It's been said that image is everything. For today's independent agents fighting to survive in a market bursting at the seams with competition, image can be the differentiator that brings customers in the door and keeps clients on the books.
It's been said that image is everything. For today's independent agents fighting to survive in a market bursting at the seams with competition, image can be the differentiator that brings customers in the door and keeps clients on the books.
Unfortunately, there's no one single image that's guaranteed to bring success to the independent agent. Effective images are as varied as the people in this industry. The image that helps your organization succeed may do little to help the next guy stay afloat. So the first step in developing and maintaining an image that works for you is to decide what kind of feeling about your agency you want to convey to clients and prospects.
Whether you want to be viewed as a service leader; a technology-driven, cutting-edge company; a local business and home-town agent; or something entirely different, the choice is yours. It's a matter of seeing what you have to work with in terms of your strengths, your competition and what's important to your target customers.
Regardless of the particular image you want to convey, it's important to make sure everything you do supports that image. Most people tend to think that image is simply a matter of advertising, logos and the like. While these are certainly important, in reality every area of your organization that touches the customer can have a profound impact on how you're perceived in the marketplace. Consequently, there are a number of areas you should look at closely to see if they uphold your desired image. The major areas covered here offer a good starting point.
Your office environment
It's human nature for people to make judgments based on what they understand. That is, the things they see, feel and hear. This is especially true of insurance, where the nuances of coverages and the often indecipherable jargon of the industry can leave buyers searching for something familiar to base their decisions on.
Your building and offices play important roles in the image-building process. While a lot of your customers may never set foot inside your building, many will drive by at one time or another. If your building is well maintained and the grounds are nicely landscaped, consumers and prospects will be inclined to form a positive opinion of your organization as they pass by.
For those clients who do come inside, all too often the experience gets off to a poor start. Many agencies keep visitors away from the people part of the business. Visitors are either ushered into a small, isolated conference room or made to wait behind a glass partition in the entrance area. This approach does little to welcome visitors. In fact, it makes them feel detached from the agency, which is obviously a feeling you don't ever want to foster (especially during the initial visit).
If visitors do get the opportunity to tour your offices, the last things you want them to find are clutter and disorganization. A cluttered office makes it look like your people don't have their act together. After all, who wants his or her claim form floating around in a seemingly endless sea of unrelated paperwork?
Whatever image you are trying to create, your offices should look the part. If you're striving for that home-town feel, for example, an extremely comfortable waiting area and fresh coffee will help foster the image, as will a window display of community projects such as children's artwork. If the high-tech image is more your style, a computer in the waiting area that gives visitors access to your Web site and other insurance information on the Internet will surely help.
The appearance of your people
The way your people dress is a critical factor in the image your organization exudes. Now that casual dress is becoming the rule rather than the exception, appearance has become a greater challenge. A few years ago, when everyone still wore a dress or suit to the office, things were relatively simple. How bad could you look in formal business attire anyway? But now everything's changed.
If your agency has a casual dress code, it's important to maintain a "business casual" look. Definitions of this style differ depending on what region of the country you are in; but unless you work in a resort area or somewhere that has extremely casual dress standards, warm-up suits and golf shirts aren't appropriate. Since the way agency principals dress generally serves as an indication to the entire staff as to what's acceptable, it may be up to you to set the tone for the office.
Your printed materials
It used to be that image-conscious agencies would invest a significant amount of time and resources making sure their letterhead was well designed and professional looking. While it's still important for your letterhead to look good and uphold your image, the growing use of other communications methods has given rise to additional issues in need of consideration.
For example, at many agencies, faxes have taken the place of letters for routine correspondence. Since the fax is in effect the letterhead of today's business world, your fax form must do its part to convey your agency's image. At the very least it should include your logo and slogan. If possible it should also incorporate other elements that reinforce your image. What's more, fax messages should be typed whenever possible. A typed note is not only easier to read than handwriting, it's much more professional and sends a clear message about the kind of agency you run.
Proposals are another critical part of the image you create. When you are dealing with commercial lines prospects, how you present proposals can be a major factor in whether or not you win the business.
To begin with, your proposals should be well organized and easy to get through. You don't want to make prospects work to get to the information you are presenting. It should flow in a clear and logical order. It also should be written in everyday business language as opposed to "insurance-speak." The last thing you want is for your proposal to sound like an insurance policy.
When all is said and done, proposals should be compelling reasons for prospects to do business with you. By their appearance, style and content, they can show prospects what it will be like to do business with your organization.
When it comes to personal lines, the way you present your quote and the description of the services you're offering can leave an indelible impression on prospects. As with commercial lines proposals, the information should be easy for prospects to get through and be void of insurance jargon wherever possible. Here again the fact that most people don't understand insurance comes into play. Make quotes easy to read and understand, and you'll have a much better chance of winning the business.
Your voice mail system
Telephone answering systems and voice mail can be make-or-break factors when it comes to conveying your image. Not all electronic answering systems are created equal. Some do an excellent job of routing callers to the appropriate area, while others bog people down with useless information.
If your agency's system makes people listen to a variety of messages and wade through a litany of choices, your image probably is suffering as a result. The best way to remedy the situation is to give people the choices they're looking for right off the bat. Don't make them listen to information or choices that would interest only a minority of callers. Getting them to the person or department they're trying to reach as quickly and painlessly as possible is guaranteed to help your organization's image.
With answering systems and individual voice mail, it's especially important to have a friendly, enthusiastic voice on the recorded message. Nothing can turn prospects off more quickly than a lethargic greeting every time they call. Whether it's your main message or each employee's voice mail, the greeting that callers reach helps mold the image they form of your agency, and for that reason must be well done.
Another critical aspect of voice mail is how quickly you and your people respond to messages. Responding as soon as possible can do wonders for your image, not to mention your overall business. Drag your heels, on the other hand, and voice mail will end up hurting you much more than it helps.
The gifts you give
One often-overlooked aspect of image building can be found in gift giving. From time to time, virtually every agency gives gifts of some sort to clients. Whether it's for the holidays or some other special occasion, the gifts you give can and should support your image.
Case in point, as a marketing and advertising firm that works exclusively in the insurance industry, we are often invited to our clients' open houses when they move to new offices or reach business milestones. Our image is that of a client-focused service company, and the services we sell are built around creativity. For those reasons, we make a point of giving something other than the ubiquitous plant when we attend these affairs. We strive to come up with gifts that show our creativity and reflect our knowledge of the client's interests. To date this approach has helped drive home our image on a number of occasions.
Image building doesn't happen overnight. It takes years of hard work and commitment to create the image of your choice among clients and prospects. When each point where your business touches the customer is in line with the image you're trying to project, you'll be well on your way to achieving your goal. *
The author
Kimberly Paterson has been providing marketing and communications services for independent agents and insurance companies for more than 20 years. In that time, she has worked with agents and brokers in all facets of marketing, from developing communications programs and research initiatives to designing advertising campaigns and promotional materials. Her Red Bank, New Jersey, marketing communications firm, Creative Insurance Marketing Company, combines marketing and research/analysis with creative advertising services exclusively for the insurance industry.She can be reached at cimco@compuserve.com
©COPYRIGHT: The Rough Notes Magazine, 1998