Finding and converting prospects is critical to success in the life insurance industry. Despite this, prospecting is often the most difficult and time-intensive part of the sales process. With more than 40 percent of Americans not having any form of life insurance, the market is out there. In addition, today’s marketing and sales tools make it possible to instantly connect with qualified life insurance prospects.
Knowing which marketing + tech tools will actually help you find prospects is the challenging part.
We’ve compiled some of the most effective ways to convert new clients and build your own referral machine.
Digital Marketing
There’s no doubt that face-to-face interactions are being supplanted by digital experiences in the life insurance industry. In fact, more than 9 in 10 new life insurance sales are now projected to be influenced by digital interaction. Digital interaction can mean Google searches, comparing different agencies’ websites, or handling their life insurance policy through an online platform.
Life insurance advisors should consider the following digital tactics:
- Website: Your insurance website is the hub of your brand and often the way your clients interact with your business. And let’s just say prospective clients are definitely judging a book by its cover. Your website should have high-quality imagery and educational content and be optimized for page speed. Lastly, your website also needs to be mobile-friendly as the vast majority of web traffic now comes from mobile devices.
- Social Media & Email Marketing: These content-driven tactics allow you to connect with prospective clients and keep your current ones engaged. Social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn are an excellent way to build trust through thought leadership, genuine content, and real-time interaction.
- SEO & Targeted Display: When people are searching for a life insurance agent, Google is likely the first place they look. Being at the top of the search results is key to building awareness and gaining new prospects. The most effective strategy is to combine organic tactics, like an SEO-rich blog, with paid search or display ads.
Sales
While digital methods must be a focus for advisors in 2020, traditional sales are not out the window. Many people still value a personal relationship with their life insurance advisor. While digital marketing may generate leads, most closings will still happen in person.
Consistency is key when it comes to sales success. However, you don’t want to consistently be doing something that’s a waste of time. One of the best ways to determine the right sales strategy is to complete an audit. Evaluate your past tactics, and think about what resulted in the most leads. Was it a specific conference? A local event? A direct mailing campaign? Include a cost-benefit analysis in your audit – and make sure you’re accounting for your time as one of the costs.
Referrals
Marketing and sales are the building blocks of lead generation, but they aren’t the most important method. The best way for life insurance agents to grow their business has been and always will be referral marketing. Also known as word-of-mouth, referral marketing is the bread and butter of the life insurance industry. In essence, your client has a great experience, so they tell their family and friends. Then those people pass it along to their family and friends, creating a perpetual cycle.
Servicing your clients well is the key to a great referral network. By building meaningful relationships and providing your clients’ resourceful tools, such as LegacyShield, your lead stream can organically grow without spending valuable time hunting new leads.
To learn more about going beyond the traditional client-advisor relationship, read our blog go beyond the traditional advisor-client relationship.
