Chicagoland SIA Blog

You know that meeting and networking with new people can help you grow your company. And in a day and age where we can connect online and in-person with virtually anyone, the possibilities to make important connections are endless. Are you effectively growing and leveraging your business network? Here are five great ways to use networking as a business development tool:

We all want to be more efficient, right? Yet research shows that many of us are going about it the wrong way. Here are some ways that research suggests can help us be more efficient at the office.

If you surveyed your customers, what would they say about your agency and the level of customer service you provide? Customer service is an important part of any business and plays a large role in creating loyal customers. An insurance agent who provides great customer service is much more likely to have loyal customers who purchase additional types of coverage and recommend him or her to other people. On the other hand, the effects of bad customer service can be significant. Here’s why:

It’s New Year’s Resolution time! What are your agency’s goals for the new year? Here are some ideas for helping your agency to grow and succeed in 2021:

How would you rate your listening skills? Listening to your clients — truly listening to what they are trying to tell you — is an important way to increase customer satisfaction and to help prevent misunderstandings, including those that can lead to E&O claims.

Has anyone ever asked for five minutes of your time? What is five minutes of your time even worth? If a client, employee, friend or significant other asked for five minutes of your time—do you have it to give? Or are you simply too wrapped up in your day and the tasks you need to accomplish to slow things down and make time for other people?

Millennials may get a lot of attention and press, but insurance agencies need to start appealing to a younger cohort or risk becoming out of touch. Consider the fact that Gen Z’ers, born between 1995 and 2012, are beginning to work and make investments in their future. In other words, ignore them and you will increasingly miss out on opportunities to grow your insurance business.

Have you ever thought about why your customers choose to come to you with their insurance needs? Competition in the insurance marketplace is greater today than ever before. A customer can get a quote and buy a policy—sometimes within just a few minutes—for almost any type of insurance coverage. Even if he chooses to shop around, there is an abundance of insurance comparison websites where a customer can compare coverage options.

Have you ever had a complaint about a product or service and the person you were dealing with immediately became defensive? Were they ready to shut you down before even hearing your side of things?