5 Tips On How to Establish Yourself as a Trusted Insurance Advisor

Trusted Sales Advisors

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing screen-sharing expert Gilsi Sigvaldason, co-founder of CrankWheel, to get his insights on how insurance agents can establish themselves as trusted advisors.

CrankWheel provides visual sales software that enables real-time screen sharing on any device during sales calls. This helps agents explain policies clearly and build trust with prospects.

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According to Gilsi, the key to becoming a trusted advisor is to focus on genuinely helping clients, not just making sales:

“At the end of the line, what matters really is like to build that trust, to go as far as you can and use technology that is relevant for the prospect.”

Our Top 5 Tips to Become a Trusted Advisor

Here are five tips for insurance agents to establish themselves as trusted advisors:

1. Take Time to Understand Each Client's Unique Needs

Avoid taking a one-size-fits-all approach. Ask questions to understand each prospect's specific situation and tailor recommendations accordingly.

As Gilsi explained, you need to sell insurance in a way that feels personalized for each client:

“I think it's always important to do whatever you can to sell to the prospect how he wants to.”

According to PWC, 73% of all people point to customer experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions.

2. Educate Clients on Their Options

Thoroughly explain different policies and coverages. Leverage visuals to illustrate key information. Clients want a trusted advisor who can clearly explain their options.

Per Gilsi:

“To explain something complicated, for example, a policy over the phone and hoping that the end user will understand it, I think it's just impossible. You have to show it.”

Learn 11 tips for building rapport during insurance phone sales by checking out this guide on mastering insurance phone sales.

3. Be Transparent About Costs

Break down rates in simple terms. Ensure clients understand what's included and not included in a policy's price. Surprises erode trust.

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4. Avoid Overpromising

Set realistic expectations about what a policy covers and doesn't cover. Underpromising and overdelivering is better than the reverse.

5. Follow Up and Check In

Proactively follow up to answer additional questions and see if they need any changes to coverage. This shows you have their best interest in mind long-term.

The key is demonstrating authenticity, not just trying to make a quick sale. Tools like CrankWheel help agents establish trust by enabling visual selling.

According to PWC customer experience leaders have more than a 16% advantage over competitors in willingness to buy, repurchase, and recommend.

Building Trust with Visual Sales Tools

As Gilsi explained, visual sales tools like CrankWheel are game changers for establishing trust and credibility:

“A lot of agents that come to us to explain actually what they like most about is how simple it is to get people connected.”

Being able to instantly show custom quotes, comparisons, and policy details during calls is incredibly powerful. This clarity and transparency build trust quickly.

According to Gilsi:

“To explain something complicated, for example, a policy over the phone and hoping that the end user will understand it, I think it's just impossible. You have to show it.”

Leverage Visuals to Demonstrate Value

Gilsi from CrankWheel explained that visual sales tools are game-changers for establishing credibility and trust with prospects. Being able to instantly show custom quotes, policy comparisons, and details during calls is incredibly powerful.

According to research from CrankWheel, over 80% of agents using their visual selling platform have seen dramatic improvements in sales. The ability to visually demonstrate value and transparency sets top advisors apart.

Some key benefits of visual selling tools like CrankWheel:

• Walk prospects through quotes, coverage options, and specifics on-screen during calls.
• Provide side-by-side comparisons of different policies tailored to their needs.
• Ensure complete understanding by illustrating complex policies visually.
• Build trust and credibility by being completely transparent.

Gilsi emphasized that “You have to show it” when explaining complicated policies. Visuals are a must for establishing yourself as a trusted insurance advisor.

Success Stories from Trusted Advisors

CrankWheel users have seen dramatic improvements in sales and retention by leveraging visuals to establish themselves as trusted advisors.

For example, some U.S. independent agents boosted sales by 40-80% by showing impossible visual proofs over the phone alone. Many now use CrankWheel for 60-80% of calls instead of just booking meetings.

The ability to provide personalized and transparent recommendations sets top advisors apart. Tools that make this seamless are difference-makers.

Get strategies to boost insurance phone sales conversion rates by reading this article on selling insurance over the phone.

Adopt Visual Tools to See Results

The success stories from top insurance advisors using CrankWheel highlight the power of adopting visual sales tools. As the examples show, leveraging visuals pays dividends for agents focused on building trust.

Some best practices based on their success:

• Set aside dedicated time to learn new visual sales technology. Mastering the tools is key.
• Use visuals to explain policies thoroughly and manage expectations. This establishes credibility.
• Share custom illustrations tailored to each client's unique situation. Personalization builds trust.
• Proactively follow up with visuals to reinforce understanding. This provides ongoing value.
• Track sales metrics before and after adopting visual tools. Quantify the business impact.

As the research shows, best-in-class insurance advisors are 67% more likely to use sales technologies consistently. Committing to mastering CrankWheel and other visual tools creates significant opportunities to accelerate growth.

Key Takeaways for Becoming a Trusted Advisor

Here are a few critical tips for insurance agents to keep in mind:

• Take time to understand each client's unique needs and tailor recommendations. Don't take a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Thoroughly educate clients on their options using visuals and clear explanations. Set proper coverage expectations.
• Be transparent about costs and avoid overpromising policies. Manage expectations properly.
• Proactively follow up and check in to show you have their long-term interest in mind.
• Use visual sales tools to instantly show custom quotes, comparisons, and policy details during calls. This establishes trust and credibility.

The bottom line is that clients want insurance advisors who make personalized recommendations based on their needs, not just salespeople pushing policies. Agents can dramatically increase sales and retention by focusing on building long-term trust.

Conclusion

As Gilsi emphasized in our interview, “Humans want the bio of humans.” While AI and automation will continue advancing, real human connections remain absolutely essential for sales success, especially for complex products like insurance.

The key is to sell insurance in a way that feels personalized, authentic, and human-to-human. Gilsi said, “What matters is to build that trust, to go as far as you can, and use relevant technology for the prospect.” Solutions like CrankWheel that enable frictionless visual selling help agents adapt to each individual prospect's needs and preferences.

Applying rapport-building techniques and visual sales tools allows agents to turn more prospects into delighted customers who refer others. Gilsi explained, “A lot of agents that come to us to explain what they like most about is how simple it is to connect people.”

The future is bright for agents who focus on trust and embrace technologies like CrankWheel to connect with prospects conveniently across any channel. The human touch remains vital even as remote selling grows.

To experience how CrankWheel enables frictionless visual selling, start a free 14-day trial here.

Listen to our Software Spotlight podcast episode featuring CrankWheel: Childhood friends Gilsi Sigvaldason and his co-founder created screen-sharing software CrankWheel to simplify sales calls and demos. Integrating email, calendar, and tools to capture interactions effortlessly, CrankWheel’s timeline visualizations help agents sell faster by sharing screens on any device without prospects downloading anything.