Building customer trust is not easy, but it is absolutely necessary if you want to ensure the success of your business. And this field that we are in, is a business! Our customers’ satisfaction is what makes us go a long way. In other words, our customers’ loyalty and trust play a major factor in our success.
We all have realized by now that it is easier to keep an existing customer than to win a new one. In this insurance industry, even though we may not get repeating customers who keep coming back to purchase their favorite slimming tea or skin care from us, we still need their trust and loyalty for several reasons:

1) These are long term clients. We don’t just sell insurance and then disappear on them. We have to be there when they have questions concerning their policy, or when they are suddenly taken ill and are rushed to the hospital. We have to call and remind them when their policy is expiring, and sometimes have to even meet them at their house to collect their monthly premium payment. Yes many have done this.

2) These are the people who will recommend our service to others – but only if they are satisfied with the kind of service that we have provided. So even if they don’t keep coming back to purchase more product from us (after all, how many policies can one person have), they have friends, and brothers and sisters, work mates, cousins, grand cousins, etc. So wouldn’t you want to be the one they recommend to when someone they know is planning to purchase an insurance policy?

 

So how do we build trust and loyalty? Here’s some help:

1. Integrity matters!

Cambridge dictionary defines integrity as: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

Some of the examples include keeping your promises, being punctual, admitting to mistakes, not betraying others’ trust, not talking badly about others and being responsible and accountable for your actions. You may be the smartest person in town or graduated top of your class, but in the end, it is based on these characteristics that others will judge and remember you by.

Treat all your customers with the same respect, irregardless of their titles or how many policies they have purchased from you. These things don’t go unnoticed.

There is no better test of a man’s integrity than his behavior when he is wrong. – Marvin Williams

 

 

2. Provide value

As agents, our number one role is to offer value to our customers. Whether they are buying a car insurance or a life policy, offer a solution that is according to their needs and budget. Their interest comes first, not yours. If you don’t have the solution for them, be honest about it. Avoid proposing a solution you know is not suitable for them or misrepresenting the benefits of a product just to make it sound good. Doing so may win you a sale anyway if they decided to follow your advice. However in the long run, it may do more harm than good, to both you and the customer. This is one of the surest way to lose customer’s trust.

 

3. Educate and empower

Aim to empower your customers by educating them about insurance, especially the policy that they have purchased. Don’t withhold information from your customers. Share latest news or statistics that you think they may find interesting or useful. But don’t do so with the intention they may purchase more policies from you. Avoid sales pitch, instead aim to educate. Most people love the feeling of acquiring new information and knowledge.

 

4. Be dependable

How many times have you had to answer a call at the middle of the night because a client has met with an accident and is unsure of the type of coverage his policy offers? Or how many times have you had to accompany a client to the hospital because she didn’t have anyone else to go with her? To a customer, a dependable agent is like their safety net. If they know they can count on you to be there when they need you the most, they know that they can trust you. And this trust leads to a long, lasting relationship.

 

5. Let them know they are important

Not by telling them but by showing them. Remember, action speaks a thousand words. How do you do this? Many ways, get to know them personally. Remember the names of their children and spouse. Ask about them occasionally. Are the kids enjoying their new school? Will the eldest son be coming back from abroad this coming holiday? And when you balik kampung sometimes, don’t forget to occasionally bring back some goodies. They don’t have to be expensive, a packet of dried keropok is good enough. I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t appreciate keropok! People will feel important when they know they are remembered. And when they believe that you genuinely feel that they are important to you, the trust comes easily.

 

6. Admit mistakes

Be humble to see your mistakes, courageous to admit them, and wise enough to correct them. – Amine Ayad

It takes a big person to admit to making a mistake. It isn’t easy to do, but if you are able to humble yourself and admit to your customer that you have made a mistake, instead of putting the blame on someone or something, then they would know that you are trustworthy. Whether they will stay with you afterwards is besides the point. If you have apologized and explained yourself well, with all sincerity, and quickly work on rectifying the error, they might even trust you more. People appreciate honesty, and most people realize that it isn’t a common trait. So if they see that you have it, they know that they can trust you.

 

These 6 steps help you build trust and loyalty with your customers.
1. Integrity matters
2. Provide value
3. Educate and empower
4. Be dependable
5. Let them know they are important
6. Admit Mistakes

 

When you are able to deliver exceptional quality of service and proven yourself to be a trustworthy agent, customers will be willing to recommend you to their family and friends, when they need insurance advice. iBanding has created the Insurance Agent Directory  to give Malaysian consumers the possibility to find these extraordinary agents. Like Lazada.com.my or Booking.com, iBanding’s Agent Directory displays the reviews and ratings of agents, so that customers who are searching for an insurance agent can see what other clients say about them.

 

 

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