It has become way too common to engage in conversations with promises of following up, followed by silence. This is inexcusable and unprofessional. (Photo: Shutterstock)
As an insurance agency, the difference between success and failure almost always comes down to whoever communicates most effectively. But, holy crap, the communication bar in this industry is so low it could be used as a limbo pole.
The list of things we need to communicate effectively is too long for a single column, so I will focus on three basic ways to step up your game.
Kevin Trokey is founding partner and coach at St. Louis-based Q4intelligence.
Your website
Agency websites are often outdated in appearance and functionality and most totally miss the mark when it comes to messaging.
Tell me if this sounds familiar:
- In business since 19XX
- We've grown to be the 4th largest agency in the market
- Here is the list of products we sell
- Click here for a free quote
Sound familiar? I'm not suggesting you run out and build a new website, but I do want to give you a couple of easy suggestions to make your website more effective.
1. Replace your get-a-free-quote button with one that offers a free cost-saving idea. The visitors to your site have countless places to go for free quotes, but ideas they can use to help them control their costs are invaluable and will almost always get their attention.
2. Replace the list of products you sell with a list of the problems you are able to solve. Prospects are rarely interested in discussing the products you have to sell, but most are very interested in discussing the problems they have that may lead to the products/services you offer.
|On a day-to-day basis, there is probably no single communication tool more important than LinkedIn. Let's remind ourselves of the primary purpose of the platform. It is a professional social media networking site. If we keep this simple purpose in mind, we can use it to communicate much more effectively.
1. Engage with the other visitors. I get that you may be uncomfortable leaving written evidence of your ideas and opinions, but you have to get over it. Commit to at least one like, share and comment each day, and build from there. Your eventual goal is to start sharing your own ideas and perspectives and communicate the value you have to offer.
2. For the love of all things holy, give people a reason to accept your invitation. You will immediately stand out by simply telling someone why you feel it is important to connect.
|Don't be rude
It has become way too common to engage in conversations with promises of following up, followed by silence. This is inexcusable and unprofessional.
You may tell me, "KT you're so old school. You Gen-Xers just don't understand. This is how millennials communicate." I call BS. Even if it is true, what a simple way to demonstrate your professionalism—by simply being polite.
|The ultimate competitive advantage
Communication may not be easy, but it is perhaps the most critical skill you can build to find success in business, and in life. I suspect if you increased your communication skills in every key area by 10 percent, you would increase your effectiveness by an exponential factor.
I know you have another 10 percent in you!
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