Reposition your role as a benefits advisor
It's time to change how you look at the role you play in the business lives of your clients.
I work in a very dangerous place. No, it’s not dangerous in the way that may first come to mind; it’s dangerous because one of my favorite pizzerias is on the first floor of my building.
Yeah, THAT kind of dangerous.
While I do avoid the temptation of eating there every day, I’m down there often enough to know many of their employees on a first-name basis. I don’t know if it’s this way for all pizzerias, but this one is staffed with some real characters.
One of their more lively employees is named Tony. He does a bit of everything for them, but he is mainly there to deliver the pies.
Perspective is everything
One afternoon, I was chatting with him in the parking lot, and he mentioned his “other job.” This was the first time he had mentioned it to me, so I asked what he did. His response was short, simple, and more than a little surprising. When Tony answered, I saw confidence and pride in him that I had never seen before.
He said, “I save lives.”
Now I really like Tony, but I couldn’t imagine him having another job that included saving lives. Of course, I asked him about it, and his answer made complete sense: he picks up donor organs and delivers them to their recipients.
He was exactly right; he saves lives.
Related: How the role of the broker has evolved
When you think about it, there are many similarities between his two jobs, each of which involves taking something from point A to point B. But, in his second job, Tony genuinely appreciates his role in helping save one life (the recipient) and honor another (the donor).
How do you describe your job?
We all need more of an appreciation for the impact we have on those with whom we work. What is your perspective? Are you a “delivery guy” or someone who’s “saving lives”?
- Do you get insurance quotes, or are you improving the bottom line for your clients?
- Are you throwing in a “value-added service,” or are you improving the operational efficiencies of your clients?
- Are you responding to service issues, or are you helping influence the strategy of your client’s business?
- Are you selling an insurance product, or strengthening the relationship between your clients and their employees?
Change your perspective
When you appreciate your insurance agency’s impact on your clients’ businesses, you will find your confidence and pride reaching new levels. When you operate with confidence and pride, prospects and clients will be drawn to you.
There’s an old saying: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” It’s time to change how you look at the role you play in the business lives of your clients. Once you do that, your role will, in fact, change.