Your current clients can be one of your greatest assets as an insurance agent — if you leverage referrals.
Create a referral generation program to utilize affordable leads that can generate growth.
We’ll give you suggestions for collecting referrals from your current clients and sharing an impactful message, all while following compliance standards. Put your new marketing methods into use by consistently attending to your clients and expand your business!
What Is Referral Marketing?
Referral marketing is when you recommend your clients mention your services to people they know to bring new clients to you. Often, rewards or incentives are offered to clients that make referrals.
A referral marketing strategy can have low up-front costs and can generate new leads for years to come. Integrating a referral marketing strategy can be a great way to expand your business.
Want to kick your referral marketing strategy into high gear? Download our newest guide, The Insurance Agent’s Guide to Generating Referrals!
What Is a Great Way to Generate Insurance Leads?
Customer referrals can be a great source of generating fresh, inexpensive, and high-quality leads. Lead generation programs have their place; however, utilizing your current book of business to generate growth can be an excellent strategy to acquire leads while keeping costs lower. Little money is spent on acquiring referrals. With a client referral program, your current clients are doing most of the work by recommending you via word of mouth or sharing your website.
It’s been proven that word-of-mouth marketing from a friend is more reliable than traditional advertisement sources. And as social media and influencer culture continues to grow, studies have shown that more people are not very trusting of online customer reviews and paid ads.
When it comes down to it, individuals are more likely to trust recommendations they get from friends and family. While crafting your own social media presence that is authentic and genuine is an important tool in your marketing strategy, consider relying on your current clients to testify to the excellent customer service you provide.
“Don’t overthink your new marketing strategy. Some of the most effective marketing strategies are simple, direct, short, and sweet. Creating a few small habits can have profound impacts. Reminding your clients that you’re ‘always available to help anyone with questions’ or that you’re ‘accepting new clients’ goes a long way. Encouraging them to ‘store your personal contact info in their phone’ and to ‘call or text any time, you’re never a bother’ will create a domino effect over time — if done consistently.” – Damon Logan, Sr. Sales Specialist — NC, SC, TN
A Note About Compliance
If you sell Medicare products, it is not a compliant practice to contact anyone you do not have a Medicare permission to contact (PTC) from. In conversations with your clients, suggest that they make referrals to others who may need your services. Relying on your client base to speak to fellow community members, friends, and family members can bring new leads to you.
Remember to always follow CMS’ PTC and Medicare marketing guidelines when conducting business!
Customize Your Marketing Materials
When asking your clients to make referrals, we suggest having materials available for them to simplify the process. Customize a letterhead that includes your name or agency’s name, logo, and contact information if you haven’t already. These templates are easy to produce with resources like Canva or using one of Microsoft Word’s included templates.
We’ve included a referral letter sample, client email template, as well as social media examples in the Generating Referrals guide to make client referrals a breeze!
Your brand should be consistent between your social media pages, print materials, and any other content you choose to share with your audience. As a Ritter agent, you have access to ShopRitterIM, a hub for agents to source printed marketing materials for your business. These materials are professional and easy to customize to your needs! Not already a Ritter agent? Register today to gain access.
Building a Referral Network
A group of community members or clients who continually refer future clients to you can create a referral network that can lead to exponential growth. Reach out to your local community to find affinity partners, like small businesses or other agencies, that would be willing to advertise your business. Offer the slim jims or business cards you purchased on ShopRitterIM to others in your area.
Are there other insurance agents in your area that offer products that you don’t? They can be great affiliate partners to refer clients to and receive referrals from. Cross-referrals can strengthen your business’ growth and improve relationships.
Reach out to one or two local agents or agencies a week to learn more about their business and what opportunities exist to collaborate. At the end of one year, you’ll have contacted over 100 agents or agencies! You’ve probably also made great business connections, friends, and have developed several referral streams. Imagine if five of those 100 agents/agencies became partners!
“Start here: Ask yourself how many friends, family, neighbors, and close contacts actually know what you do and the value you bring people day to day? Make a list of five to 10 of those contacts and make sure they know that value and understand the problems you solve. These people already know and love you! They want you to succeed and are guaranteed to refer people to you every time (if they actually know what you do). Then, build from there using some of the tips reviewed here!” – Damon Logan, Sr. Sales Specialist — NC, SC, TN
Connect with Clients Genuinely
Honesty and integrity as an agent go far. Your clients are placing some of their most important needs in your hands, and they need to be able to trust you.
Forming authentic relationships with your clients can make them feel seen, heard, and understood. In fact, building relationships is the core of fostering loyal clients that will lead to a long-lasting career. Happy customers are likely to recommend your services to others. Your clients are even more likely to refer their close friends or family if they are loyal to you! It’s important to be mindful of their impact on your business. Your clients are your future and can impact your ability to earn renewal commissions or get new leads!
From a simple email or a phone or in-person appointment, remember to speak to your clients professionally, kindly, and politely. Thank your clients for their continued support. A thank you note following a sale or after they make a successful referral says a lot about you as an agent and how much you value them. You could also send birthday and holiday cards!
Providing top-tier customer service is crucial to the core of client relationships. Ask important questions, educate your clients, be well-informed about important changes in the industry, and keep thorough records of your client interactions, beyond strictly business. Your clients are people, they’re more than just sales and enrollments.
Your new referral marketing program is a great way to generate low-cost leads that, when maintained, can grow into lifelong client relationships. These new clients can make referrals of their own, growing to a stream of fresh referrals.
At Ritter, we aim to help agents provide top-tier customer service with ease. Follow the Ritter blog and ASG Podcast for the most important updates to the insurance industry and sales tips. With Integrity’s extensive CRM, MedicareCENTER, you can manage client plan details and appointment records in one place. Become a Ritter agent today to access tools like these and have a team of experts on your side to support your business for years to come.
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