This Thanksgiving, when many of us
get together with friends and family we may not have seen in a while, we’re
going to have different kinds of relationships with the people at the table.
Some may be close, others not so close, and some might even be downright
challenging (let’s remember not to talk politics with Uncle Paul).
Relationships are always subject to change. Allies turn into enemies and adversaries become staunch supporters. The US doesn’t officially relate to Cuba, but not relating is its own kind of relationship. And that, too, is subject to change.
Our business relationships - with clients, prospects, vendors, etc. - aren’t fixed either. Prospects become clients, and can go on to become advocates to refer more clients. Clients, if we don’t support those relationships, can become problem clients, or former clients.
Expecting change
Change is a certainty. We know it’s going to happen; we just don’t know when. And depending on our particular point of view, any change can seem positive or negative: a major prospect’s agent messes up and we win the account; a company we’ve insured for years is sold and we’re replaced.
When we have an account already, we embrace the status quo; when we’re out selling, we’re fighting against it. Selling is all about change. We have something to offer that will change the companies we sell to for the better. Why else would anyone buy from us?
Selling is also about relationships. The insurance buyer is trading one relationship for another. And the seller, the insurance producer, is starting a new relationship. If we want our relationships to be enduring, we have to nurture them with care and attention.
No one wants to be the agent in question when the business owner complains that, “The only time I hear from my agent is when he calls to renew our policies.” Are we so busy chasing new relationships that we’re not paying enough attention to the ones we already have? Every producer knows that it’s six or seven times harder (at least!) to sell a new account than to keep the ones we already have.
Since we know change is inevitable, the best way way to deal with it is to expect it.
Change can be anticipated, encouraged, or sometimes avoided if we are alert and proactive.
- We can monitor the local business reports and watch news feeds to for new hires, promotions, expansions, contractions, acquisitions and mergers at our client companies and in the industries we care about. These changes signal new opportunities, or tell us we should pay more attention to an existing relationship.
- We can stay in touch with former clients and prospects via newsletters, blog posts and other media. The prospect that stayed with her incumbent agent three years ago when you quoted now finds that he has moved to another state, and she’s not comfortable with his replacement.
