Don't Rush the Sale: The Case for Micro-Engagements

One of the most common prospecting mistakes insurance agents make is rushing the sale: cold calling right before renewal, playing the “bid and quote” game, and/or asking for the business too quickly.   

There are several reasons these prospecting tactics rarely succeed: 

1. 1. Employers often have long-standing relationships with their agent, based on trust and also change avoidance. Simply quoting a rate isn’t enough of a reason for a prospect to switch. 
   2. Reaching out near renewal time is when the incumbent agent is on guard and ready to defend their valued client, making it not an ideal time to build your own relationship. 
   3. Most companies view insurance (and their agent) as a commodity (see #1 – no motivation to make a change). 

This blog offers a different strategy: building relationships and earning trust using micro-engagements to pivot into the sale discussion. We’ll explain what that means and why it works. 

What is a micro-engagement? 

A micro-engagement is one small, focused way to provide value to a prospect. The goal is to get in the door, break down incumbent relationships, and build trust, with a focus on preventing problems first, not just relying on insurance. These engagements are designed to demonstrate your value as an agent and business advisor, so you can pivot into the sales discussion. 

Before an employer will buy insurance from you, they need to know, like and trust you—and have a compelling reason to fire their existing agent. 

An effective micro-engagement includes: 

1. 1. Focus on a common employer pain point 
   2. Educational resources to help solve that pain point 
   3. A free giveaway (product or service) that solves that pain point and gets the prospect into your world 

Using this strategy positions you as a different kind of agent, one wanting to show value and assistance, and demonstrate that your agency takes a unique approach by focusing on prevention and safety (not just selling an insurance policy). 

Give away incredible value 

As you start to think about this approach to prospecting, it’s important to adopt a mindset of being a giver. You want to be helpful and genuine to prospective clients, while giving as much value as possible. 

So what should you give? There are many options. One example is educational content. Share regular thought-provoking content with prospects to keep your name top of mind and establish your expertise (here are some content ideas you could share with prospects today). 

What we have found even more successful is giving away a product or service, such as a risk assessment, compliance audit or access to a helpful software tool. You are not selling insurance (yet). Instead, your goal is to make the employer a “client” of your agency through that product or service you are giving away. 

This acts as a Trojan horse, allowing you to slip behind the defenses of the current agent. Once the client is using your product/service, you have infiltrated the current agent’s defenses using value and support, putting you in a prime position to cross-sell them into insurance. 

Emerge Apps agents do this successfully with OSHAlogs, OSHA recordkeeping software that makes OSHA compliance ridiculously easy for an employer. Learn more about OSHAlogs here. 

How to execute in 5 steps 

Follow these steps to execute the micro-engagement prospecting strategy: 

1. 1. Identify your giveaway: Determine what you want to give as your free value-add to prospects. Make sure it is aligned with your agency philosophy and expertise. You may offer access to a software tool, or offer a service such as a free mod analysis, OSHA log audit, or risk assessment. 
   2. Build a targeted prospect list: Depending on your giveaway, determine who your ideal prospect is for this strategy. It should be an employer that is your standard “ideal” client and has a specific need for your freebie. For instance, if you’re sharing workplace safety resources or tools, choose prospects with higher-than-average safety risks. 
   3. Send helpful communications: Start reaching out to your target prospects using some combination of cold calls, emails and drop-in visits. All your communications should follow this formula: 
      • Focus on one specific pain point employers face (that your freebie solves) 
      • Offer a helpful piece of content speaking to that pain point 
      • Mention that you give employers free access to your giveaway as a way to help this common challenge 
      • Ask if they would like more information 
      • And above all, do not sell insurance during this outreach 
   4. Get them hooked: When someone shows interest in your messages or your offering, get them set up with your product or service (just as you would a typical insurance client of your agency). Make sure they have training, support, and whatever they need to succeed, as this strategy relies on the prospect adopting and using the product/service so they can benefit from the value. 
   5. Keep providing help and value: This isn’t a “one and done” strategy. Once they are on board with your offering, continue communicating with them using educational content, tips to succeed with your product/service, compliance reminders, and helpful check-ins. 

At this point, you may have built a strong enough relationship to introduce the insurance sales discussion, but don’t rush it. It often takes a few micro-engagements to get a prospect primed to switch agents (and that’s okay!). Instead, pivot into a different way to offer value and continue communicating with the prospect. 

Planting seeds for future success 

You won’t win every account, but this strategy is much more effective than using the standard “bid and quote” model of cold outreach. You’ll attract better prospects, and win based on value and service, not the quote you provide. 

Think of it as planting seeds. Many of those seeds will later bloom into bountiful clients. It might be in two months, when a prospect realizes where their agent is falling short compared to you. It might be in two years, when a prospect is ready to make a change and you are the top of their list. The key is to engage and be there whenever their current agent falls short. 

Do you want to be in that position? This is the best prospecting strategy—a Trojan horse to sneak behind the current agent’s defenses and be in position when the time is right!