Follow these steps to build your insurance client base to achieve your goals.

Reaching your sales goals can seem challenging at times. However, by focusing on the 10 specific business techniques here, it is possible to achieve your business goals. Brokers grow their business by building their client base. You do not need to be a superhero to do this, but you do have to understand your current market to make it happen.

Step One: Clarity

Be truly clear about the advantages and benefits that your brokerage offers to your existing clients. "They get great service from us," or "We are there for them, every step of the way," or "We offer a full range of policies," are NOT advantages or benefits. They are just part of the service. Make a clear list of what your clients need and want. Then decide how well your team delivers on that. Identify the specific actions taken to get your clients what they need. Then give examples of your success. This goes a long way in creating a clear picture of your business' value.

Step Two: Question your clients

When you have your target list of your customer needs and your actions, check it out with your existing clients. Go a step further and ask them what else they really value about what you do for them. Your clients are your fan base. It matters as much what keeps them happy about your service as it does what new clients will then benefit from.

Step Three: Reflect and improve

Find out what you could do better and what you do not already do that your client base needs. This exercise has two objectives – a) you learn what advantages and benefits you can use to help you find new clients, b) it reinforces in your clients' minds why they do business with you. Keeping and growing your existing client base is a key step to increasing it by adding new clients.

Step Four: Determine your message

Create “your message” – the value that you offer to persuade prospective clients to become actual clients – and deliver! Your message might vary depending on the client and their needs, but your company's story will always be a part of it. So make sure you can use company storytelling to your advantage! 

Step Five:  Identify your ideal clients

Be very clear about the 'market' you want to win over - not just 'reach'. Who are your ideal clients? Are they just like your current clients or do you see that the benefits you offer extend to additional client-types? When you know the kind of client you want - where they are, who they are, what needs and wants they have (based on Steps 2 and 3) you can begin your marketing. We like to call these ideal clients, “buyer personas.”

Step Six: Be Human

Successful marketers and salespeople 'humanize' those needs and wants. There is a human behind every decision – whether they run their own business or are the head of a household. The goal is to help your clients learn more about who you are and how you can satisfy their needs and wants.

Step Seven: Be Serious
You must divide your market into three groups: geographies (where your prospective clients are located), demographics (who they are), and psychographics (how they make decisions).

You work this way already, but you may not do it consciously. Decide where you will do your prospecting and what message you will deliver - a business owner's insurance needs are different from a parent's needs. The business owner might need group insurance coverage. Parents of young children will have diverse needs. So, you cannot just sell the idea of great service levels. The psychographics - how they make decisions, means you must decide how you will relate to the different human beings.

Some people buy from people they like, others from people they trust, others from people they respect and others from people they feel they can build a relationship with. Get these clear and you will be able to craft your message(s), so they really resonate with your prospects.

Step Eight: Communication

Decide on how you will communicate with your clients. You know where they are, you know who they are, and you know what you are going to communicate - now decide on how you are going to get your message to them. Too many brokers try to take a short cut from 'who' and 'where' to 'how' because they assume the medium is what counts - for instance, social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, or newspaper and television ads. However, the medium is just the vehicle you use. But what the vehicle carries is what is just as critical.

Step Nine: Effective mediums

Decide on the best ways to communicate with your chosen geographies, demographics, and psychographics. Which mediums will effectively carry your message to your prospects? How do you want them to respond to the communication? How will you respond to that, so you begin the client relationship?

Step Ten: Analyze and Test

Measure, evaluate, repeat, try something else, and reinforce your initial contact with your prospects. Then, continue to measure, test, and repeat until you know you are bringing in the inquiries, conversions, and referrals you need to hit your goals!

These 10 steps will keep you focused on doing what will build your client base. Once you have your marketing plan in place you can set your practical goals. If you follow these steps, use them as your performance indicators to make your future marketing decisions.