Selling is a very important function for any business. A company can have beautiful projections, attractive brochures and marketing materials, and a message that resonates well with the public. Your mission and values ​​can be succinctly spelled out and understood by your target market, but until a salesperson actually delivers on the company’s promise, there is no business relationship. Without sales, companies have no guarantee for the future. This is especially true for insurance companies, which sell intangibles.

Insurance agents should always be looking for new business to keep the sales cycle going. Prospecting is the hardest part of selling because it involves stepping out of your comfort zone and facing the possibility of rejection. We all hate rejection. If there was a simple and safe way to grow your business with minimal pain, would you be willing to give it a try? The truth is that there is no painless way.

Here are 5 simple tips that will help insurance salespeople and agents grow their business by getting referrals.

1. Ask for referrals – This is a very obvious step, but rarely used by most salespeople. When was the last time you asked for a referral from your existing clients? Think about it, you can do a lot of business by asking your existing customers to recommend someone they know. As simple as it sounds, most agents are actually guilty of not asking for references. Give it a try, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

2. Nest with your target market: Trust is an essential ingredient in selling. You want to earn a trusted reputation before your customer starts recommending you. Establish yourself in your area of ​​interest as an advisor without necessarily pitching yourself. People don’t want to be sold. People want to buy. Referrals will gradually grow from your “nest” as your credibility and reputation grow by the day.

3. Excellent Service: You can service your accounts without necessarily bending over backwards to please your customers. This will create loyalty and who doesn’t want that? You want to get unlimited referrals, serve your customers well. Listen to them and work to resolve their issues quickly. Word of mouth will work for you.

4. Work closely with your competition: Insurance agents forget that your competitors clearly understand what they offer. It’s very clear that no matter how good your pitch is, some customers will always be loyal to their current vendors. Try to collaborate with other insurance agents and marketers in the industry.

5. Network, Network, and Network: The importance of networking for a sales agent/marketer cannot be stressed enough. By positioning yourself well and networking with people from other industries, you are sure to get endless referrals.

Having mentioned all this, get up and start asking for references. Wish you all the best.