Posted:
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
Category:
Insurance Training
This month’s tips and tricks segment will focus on generating and maintaining a customer base once you have an insurance license, specifically for agents and brokers. If you work with a company as an employee, you will likely be required to sign a non-compete form. This form basically states that you will not take clients with you or inform them that you are changing companies when you leave an insurance job. Many companies require the form as a part of the hiring process so that people don’t come in and work for the company, and then steal all the business when they leave. If people leave the company to seek a new agent or to find their own agent, they are required to do it on their own accord and not at the advisement of the agent in question.
The first step in generating a client base is to establish a good reputation for yourself as an insurance agent. By taking the time to do this, you’ll make an impression on people that will keep them coming back for future insurance needs. It can also generate a lot of referrals for your business, which will increase your client base. Take the time to network with customers and businesses in the area to get yourself known within the industry. Before you decide to work for a company, make sure that company has a good reputation. It doesn’t matter if you are the most reputable insurance agent in the state if you work for a company that has a bad reputation, because their credibility as a company will supersede your credibility as an individual.
To maintain your client base, you don’t have to stay with the same company throughout your career. Even if you sign a non-compete form, that doesn’t mean that you’ll lose customers if you leave. First, if your customers are committed, they’ll find you on their own. Second, some companies advertise new agents when they hire them, which will allow your customers to find you if they choose to do so. Also, if you go into business for yourself, you can’t tell customers that you’re leaving, but you can advertise your new business, and they can find you that way.
Generating and maintaining a customer base as an insurance agent can prove to be a daunting task at first. However, by networking and taking the time to establish yourself as a reputable agent, your client base can often build itself. Also, despite the of the non-compete form, there are ways to maintain your client base when you change jobs or attempt to move up in the industry.
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