Can Selling And Customer Service Coexist?
Traditional insurance “selling” has not always gone hand in hand with good customer service. Traditional insurance selling often consists of a sales person trying to convince a buyer of the benefits of the product he/she is selling. Conversely, good customer service involves determining the customer’s needs and concerns first, and then determining how to best provide solutions. The difference is in the mindset of the sales professional. You can actually provide good customer service while “selling” if you view selling as offering a value added service to your customer. This starts with how the sales professional views the process.
If you are looking for something different in the insurance buying process, evaluate your next insurance meeting using these standards.
- Does your agent ask questions to determine your needs and concerns?
- How fast does the agent offer insurance products as the only solution, if it in the first 15 minutes you have a traditional insurance sales person.
- Do you feel your agent knows and understands your business and industry?
- Has your agent ever offered a non-insurance solution such as a contractual risk transfer?
We would encourage you to establish a set of standards by which you evaluate your insurance provider. Do they value relationships, do your values line up together and do they value the relationship? If you can answer these, you are on your way to developing a trusted partner.
