Beyond Insurance provides training and coaching to hundreds of agents, underwriters, and field marketing teams each year. Our customized engagements with underwriters and field marketing specialists focus on outcomes, including aligning values, productive agency visits, relationship building, creating win-win scenarios, implementing qualification criteria filters, and expanding wallet share. Sample skill development areas include active listening, social intelligence, personal branding, strategic differentiation, time management, mutual accountability, handling objections, resiliency, working through frustrations, and enhancing the customer experience.
A key takeaway from these programs is that agents consistently undervalue the capabilities, talents, and resources of the underwriter and field marketing representative. While it goes without saying that agents place importance on underwriters who are responsive and routinely deliver competitive terms and conditions, too much emphasis is placed on the insurance transaction. Instead, try expanding your horizons to realize the full potential of a symbiotic relationship that goes far beyond customer acquisition and retention.
Highly successful agents have one or more special relationships with their underwriter(s) and field marketing specialist(s). They enjoy open, honest interactions and hold each other accountable for commitments. When trust and respect are established, each party understands the other’s goals, passions, and struggles, and provides unwavering support. The agent taps into the underwriter and field marketing specialist’s talents and capabilities 365 days a year and sees them as valuable allies in strategy sessions with their mutual client – the insured.
The shift in mindset is also supported by business logic. High-performing agents see their underwriters and field marketing specialists as the gatekeepers to a goldmine of resources to help them deliver a robust customer experience journey.
If you are in search of a symbiotic business relationship…a trusted confidant who can give you a competitive edge, look no farther than your carrier team.