In 1969, Jack Trout and Al Ries took the world by storm with their book, Positioning: A Battle for Your Mind. Over 50 years later, positioning remains a key watchword for businesses small and large. By knowing how to position yourself against your competitors in the minds of your clients, not only can you significantly increase the number of prospects you talk to, but you can even make appointment-setting their idea. 

Keep reading for some ways to position yourself and your insurance business more effectively.

Diversify Your Leads

Of course, the first step to positioning yourself effectively in front of clients is to generate prospects to get in front of. These often come through a number of channels. 

Jeremy Nason is a second-generation general agent, an active producer, and a successful coach, who has been in the insurance industry for over 20 years. To help build up his insurance business, he has depended on three different channels for lead generation:

• Warm market (people you know): “Reach out to people you know and ask them if they need any help without sounding like a salesperson,” Jeremy advises. “You’d be surprised by how many are in need of solutions.”

• Joint partner ventures: “Every person you speak with knows other people,” Jeremy says. “Helping them with their problems builds trust and rapport and generates referrals.”

• Keep in contact with current clients: “Every customer buys seven times in their lifetime,” Jeremy explains. “Keep your name in front of them and maintain contact regularly using a variety of media.” Starting with a strong fact-finding meeting can help prepare you for the changes that unfold throughout their life, such as getting married, having children, buying a home, saving for college, and retirement.

Position Yourself As an Expert Resource

In today’s digital world where thousands of companies compete for your audience’s attention, sales messages and hard sales tactics have been replaced by helpful, informational content. Thus it no longer pays to wear your salesperson hat in the traditional sense. 

Instead, take a consultative approach, offering helpful information both online and in person to your prospects — thereby positioning yourself as an expert resource. For instance, ask your prospects to bring along their current budget to their first appointment so you can help them identify ways to eliminate debt and interest payments. This will help them free up money that they can invest something that will pay dividends down the road. Not only will they be more likely to purchase insurance products, but they’ll also be grateful for your support and more likely to send referrals.

Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

You’d be surprised by how many insurance agents have a hard time communicating the value they bring to others whenever someone asks them what they do for a living. At the same time, having a highly compelling elevator pitch is one of the greatest opportunities you have for generating interest from the people you meet every day. So it’s well worth the effort to craft one that starts a conversation and leads to an appointment.

Take some time to create a two-part summary of what you do. Each part should be approximately fifteen seconds long. Make sure to focus on the benefits and results you bring. For example, of the following options, what’s more compelling?

Option A: “I help families eat healthier and spend more quality time together at dinnertime.”

Option B: “I’m a personal chef.”

See how you can similarly ramp up the value and benefits of what you bring to others in your work as a financial advisor.

Leverage Technology

Now that you know how to position yourself and what you do, it’s time to get the message out. With newer generations coming of age, it's especially important to get your message out to the younger market, particularly tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z. This means building an online presence, not only with a website but through social media. Explore popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and determine where your target audience is most active and where you feel the most comfortable.

Aim to post at least a couple of times a week and engage with followers. When it comes to posting content, make sure it doesn’t come across salesy but brings value to readers, such as insurance and financial tips. Consider posting client testimonials but present them in a way that tells an engaging story rather than contains a sales message. Results-oriented posts can help generate interest. For example, share a high school graduation picture of your client’s child with a testimonial that shows how you were able to help your client pay off debts so they could pay for college.

Other digital technologies to take advantage of include email newsletters, which can be set up easily through an email service provider such as Constant Contact, as well as YouTube videos, which can be shared through email and social media.

Focus on the Problem, Not the Production

Your clients come to you for a solution to their problem, not to buy a product. Successful producers know how to focus on the clients’ pain and position themselves as a problem solver. When you invite your clients to tell you about their problem and discover how it’s affecting them, they’ll reach for a solution. Once the prospect is ready for a solution, the conversation will naturally turn to your products.

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Looking for more tips and best practices? At Producer Sensei, we’re dedicated to helping producers stay on top of the latest industry insights and trends. Subscribe to our blog to learn more strategies that will help you grow your insurance and advisory business.