If you enter “agent” into the search engine, there are at least 432 million websites that contain the word agent. If you limit yourself to ‘insurance agent’, there are no less than 9 million websites about insurance agents. Assuming you’re from California, you can easily find over 2.9 million websites if you zoom even closer to ‘California insurance agent’.
It is always at the top of your wish list that whenever your clients think of insurance, they think of you. When they want insurance coverage, they will get it from you. This is only possible if your name appears at the top of your customers’ mental search engine. Essentially we are talking about the brand.
What is a brand?
When people think of a mobile phone, Nokia rings their bell; when people think of soft drinks, Coca Cola comes to mind; when people think of a personal computer, they envision Apple; when people think of a coffee shop, they smell like Starbucks. Ultimately, you want people to think of you when they think about insurance.
Branding is not just for commercial organizations, individuals can brand themselves. Hollywood celebrities and TV personalities do it. Many world renowned athletes and athletes do it. Nothing will stop you from branding yourself. In fact, if you don’t brand yourself, others will do it for you and may not do it for you, if you know what I mean.
At the start of your business, you can focus more on sales and marketing. Once you establish your business, you may want to work on personal branding, especially if this is the business you want to stay in for the long term. Marketing is about establishing your presence, it is about increasing visibility; Branding is about establishing your reputation, it’s about credibility.
You have to make your presence felt and your name recognized in the eyes of your customers. Marketing is about breadth; the brand is all about depth. Marketing is all about getting people to know your name and your service. Branding is all about letting people know the stories behind your name and recognizing your unique strengths and qualities.
Marketing is all about the feature of the product; the brand is about your character. People would like to know not only the products or services, but also the character of the people who deliver them. It is the character of the seller that decides the quality of the services and whether the customers will have a pleasant or painful experience with the seller.
Why is the brand important to you?
A strong brand is synonymous with support. It communicates your competence and confidence in your business or profession. It builds trust and relieves the pain and stress of making a buying decision for customers. We are all under the influence of brands. You can command more sales as customers are willing to pay for the value-added advice and unique services you offer. A trusted brand helps you build loyal customers because customers expect you to stay in business for a long time.
How to make personal brand?
First, do a little self-analysis. Discover your distinctive qualities and your unique strengths. Ask yourself some soul-searching questions. For example: What is the purpose of your existence in this business? What do you treasure in life? What is your passion? What are your moments of glory? How do you want people to describe you?
Once you formulate your brand identity, it will be the foundation of everything you do. You align your image and behavior in parallel with your values and mission. Next, you may want to coin a few words that best describe the values or identity your brand represents. It can be a slogan that helps people evoke a positive image. For example, Allianz’s “A to Z Insurance Solutions”, Amica’s “We Keep Our Promises”, Aviva’s “Taking Care” and Zurich’s “Because Change Happens”.
You need to blend your brand identity and values into your business cards, your speaking style, your sales presentation, and your website. Your business card says a lot about you and helps you stand out from the crowd. Use a professional designer who understands your branding needs. Use color printing to make your business card visually captivating. Personalize your sales presentation. Let your customers experience the difference in your sales and service approach.
You need to make yourself visible. You want people to know you. You want people to see you and get to know you. You want people to talk about you. You have to network. You want to meet more people not only within your industry but also outside of your industry. You can volunteer to be a guest speaker at seminars organized by professional associations. You want people to form a positive perception of you and recognize your contributions.
To reach more people, you can write articles for periodicals, magazines, or newspapers to share valuable information with readers. Writing articles, ebooks or newsletters also helps to qualify you as an expert. You can write a blog to let people know more about you. Write from the bottom of your heart. Inject your soul into your blog that shapes your identity and shapes your personal brand.
In the age of the Internet and with readily available media and advertising, the market is flooded with many similar products and services offered by many insurance intermediaries. If you don’t tag yourself, your name can follow hundreds of thousands and the rest are forgotten. Branding is not an option if you want to stay in business for a long time. As you build your brand, you are building the true value of your business.