Does Your Agency Have Employees or Brand Ambassadors?

Insurance is a fantastically fabulous industry. Agents sell a product that everyone must purchase, and there is a defined date to purchase by. For us in the insurance industry, we may feel that what we do is boring, we aren’t valued and all anyone cares about is price. In order to thrive we need to shake off that mindset and embrace a new way of thinking, one where a friendly and convenient relationship means more than saving a few bucks. Think about it—Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have mass fan appeal; people spend more and drive farther to seek them out. Grapes may be more expensive there but if I am going to spend 45 minutes every week and $150 of my hard earned money, then I want to enjoy the experience.

All too often we find that agencies have employees, not brand ambassadors. Employees treat their position as a J-O-B. Check in, check out, handle transactions and become a victim to the price game. In many instances the employee may not even have their insurance with the agency. Take a quick assessment. How many of your team members have insurance with you? Next, look at what limits they have. Do they invest in the protection of an umbrella? It’s very difficult to sell something you personally don’t believe in. Take another look; do they shop their insurance every year?

Employees alone won’t assist your agency in the modern challenges facing us today. They often care more about the transaction than the experience. If you have employees, then you may have heard these phrases before:

• I’m too busy
• I don’t want to be included in agency marketing and social media
• I’m not answering the phone saying “It’s a great day at…”
• Customers only care about price
• No one wants to be spammed by us

If you have employees, you may be able to add a few more comments to that list. The problem is sometimes employees are a wealth of insurance knowledge. However, they may lack sales expertise or a team mentality.

Let’s flip the coin and talk about brand ambassadors. Brand ambassadors are actively talking about your agency to everyone they know. Many times their family and friends are insured with your agency. They enjoy what they do and want to serve their network by being their agent. They know someone is best served by them so they actively seek people to come to your agency even if it’s only within their network. They enjoy participating in growth activities; they may have even asked to wear branded material. There is a sense of pride in what they do and in working for your agency.

Everyone knows at least 50 people between friends, family and community. I would venture today with social media we can push that number to 100 people. All of those people have to purchase insurance. What stops employees from inviting their peers to join your agency? Well, then they have to quote it and what if there is a problem? Or they have a bad experience? It’s almost like inviting friends and family to be a part of your agency is a huge hassle.

As an agency owner, which do you think is more valuable to you over the long run? A brand ambassador or insurance encyclopedia? I can tell you but I’ll let you make that assessment. So how do you attract and find these brand ambassadors? You have to look for people with a spark. The type of people who have passion for whatever they are doing, whether it’s working at Starbucks or bagging groceries. Don’t be afraid to set the standard in your business. If there are people who don’t want to participate in marketing activities, make sure all new hires do and that’s a contingency to hire. Find your standards and stick with them. Remember, it’s your business and you get to pick who represents it.