New to the producing game? Differentiate.
You’re new to the producing game. Which means you have no experience, no track record of performance, no client history, no client reviews and no testimonials.
How do you stand out?
What’s your first step?
What’s your approach to lead generation?
Why are prospects going to listen to you? Trust you?
Why are prospects going to choose you over another producer who’s been in the game for years?
And how do you show your boss, be it manager or principal, that you have what it takes to succeed?
Start with your messaging.
Nail Your Messaging (and Differentiator) First
It doesn’t matter if your tactical execution is on LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram.
If you cold call or attend local, in-person networking events.
In a commoditized and competitive field, your message is going to be what separates you from your competitors.
You’d be forgiven if you didn’t feel a little overwhelmed, at first.
It’s okay. Acknowledge it. Then take your first step to building your differentiated brand.
For you 'new to the game' producers, here’s an approach to consider.
#1: Who are you?
Think about who you are. I’m continually told that insurance is a people business. Which means you’re the product. Your values, characteristics, knowledge, expertise. These are all your features.
Get clear on who you are. Paint a vivid picture of yourself.
And I don’t mean a resume version. Get real. Think about going off-script, just a little.
It’s not that you have to share all of this. But you need to understand who you are, how others might see you BEFORE you can create a compelling ‘why’.
#2: Who is your ideal client?
Do the same exercise, but on the type of client you want to work with.
Pick a segment or niche of focus on. This isn’t about limiting your potential for revenue growth. It’s about focusing your marketing efforts.
Then you can repeat the process on another segment. Then another.
Now think about the person you are selling to. Who are they? What do they value? What are their perceptions of insurance? Brokers? What are their expectations?
One, maybe two of these, become your gap. You’ll identify something that you can use to set yourself apart.
#3: Who are your competitors?
Get to know who you’re competing with, at both the producer and brokerage level.
Understand how they prospect. How they present themselves. What they say. What they do.
Your prospects don’t think of you in a vacuum. They think of you in relation to your competitors. Better yet, your prospects (who you hope become your ideal clients) likely lump you in a group with all of the other insurance brokers out there.
Understanding this is key to building a message that can stand out.
#4: Why are you different?
Which brings us back to you. How are you different? Why are you different? What is it about you that cuts through the competitive noise, is the signal that causes an ear to perk up?
The foundation to a positioning strategy is figuring out how you are different from your competitors. And not just different for the sake of being different.
But meaningfully different.
That’s why you go through the exercise of understanding who your ideal client is.
Patrice Banks & Girls Auto Clinic
Patrice Banks started an all-female auto shop. Went back to mechanic school to learn the trade. Works off of the premise of empowering women to really understand their vehicles. She gives free workshops to help women become what she calls, sheCANics.
Here's my analysis on how she tapped into her value system to create a differentiated offer AND connect with a specific target audience.
Patrice: I believe in female empowerment, knowledge, self-esteem
Her ideal client: As a woman, I feel uncomfortable in traditional, male-led auto body shops where male mechanics are patronizing and make me feel like I couldn’t possibly understand auto repair.
Patrice: We (Girls Auto Clinic) understand how you feel. We’ve created a safe space for women to get respectful treatment. We help you take control by giving you the knowledge and training to know what is happening to your vehicle, and why. And we’ll never talk down to you.
I shared an Instagram post on LinkedIn about Patrice and Girls Auto Clinic.
The comments tell you why this business resonates with the right target audience.
It takes courage to be different. To zero-in on an offering for a subset of a market. But in the competitive, commoditized service arena, being different is the path to being relevant.
And remembered.
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Two ways you can help your new producers (or help yourself if you are a new producer):
1) Take my WHY YOU! Marketing System course here: https://www.benevolentmarketing.com/the-system
2) Follow me at https://www.eatingmyowndogfood.com/ as I apply the WHY YOU! course to my own marketing & messaging