send them a sympathy card. It’s all about taking care of your customers and the people who refer you. I need to bring it and let them know only I can take care of them.”

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KYLE JEPPESEN

“For me,” Kyle says when asked what it takes to be a successful agent, “it’s all about personal service. I go out to peoples’ houses. If people have to come to the office to see an agent, that could hurt the agent’s business.”

 

Kyle’s summarizes his approach to sales success with two guiding principles. “Overall, the number one thing I do is take care of clients. If you take care of your clients, they’ll take care of you. The second thing is to not worry about the money. Do what’s best for the clients and success will follow. For example, I’ve had many instances where I didn’t write a prospect because we weren’t competitive. But I was honest about the coverage they needed and helped them understand their options. I’ve had several of these prospects come back to me years later and become clients because of that initial meeting where I did what was in their best interests.”

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Cross-selling is a big part of Kyle’s success. ”We sell everything, so why would you just sell one line or product? When you can sell a client on multiple lines, you have an opportunity to get to know that person and develop a relationship with them. You can’t do that by sitting in front of a computer. Plus, the Brokerage Company is very competitive and helps me sell everything. I’m in the Top Ten for almost every product from Personal Premium to Finance Loans. This ability to cross-sell is key. If you can insure all a client’s stuff, they’re less likely to leave. I’ve had clients who have stayed with me despite rate increases because I took care of all their insurance needs.”

 

The company’s "Refer A Friend" referral program also figures into Kyle’s success strategy. “I’m a big believer in our referral program,” Kyle says. “It’s helped me cultivate lots of centers of influence. If someone is referred to me by someone they trust, the referral doesn’t care if I’m $200 to $300 more than the competition. I can still write the business because of the referral. I think a lot of agents aren’t taking advantage of the referral program like they could and they’re hurting themselves. The $25 gift card makes a difference. If it helps a couple go out to dinner one night, they’re going to remember you and appreciate the sentiment. You’re missing the boat if you’re not using the program and sending the cards.”

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Kyle uses his marketing budget for sponsoring local community events and charitable causes. “If a client has a kid who’s a cheerleader, in sports, or something like Junior Miss, I’ll give them money to help them out. For 4-H, I’ll go through the list of names and give $50 to each clients’ kid who has an animal.”

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Kyle’s final piece of advice centers on reputation management. “You’re going to build a reputation one way or the other. We’re in the people business. So your reputation depends on your ability to deliver personal service.”

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MARKETING TOOLS

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