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How do you sell in the middle of a pandemic without appearing insensitive or opportunistic? Agents need help making their case — here are 5 ways to support them.

It’s an age-old conundrum within insurance sales — the individuals most likely to have insurance needs front-of-mind are those that have recently needed it. 

So how do you sell to potential clients in the middle of a difficult situation without appearing insensitive or opportunistic? 

The Covid-19 pandemic presents what is arguably the most substantial example of this problem in recent history. 

Rather than addressing a personal problem — a car accident, a health scare in the family, a “close call” — there is instead an overwhelming global setting to contend with. 

Your agents need help to make their case. Here are five easy ways to help support your insurance agents:

Encourage Agents to Explain Insurance Offerings in Terms of Preparation, Rather than Disaster Response

They have an incredible, affirming case example at the ready. It’s a new habit that society has, by necessity, made a daily ritual — masks. 

Wearing masks gives the wearer a sense of protection and peace-of-mind, signals to those important to the wearer that they’re both conscious and considerate, and it helps prevent known disasters as well. It’s not a big leap to apply these concepts to insurance. 

Additionally, agents can use the virus (an unseen danger that could strike virtually anywhere) as a stand-in for scenarios in which insurance shines — safeguarding a family in the case of loss-of-life, protecting the family home and resources, and so on. 

Empower Agents to Bolster Distance Options

Happily, this strategy is just as useful for safeguarding their health as it is the health of their clients. Critically examine the paths they’ve constructed to go from leads to appointments to sales — are they user-friendly and functional for distance conversations? 

If they haven’t already, they should familiarize themselves with technology like teleconference options (e.g. Skype or Zoom) and invest in a high-quality web camera and microphone. Remember, if documented properly, these are business expenses for taxes, too. 

If your agency is still meeting in person or taking appointments in a physical office, make sure everything is visually “safe.” Have a supply of disposable masks to offer, as well as hand sanitizer and clearly-displayed cleaning products for sterilizing surfaces between meetings. 

Remember that Your Clients are Actively Looking for Help 

Take stock of both your agency and individual insurance agents’ online presence: 

• Is your website up-to-date? 
• Is your website clear and coherent on both a computer screen and a mobile device? 
• Are your phone numbers, email addresses, and service menus correct and up-to-date? 

For agents used to doing a great deal of in-person sales and face-to-face meetings, digital presence may have slipped off the radar in 2020. There’s never been a better time to shore up loose ends and ensure that your branding and passive pitches — e.g. your website, social media accounts, and branding as a whole — are cohesive and delivering the right messages.

Update Your Content and/or Local SEO Strategies

The questions people were searching for in late 2019 are very different than the ones posed in 2020 and beyond. If your website incorporates blogs or on-page content with “2019” keywords, it’s time for a facelift. 

While you don’t need to “oversell” or focus solely on Covid and Coronavirus topics, it’s a good idea to address the elephant in the room in broader terms, such as “unexpected serious illness” or “dealing with family medical debt.” 

Your clients, whether they come across your online presence organically or are steered there via your marketing efforts, are looking to be reassured.

Consider Strength in Numbers 

In closing, a bit of a hard truth: you are not the only agency looking to leverage business growth in the “new normal” of a post-Covid world. Professional associations can help position your offerings as more trustworthy and robust than a lone competitor. 

If you have certifications or licensing that may need to be refreshed, it’s an excellent time to do so. Additionally, fostering a competitive advantage with a membership in an insurance cluster will help boost your visibility and professional stance in a potential insurance client’s eyes.