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Anticipation

We always talk about client follow-up as the key to the next sale. Anticipating client needs before they happen or being top of mind when they do happen, significantly increases your odds of a repeat or referral sale. Here's a good sales story from this week...

I bought a new vehicle 11 months ago. At the time of delivery, the vehicle insurance transaction was done at the dealership by the dealership's preferred insurance broker. The mobile insurance representative took care of the documentation, license plates and cancelling my trade vehicle insurance. Pretty normal and expected stuff right? Sure, happens every day. I don't really expect to deal with that insurance broker ever again - their location is not anywhere near my home or office.

Well my renewal reminder letter came in the mail a few days ago. Of course I can go to whatever broker I want to do the renewal so I had on my to-do list to get the renewal handled before the end of the month. Normally (as I have done for the last 15 years) I would just drop into the insurance broker's office that is only 2 blocks away from my office and get them to print off my renewal documents and I'm good for another year. Twenty minutes of my life - pretty convenient.

Here's what happened. I received a telephone call from the broker who did the paperwork 11 months ago. They offered to print-off the renewal documents and bring them and my renewal license plate sticker by my home or office for a quick and painless renewal. I said sure. So they asked me the normal renewal questions about any changes and booked a convenient time with me for the next day. Then they asked if I had any other vehicles in the household that come due soon. I did. They did the same quick interview thing with that second vehicle and said they would bring me the documents on both. The agent showed up at my office at the appointed time with all of the documents pre-printed and we were done both vehicles in about 1 minute.

What happened? They scooped their competitors and retained me as a client by anticipating my needs, making a proactive contact, and offering a superior service. It did not happen by accident:

  • They knew when my coverage expired.
  • They planned the proactive contact.
  • They made it easy.
  • They delivered on what they said they would.

Here's the kicker: I was perfectly happy doing it the old way but instead I did business with a company from the other end of town because they were the proactive ones who stepped up the service right when I had a need. As if that wasn't enough, they pulled in a second vehicle insurance renewal just by anticipating the household has more than one vehicle. They got a sale I never would have thrown their way and then doubled the order!

Awesome!