Maybe there really is no difference – captive and Independent insurance agents do almost exactly the same thing – captives stick by their company, promoting their line of auto, home, life, and [maybe] business insurance policies to their clients. Independent agents represent multiple companies, promoting a vast wilderness of insurance products.
Sure, independent agents have a few more companies to choose from, but really- the same concept and the same industry should naturally yield the same culture and results; a culture of brown suit, pencil-biting, ex-accountants that only worry about making numbers balance out for them. And if you’re truly lucky, you can find an agent who really cares about your needs and understands what coverage your specific lifestyle calls for.
Popular perception holds that insurance can’t be fun. It never leaves its cubicle, rarely engages the community at an agency level, and seems to harbor a lingering disengaged atmosphere around the insurance agent and the consumer, stifling any meaningful relationship.
Not anymore, says Prostar Insurance in Washington. It’s always a great day at Prostar, and one of the ways Prostar takes it a step further is to offer incentives for customers, especially business clients, by offering FREE social media services to startups and established businesses that haven’t quite grasped the social media scene. By utilizing a blended strategy and sharing knowledge harvested from a growing agency of bright and passionate minds, business partners receive an extra value beyond their lower insurance rates. Whether it’s Seattle restaurant insurance or Contractors Insurance, smart local business owners recognize the power of social media marketing that includes a strategic insurance agency relationship.
Prostar has evolved into an independent agency that helps clients on many levels beyond risk management and financial services. It’s all about differentiation. Many agencies still use newsletters to stay in touch. Sure, they can be informative, but quickly become worthless when the agency is integrated into social networks and when a customer knows where to access your blogs. They can choose what they want or don’t want to see at the click of a mouse, convenience is king. While it takes a patient and optimized approach, Prostar’s Washington Insurance blogs are now some of the most powerful marketing tools in place.
“The culture hath changeth”
Independent agents in 2010 are at a steep advantage over captive agents and the captive agency culture which is still stuck in the medieval times. Independent agents tend to pay attention to changing tides on the internet and have begun crafting strategic plans to energize the industry and communicate with clients better. Independent agents have free reign to blog and utilize inbound-marketing to attract clients at a personal level. Although captive insurance has caught on to the internet-craze and has the capital to invest in things like mass Facebook management and iPhone apps, they fall short when connecting to every one of their customers on a personal level.
The independent agency is small enough to connect with every one of its clients, and in turn, has the ability to capture more of the internet market because of their deep involvement in the social scene. 70% of people turn to the internet before they buy insurance, and almost everything else for that matter, so it’s no surprise independent agencies are blowing past the decades-old marketing techniques that captives still rely upon today. As independent insurance agencies promote their local, free, and independent spirit – local customers begin to learn more about what insurance really does to protect their families and customers ultimately appreciate the connections that their insurer shares with them.
“The sprit transcends the agency from within”
Independent agents never have to really ‘sell.’ The sale comes naturally (and 70%+ of the time if you’re good). Representing dozens of different companies makes the process easy and the atmosphere inside the agency clear. “The sell” is just so easy! Captive agents sell their customers on their ONE product regardless of whether their company is really the best fit for their client. That’s why the social media culture, which so often promotes options and independence, has permeated the independent insurance industry. It’s also popular among people who already take advantage of the options and freedom the internet naturally provides.
Extra blood flow to Prostar Insurance Agency brains increases productivity. “A happy insurance agent is often a better insurance agent”-
At Prostar Insurance we have an inverter table that you strap yourself into and flip upside down to hang by your ankles and stretch out your back. It has been helpful for agents, who often spend many hours in a chair, to stretch the vertebrae and remain healthy in the office. The spirit of independence often runs hand in hand with the spirit of good health and ultimately leads to a more efficient, fun, engaged, and happy agency.
This may sound too idealistic, but it’s very true in a small agency. We still talk about our ‘best water in town’ machine that provides filtered, reverse-osmosis, jedi-water that we’ve had for over a year- Every agent loves it! Healthy snacks are always a hit around the office, and inverter table competitions (for those who can take the rush of blood to the head for the longest time) are many ways to keep the spirit, morale, and health up among the agents at Prostar Insurance.
We’re happy to serve Washington’s insurance needs and look forward to spreading our modern marketing knowledge as much as our partners will engage.
A special thanks is also owed Astonish Results for getting Prostar pointed in the right direction and providing the tools necessary for success. Without Astonish, our insurance marketing strategy would not be where it is today.
Being a captive agent is like being in a bad relationship. You know, that one relationship you had where all your friends tell to get out of it because the other person is a self-righteous, narcissistic piece of filth who only cares about themselves and nobody else-