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ThinkAdvisor

Life Health > Health Insurance

How agents can attract more small business clients

By Myra Thomas

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Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) make great clients for any growing agency. Today’s SMBs employ the bulk of the nation’s workers, and the need for life and health insurance certainly adds up. If you do your homework and truly understand the SMBs to which you’re pitching, you’ll find a wealth of new sales opportunities.

Here are a few effective ways to find SMB leads. Once you get your foot in the door, check out these tips on how to win over SMB leaders.

Generating SMB Leads

The best way to get your foot in the door with any company is to reach out to someone they know and trust. That’s especially true for SMBs, which tend to rely on handshakes and personal touch. So ask your current clients to identify vendors, consultants, and business partners that are also SMBs. And remember: As an agent, you’re probably not high on their list of priorities for the day, but you must respect their time. SMB owners and managers wear many hats. Get to the point quickly. It doesn’t hurt to mention that you know they’re pressed for time. They’ll appreciate the nod.

Play the Role of Educator

Money is the name of the game for most SMBs, so you’ll need to present the best options for their needs and their wallet. That means explaining how you can cut costs if appropriate and why coverage may, in some cases, cost more than expected. Educate them. Explain why they shouldn’t cut corners. Talk facts. An SMB owner is less familiar than you about the nuances of life and health insurance. Make sure you present yourself as a subject matter expert for SMBs. They are sure to have questions. Be prepared to answer them.

Deal with Key People

Before you even speak with the client, sit down with their true decision-makers. SMBs often have a number of staffers who can make key decisions. If you’re dealing with a very small business, you’d be surprised who handles, say, human resources issues, including employee life and health insurance needs. However, they’re probably unlikely to be the person that writes the check. Know who you’re talking to and why. It all depends on the organization. It might take a few calls to figure this out, but to maximize your time, you’ll need to target your sales pitch.

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