Insurance Journal Southcentral_2010.07.19
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This article provides suggestions for small insurance agencies to highlight their value and importance within their local community. It recommends agencies calculate and promote large numbers, such as the total property value they insure or number of local policyholders, to portray themselves as a major protection force. Examples include over $500 million in insured homeowners' property or insuring assets of local businesses totaling $250 million in annual sales. The article advises agencies to display these impressive numbers on their website, social media, newsletter, and other materials to define themselves in a prominent way within their community.
![Idea Exchange Growing Your Property Casualty Agency
Make Your Agency Look Big Even If Its Not
Small Agencies Are Bigger Than They Think
By Alan Shulman Shulman
T he problem with being a small insur-
ance agency in the land of marketing
giants is that its hard to be taken seriously.
erage. Now, which number is more impos-
ing: 2,000 or half a billion? You can also
feature additional P/C, individual life, group
Us to a dedicated page that displays the
descriptive totals. Either way, place the
numbers under a heading like, We proudly
Why should a consumer or business buy insurance, and more in a similarly illuminat- protect the residents and businesses of the
from a little neighborhood office when there ing manner. Here are some examples. [Anytown] community.
are humungous enterprises like GEICO out Social media: Broadcast the above num-
there? Obviously bigger is better, right? Yes $250,000,000 in personal property for bers to your Twitter followers in a series of
and no. local homeowners. teaser tweets, such as We provide over a
[Calculated as: 2,000 homeowners poli- half a billion dollars in homeowners insur-
Bigger Is Not Always Better cies with contents insured at an average ance protection for Anytown residents. True
Yes, its better to be perceived as big of $125,000 per policy, when your personal or false? [URL]. Link each tweet to your
and no because being big comes with a property limit is typically 50 percent of the sites page that displays the totals. Post more
whole other set of problems. Some of which dwelling limit.] teasers on your agencys Facebook wall.
are seemingly insurmountable. Ask GM, for You can even proclaim the numbers, albeit
example. Regardless, most people prefer to More than $600,000,000 of personal in a more muted manner, via updates to
buy stuff from bigger outfits. It offers the liability for local homeowners. your LinkedIn connections. Plus, similarly
illusion of stability and [Calculated as: 2,000 homeowners policies note these dramatic totals in your agencys
competence. Still, many with a limit of $300,000 comprehensive e-newsletter or blog. Another option is to
local agencies are substan- personal liability, plus all personal umbrella record and post a supporting video with
tially bigger than they policies.] an intro from a
themselves imagine. Its principal, colorful
a matter of impression. If 10,000 local drivers. charts, and a slide- What really
they compare themselves [Calculated as: 4,000 auto policies with an show displaying counts is how
to the nations largest average of 2.5 drivers per policy.] photos of selected
direct marketers and the properties that you important a
Insurance Journal Top 100 Assets of area firms selling more than insure. small office is
agencies, then yes, theyre $250 million in annual goods & services.
relatively modest opera- [Calculated as: 300 commercial accounts Define Yourself to the commu-
tions. But, thats not what matters. What with average annual receipts of $850,000.] Dont let the nity it serves.
really counts is how important a small office mammoths you
is to the community it serves. This impres- Tout Your Community Protection compete against
sion is invaluable when marketing to both Promote your agencys value to the com- define your office as tiny and irrelevant.
personal and commercial prospects. Heres munity by touting numbers like those above. Instead, proudly broadcast your worth in
one way to do it without fibbing. Each one represents the depth of protection the most favorable and public ways. Turn a
provided by your office. The total amount of potential negative (your size) into a positive
Numbers Never Lie (Sort Of) personal and commercial assets that you pro- (your community value) by using numbers
Even volume-challenged agencies can tect within your marketing territory can run such as those above to help in this regard. If
generate some very significant numbers. So, into the billions. Thats impressive. Reveal you dont clearly proclaim who you are, your
boldly tout what you protect by displaying your calculated sums on your Web site, on competition will do it for you. And thats not
them to maximum effect. For instance if the various social networks, and via other exactly healthy for your long-term survival.
your agency writes 2,000 homeowners poli- agency communication venues.
cies insured with an average dwelling limit Web site: Locate the above digits on Shulman, CPCU, is the publisher of Agency Ideas, a sub-
of $250,000 each, you protect some $500 mil- your About Us page. Its one of the first scription-only sales and marketing newsletter. He is also
lion in real property for area homeowners. places that interested prospects visit when the author of the many tools posted on the Agency Ideas
Increase this number by 10 percent if you they want to learn more about an organiza- Instant Download Store. Phone: 800-724-1435. E-mail: alan@
elect to include appurtenant structures cov- tion. Or if you prefer, link from the About agencyideas.com. Web site: www.agencyideas.com.
www.insurancejournal.com July 19, 2010 INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL REGION | N1](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/insurancejournalsouthcentral2010-07-19-100726170927-phpapp02/85/Insurance-Journal-Southcentral_2010-07-19-1-320.jpg)
Insurance Journal Southcentral_2010.07.19
- 1. Idea Exchange Growing Your Property Casualty Agency Make Your Agency Look Big Even If Its Not Small Agencies Are Bigger Than They Think By Alan Shulman Shulman T he problem with being a small insur- ance agency in the land of marketing giants is that its hard to be taken seriously. erage. Now, which number is more impos- ing: 2,000 or half a billion? You can also feature additional P/C, individual life, group Us to a dedicated page that displays the descriptive totals. Either way, place the numbers under a heading like, We proudly Why should a consumer or business buy insurance, and more in a similarly illuminat- protect the residents and businesses of the from a little neighborhood office when there ing manner. Here are some examples. [Anytown] community. are humungous enterprises like GEICO out Social media: Broadcast the above num- there? Obviously bigger is better, right? Yes $250,000,000 in personal property for bers to your Twitter followers in a series of and no. local homeowners. teaser tweets, such as We provide over a [Calculated as: 2,000 homeowners poli- half a billion dollars in homeowners insur- Bigger Is Not Always Better cies with contents insured at an average ance protection for Anytown residents. True Yes, its better to be perceived as big of $125,000 per policy, when your personal or false? [URL]. Link each tweet to your and no because being big comes with a property limit is typically 50 percent of the sites page that displays the totals. Post more whole other set of problems. Some of which dwelling limit.] teasers on your agencys Facebook wall. are seemingly insurmountable. Ask GM, for You can even proclaim the numbers, albeit example. Regardless, most people prefer to More than $600,000,000 of personal in a more muted manner, via updates to buy stuff from bigger outfits. It offers the liability for local homeowners. your LinkedIn connections. Plus, similarly illusion of stability and [Calculated as: 2,000 homeowners policies note these dramatic totals in your agencys competence. Still, many with a limit of $300,000 comprehensive e-newsletter or blog. Another option is to local agencies are substan- personal liability, plus all personal umbrella record and post a supporting video with tially bigger than they policies.] an intro from a themselves imagine. Its principal, colorful a matter of impression. If 10,000 local drivers. charts, and a slide- What really they compare themselves [Calculated as: 4,000 auto policies with an show displaying counts is how to the nations largest average of 2.5 drivers per policy.] photos of selected direct marketers and the properties that you important a Insurance Journal Top 100 Assets of area firms selling more than insure. small office is agencies, then yes, theyre $250 million in annual goods & services. relatively modest opera- [Calculated as: 300 commercial accounts Define Yourself to the commu- tions. But, thats not what matters. What with average annual receipts of $850,000.] Dont let the nity it serves. really counts is how important a small office mammoths you is to the community it serves. This impres- Tout Your Community Protection compete against sion is invaluable when marketing to both Promote your agencys value to the com- define your office as tiny and irrelevant. personal and commercial prospects. Heres munity by touting numbers like those above. Instead, proudly broadcast your worth in one way to do it without fibbing. Each one represents the depth of protection the most favorable and public ways. Turn a provided by your office. The total amount of potential negative (your size) into a positive Numbers Never Lie (Sort Of) personal and commercial assets that you pro- (your community value) by using numbers Even volume-challenged agencies can tect within your marketing territory can run such as those above to help in this regard. If generate some very significant numbers. So, into the billions. Thats impressive. Reveal you dont clearly proclaim who you are, your boldly tout what you protect by displaying your calculated sums on your Web site, on competition will do it for you. And thats not them to maximum effect. For instance if the various social networks, and via other exactly healthy for your long-term survival. your agency writes 2,000 homeowners poli- agency communication venues. cies insured with an average dwelling limit Web site: Locate the above digits on Shulman, CPCU, is the publisher of Agency Ideas, a sub- of $250,000 each, you protect some $500 mil- your About Us page. Its one of the first scription-only sales and marketing newsletter. He is also lion in real property for area homeowners. places that interested prospects visit when the author of the many tools posted on the Agency Ideas Increase this number by 10 percent if you they want to learn more about an organiza- Instant Download Store. Phone: 800-724-1435. E-mail: alan@ elect to include appurtenant structures cov- tion. Or if you prefer, link from the About agencyideas.com. Web site: www.agencyideas.com. www.insurancejournal.com July 19, 2010 INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL REGION | N1