by: Mark D. Milbrod, CLU
Partner, Agent Support Group
I just came back from a meeting where I had the pleasure of listening to Ross Shafer. Ross is a former stand-up comedian, an Emmy winning talk show host and entrepreneur. His topic was about staying relevant in a changing world. We especially, as insurance professionals, are faced with a tremendous amount of change and disruption on a daily basis. We can easily find ourselves in deep trouble down the road if we don’t find ways to stay relevant and move with the curve.
During his presentation, Ross put up a very interesting slide. It read as follows…
“Success is not about who you know, it’s about who knows you”
He goes on to tell the audience that this is something that his father told him years before. We all go to meetings and hear many things. But you know what they say, if you walk away with one important item when you attend a meeting, it was worth it. This quote was just that.
It started the wheels turning in my head and I wanted to share what I feel is a very strong statement. As sales people, we all “know” a lot of people. These people we “know” are potential prospects that we hope to ultimately change into clients.
How do we do that? How do we get them to know who we are? There are so many services that we provide but what is the best way to get noticed and stand out amongst our competition/peers? In order to truly set ourselves apart and be noticed, we need to do things that make us unique (and noticeable). Here are some ideas that might get you noticed…
- Conduct Educational Lunch & Learns for Small to Mid-Sized Companies
There are so many small to mid-sized companies that would welcome a speaker coming in and educating their employees on topics that can help them. It’s important to keep the topics educational in nature and shouldn’t be a sales pitch. The topics can be about Estate Planning Basics, The Importance of a Will or The Need for Long Term Insurance and the Types That Are Available. Most employers will even pay for the lunch for their employees and a pick up a lot of goodwill along the way.
- Sponsor Local Chamber of Commerce Events
Get involved and sponsor local Chamber of Commerce events. They are always looking for speakers and you get a chance to meet other local business owners. Topics here can include a variety of business related topics such as Business Continuation, Buy-Sell Planning & Retirement Planning.
- Be Active at Community Events
Look for community events such as a National Night Out, Street Fairs & Festivals. Set up an outdoor canopy with a display table highlighting your goods and services. These events draw a lot of families who can surely utilize our goods and services. Make it a fun atmosphere that will attract people to you.
- Be a Sponsor of a Local Youth Sports Team
Every town has local youth sports teams. Whether its baseball, football, soccer, hockey, etc., sponsor a team by providing uniforms with your name on it and possibly some needed equipment. The cost is usually reasonable.
- Write a Monthly Column for a Local Community Newspaper
Each month, pick a related financial topic to write about. Have your picture in the article and a brief bio. People will not only start recognizing you as an expert in your field, but they will see you around the neighborhood and know who you are.
These are just a few suggestions of how to get yourself noticed a bit more.
Because after all, It’s Not Who You Know, It’s About Who Knows You!
Find more of Mark’s Bark’s Blogs on our website: http://www.asglife.com/insurance-view/marks-barks-blog/