The how and why of this 100% free marketing tool
Since selling insurance is very different than selling physical products, customer testimonials are king when it comes to locking in new business. Physical products are visible, tangible, holdable. Independent agents, on the other hand, are selling trust, ideas, promises. And what do potential clients do when they want to find out if they can trust you? They do what you do — they read what others have to say! Here’s how to start generating and marketing customer testimonials.
First, what makes customer testimonials so powerful?
Customer proof is not salesy
After all, it’s not you who is singing your praises — it’s people who are happy to pay you to do what you do.
Testimonials diminish doubt.
For a client who’s on the fence, a testimonial from someone who is happy with you will effortlessly nudge them from maybe to yes.
More effective than any other kind of marketing.
According to a Nielsen study, 92 percent of customers trust non-paid recommendations like testimonials more than any other form of advertising.
You get extremely versatile content.
Use a single line of praise in your email signature, publish quotes in flyers, add them to your website, put 30-second quote videos on your social media pages, put them in newsletters, Tweet them out.
How to start leveraging testimonials today.
1. Commit to a plan for capturing testimonials.
Whether it’s one a week or one a month — start today!
2. Decide what kind of testimonials you want to generate.
Maybe you start with written quotes as a low-hanging fruit and move to video later.
3. Identify ideal customers.
Think about clients you have good rapport with, those who have stuck with you for several years, those who are esteemed in the community.
4. Select a market focus.
This is a great opportunity for you to highlight what you offer. Want to sell more Flood or Commercial? Get testimonials from clients you serve in those markets. Want to know about the whole range of top-rated products you can access with MacNeill? Link to A-List?
5. Ask specific questions.
Crafting questions to elicit specific responses gets you great testimonials. Ask them why they trust you, how your service is different, why they like working with you, how you help them save time, what kind of knowledge you have.
6. Decide how to get the quotes.
Put a link on your website’s homepage that allows clients to give your agency a vote of confidence. “Click here to tell us how we’re doing” or “We want your feedback.” You can also add this link to your signature block and include it in email newsletters.
7. Make it easy for them.
Sometimes people don’t love writing these. Let them know you are not after a perfectly polished quote. They can just write a few lines and you can edit it later. Be sure to let them know you won’t publish without their approval.
8. Start sharing.
Add them to your email signature, create quote blocks and post them to social media, add them to brochures and flyers, sprinkle them throughout your website, Tweet them out. Here are some more ideas for social media.
9. Keep the ball rolling.
Whenever you get new business, take immediate action to get a quote. If they said yes, they like you or feel good about your service! Get the positive feedback while it’s hot. You might even ask for a quick video testimonial.
We want to take our own advice and invite you to send us a testimonial on your experience with MacNeill Group. Send a message to marketing.department@teamfocusins.com.
800-432-3072