As an insurance or benefits advisor, your role has the potential to extend well beyond insurance policies – it's about championing your clients' best interests. You possess a wealth of information about your clients' businesses, possibly more than any other advisor they work with. This knowledge spans financials, properties, products, services, partnerships, risks, employees, and more.
Understanding the full business landscape
Much of this data is collected and handed over to the carrier for underwriting. But there's so much untapped potential here. Pair strategy-level discussions with data collection, and you can provide a wealth of valuable perspectives to your clients. Review the information you have and look for solutions to existing challenges or capitalize on opportunities.
When you become a student of business and make a conscious effort to keep your clients informed about issues they may have missed or underestimated in significance, you change your relationship with your clients. As you move deeper into the advisor role, initiate these types of conversations.
Become the bellwether
Position yourself as the bellwether for your clients. Focus on helping them understand the long-term consequences of today's business decisions on their future, both short-term and a few years down the line.
If you regularly keep up with studies on employee satisfaction, morale, and business projections, you’ll be able to bring these conversations to your clients, help them interpret the results for their business, and educate them on potential pitfalls and opportunities. Make this a focus for personal and agency development.
Traditional vs. transformative
It might seem tempting to solely discuss insurance options, but this narrow focus is doing a disservice to yourself and your clients. Businesses face complex challenges that require external perspectives. You can provide that unique viewpoint. As an outsider with inside knowledge, you are perfectly positioned for it.
Learning to have powerful discussions that reach beyond insurance is an ongoing investment in your development and client relationships. A knowledge-based approach offers benefits in building stronger client partnerships, earning client referrals to other well-positioned organizations, demonstrating a superior business model to prospects, and conveying a distinct message in your marketing efforts.
Having a profound understanding of your products and services is crucial. However, what sets leading agencies apart is their proactive guidance, advice, and education across all agency facets – sales, service, marketing, leadership, and strategy.
To be a well-rounded strategic advisor, keeping your clients informed, discussing significant business issues impacting their operations and profitability, and safeguarding their best interests should be among your primary responsibilities.
Adopting this all-in advisory approach can unlock your potential as an insurance advisor and provide exceptional, strategic value to your clients.
Content provided by Q4intelligence
Photo by pitinan
