The ever-changing nature of the individual health insurance industry makes it essential to offer anticipatory customer service to your clients – and the best way to provide this is to offer constant contact. The insurance business is complex, and we as producers must make sure we know about, and help address, any challenges our clients may be facing.
If you're in the group market and hoping to improve your sales or start building a business in individual sales – or if you're focused on individual and want to boost your retention there – you can work on building your relationships with individual consumers. From there, the business is likely to follow.
Improving your reputation
Relationships and personal experiences are a key consideration in the decisions each of us make every day. Think about it: Why did you decide to purchase that particular camera? Why do you shop at your favorite store? Were you referred by a friend? Did you find a good recommendation online from others who'd made a similar purchasing decision?
Sure, today's consumers still seek quantitative information such as rankings and direct costs before making purchasing decisions about a variety of products, including health insurance policies. But they will also look for qualitative insights from others, such as other customer experiences. Marketing strategies that used to be standard – such as eye-catching advertisements or brochures or cold-calling – just don't pull in customers like they used to.
This rings especially true in the insurance industry. It can take a careful balancing act to reach consumers in a way that doesn't make them feel pushed into a decision. Agents need to own their relationships while making sure they are available and prepared when prospects have questions or need guidance.
Serving the individual market requires you to be someone who clients can talk to, and health insurance agents often find themselves wearing the consultant hat, among many others. In many ways, we must become advocates of the individual consumer, just as we are for our employer clients. Interest in voluntary benefits is increasing, and we need to provide the products and services our customers want and need, in turn building stronger relationships intertwined with a mutual trust.
