Keys to building relationships with other professionals who serve your clients
Referrals happen naturally between businesses serving the same client. As an insurance agent, your ideal partners are realtors, mortgage brokers and financial advisors. When these professionals interface with their clients, the word insurance always comes up. Here’s how to get in the door as their lead-sharing partner so you can benefit from a consistent stream of new leads.
Show up at local events
Local networking is key to forming partnerships with industry professionals in your area. Attend Chamber of Commerce events and join local business networking groups. Search for events on Facebook or Meetup – anything related to real estate, loans or financial planning. Hone in on five or six people and focus on forging a relationship, rather than selling a pitch. Connect by asking how they serve clients, rather than making insurance the immediate focus of your conversation.
Leverage digital channels
Online channels can lead to very high-value relationships. Search on LinkedIn and Google or use Twitter Advanced Search. Enter your zip code on Zillow to find local realtors. Reach out to those that seem like a good fit, perhaps those who share your interests or expertise. Learn a bit about them before you connect – think of a few things you like about their business, industry, website or professional profile. And when you reach out, be respectful, engaging and professional and positive.
Follow up and reconnect
Send an email, a LinkedIn connection request or just pick up the phone and reconnect within about 24 hours. Express something positive about your encounter or about their business. See if they’d like to discuss partnering with you to better serve clients. Keep in mind that these will be long-term and very beneficial relationships, so they’ll require a bit of nurturing.
Demonstrate your value to them
You are most likely not the first insurance agent to try to connect with this real estate agent, mortgage lender or financial planner, so it’s vital to demonstrate how you can be an asset to them. Offer to interview them and publish it to your social channels. Quote them in a blog post. Share their social media content. Send them any potential leads and think of ways you can leverage your connections to give their business a leg up. They will naturally reciprocate.
MacNeill Group® has been in the business of insuring properties for over half a century. We offer agents comprehensive liability products, including exclusive HO-6 insurance for owner- occupied, secondary and rented-to-others condominiums. Our agents get exclusive access to diverse offerings from top-rated carriers that cover hard-to-place risks across commercial, personal, transportation and flood lines. Products are available on-demand for comparative price indications via the MOUS® rater. Become a MacNeill Agent to get started today.
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