From “Let Me Provide a Quote” to Trusted Advisor: Building Trust Early in Your Agency
With scores of new agents earning their property/casualty or their health insurance license this year, struggling to get a foothold in the industry can be a challenge. New property/casualty and health insurance agents often struggle to gain traction early in their careers, but they do not need decades of experience to earn client trust. Curiosity, persistence, honesty, follow-through, and a clear process can help clients feel heard and protected. Even if you are new to the industry, you can begin building your reputation as a trusted advisor.
While you’ll face many challenges as a less experienced agent, you can build trust and deliver excellent service and coverage if you follow some of the tips in this article. With traits like assertiveness, attention to detail, a stick-to-it attitude, an ability to sense when something doesn’t add up and a solid process (which your agency should provide through a detailed procedures manual and mentorship), you will soon gain confidence and develop your reputation of a trusted resource.
The Initial Challenges You May Face
Many new agents feel pressure to prove themselves during their first few years on the job. You will probably be no exception. Know this — there is no harm in saying, “I’m not sure but I’ll find out and get back to you.” You won’t have all the answers to every question. However, those of us with decades in the industry don’t have them all, either, so don’t worry if you cannot immediately provide an answer. Never guess or assume; take the time to research before you answer.
Position “I’ll find out” as a strength, not a weakness. Saying something like: “I have a colleague who’s more experienced with this type of issue, so let me ask them and get back to you by tomorrow.”
Next, finding clients is difficult. If you’re working at an agency that doesn’t provide leads, we recommend you immediately take some sales training courses. Your state Big “I” should have some sales training resources for you. If you haven’t found a job yet, I highly recommend you not begin with a commission-only position. Many agents who take commission-only jobs early in their career end up quitting. Find an agency that will provide training and either provide leads or help you develop leads. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve met people in service jobs who’ve told me, “I used to have my agent’s license,” but they left the industry before they could get a foothold.
The truth of expertise early in your career is this: It’s not how much you know; it’s how you find the answers and follow-through and then guide the conversation with your prospect that counts.
Redefine the Role: From Quoter to Risk Advisor
Do you know how many times I’ve asked for a quote for anything from gutters to blinds, then never had the salesperson follow up after providing a quote? When that happens, most of the time I find another vendor. If your customer is not important enough to follow up with, they will almost certainly find an agent who feels they are.
There is a significant difference between providing a quote and helping your client make an educated coverage decision. That is your job. Many insurance shoppers, especially in personal lines, shop online and may choose the lowest price. This is where your expertise, even if you are new, can help.
The first step is to conduct a solid client survey. What are their risks? This includes the basic questions on home details, including construction, square footage, age of the roof, and many other questions. If your agency has a solid coverage checklist for personal lines, start there.
If you’re a Big “I” member, visit this link for several personal lines checklists. These lists are not necessarily all-inclusive, but they are a particularly good place to begin. Issues like a dog breed known to frequently be aggressive, a swimming pool, a trampoline, a high-performance automobile, these add complexity to any personal lines risk.
Additionally, knowing the coverage limits your client should purchase can be challenging. We can’t suggest limits in the event they are inadequate. We can, however, ask questions, such as “What is the most amount of liability you’d want to face without insurance?” “Do you think, in today’s world, a $1 million limit is enough?” Questions like that allow your client to ponder these questions.
Additionally, I recommend you always offer an umbrella policy and a flood policy. Even if your client doesn’t live in a flood zone, today’s changing weather patterns can put many homeowners at risk who don’t live in flood zones, especially if they live near wildland-urban interface regions that may have experienced wildfires.
If you’re working with commercial lines clients, work closely with your mentor to ensure you’re covering all the basics. Very often, one of your homeowners will call and say, “I just started a home-based business,” and you reflexively believe a businessowners policy will cover all their risks. There are many other issues with start-up businesses, which may require workers’ compensation coverage with only one part-time employee in some states such as Arizona, or professional liability if they provide professional advice.
The better questions you ask your potential client, the stronger the coverage offerings will be.
Be Curious, Not Overly Confident
While you must act confident, you don’t know what you don’t know. These tips can help you offer the most appropriate coverage for the client.
- Ask open-ended questions that get your client talking. For example, if they have a pet, ask, “Where did you get your dog, and what breed is the dog?” Don’t rely on “Do you have a dog?” and then move on with a simple yes or no.
- At each renewal, ask clients about lifestyle changes that could affect their risk profile, such as marriage, divorce, separation, a newly licensed teen driver, home renovations, or roof replacement.
Thoughtful questions show professionalism, especially if you are newly licensed or working in a new line of business.
Be Honest About What You Know—and What You Need to Confirm
- Use language that assures your clients, such as: “That’s an important question. I want to verify the answer before I advise you.”
- Guessing then later having to correct yourself can damage trust and may increase your E&O exposure.
- When in doubt, consult with senior colleagues, underwriters, carrier resources and read the policy forms before responding.
- Don’t rely solely on generative artificial intelligence. If you do an AI search, click on the referenced article and read the original. AI can distort or create “hallucinations” that, if quoted verbatim, can be incorrect. If you use AI, always drill down and read the referenced articles.
Use a Consistent Process to Create Confidence
Here is a simple checklist for customer contact, in addition to any new client procedures in your agency’s procedures manual.
- Prepare for the call. Have your system open or paper and pen. Don’t use sticky notes.
- Discuss. Ask your clients if it’s a convenient time to talk. Don’t make the mistake I sometimes do of assuming that you’re not interrupting them. You want their full attention.
- Discuss available coverages, focusing on coverage benefits, not price.
- Recommend appropriate coverages, even if they’re only wanting a quote on one line of business. Recommending an umbrella policy on any policy today is a solid habit to get into, as is offering flood insurance on any property policy you quote.
- Document your conversation carefully, including other lines of coverage you may have offered.
- Follow up by email and include a note regarding all the lines of coverage you offered. If your agency has a proposal template, always use it to send written confirmation of your quote. If they’ve declined a flood insurance quote, for example, use standard template language such as, “If you would like a quote in the future for ________________ coverage, just reach out to us.” This puts the responsibility back on them for asking for a possibly much-needed coverage.
- Give your client at least 24 hours to review your quotes. Then, follow up. Following up is critical for two reasons. 1) It shows you want to provide excellent service and 2) it allows them to ask any questions regarding the quote or other issues they may have considered after talking to you.
Your procedures manual should outline much of this process, but these seven steps can help you build confidence and explore your client’s needs.
Even if your process sometimes annoys clients who may feel that insurance is a “bottom-line” purchase, it’s up to you to build value in the coverage you sell and the services you offer.
Explain Coverage in Plain Language
If possible, explain coverage using examples. “For example, with this policy, you may have coverage for a dog incident such as your dog tripping someone at the dog park without a sub-limit or exclusion many other carriers may place on their coverage.”
Explain any deductibles, exclusions, policy limits, any roof schedules and the importance of valuation regarding coinsurance. Don’t make it too complex, however. Just provide some insight into the terms they’re likely to see if they were to read their policies.
Clear examples build trust faster than technical jargon ever will.
Follow Up Faster Than Expected
Your responsiveness may matter more than your explanations. Everyone wants to feel like their business is important to the businesses they patronize.
Offer clear timelines: “I’ll get back to you by Thursday afternoon.”
And keep a diary on your quotes so that you remember to follow up with potential clients. Don’t rely on your memory; use the diary system available in your agency management system or whichever diary system you prefer.
Know When to Ask for Help
It’s natural to encounter issues that you feel are beyond your expertise. If you feel like you’re floundering, ask senior producers, your mentor, or account managers for help. Knowing that a knowledgeable team stands beside you can build consumer confidence.
Use wording like, “I’d like to bring in my colleague who specializes in this area so we can offer you the best guidance.”
Avoid These Errors
Don’t guess if you’re unsure. Get back to the client once you are comfortable with providing the answers you’ve been given by senior staffers.
Focus on the carrier’s and agency’s value and coverage, including stellar claims handling. Insurance is a valuable tool in the client’s financial arsenal, so remind them that when they have a claim, they want a carrier responding promptly and fairly.
Document even casual conversations. Sometimes insureds aren’t clear enough when they talk to you in what they want. They may call in for a quote on a new vehicle they may purchase, then believe that phone call means you bound coverage. Always stress “We won’t add the coverage for you until we hear back.”
Build Trust Through Behaviors and Consistency
If you’re a newly licensed agent or moving to a new agency, you must build trust with new clients.
Ask good questions, soliciting full responses by asking open-ended questions, explaining terms clearly and following up as promised, and you will begin to build your reputation as a trusted advisor.
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