AIP Marketing Alliance is in the same boat as you as our team continues to adjust to remote-working, keep business as usual in a virtual environment, and provide ideas and resources to help you through these COVID-19 conditions that hopefully lessen in 2021.

Until then, AIPMA’s team encourages you to take the safety precautions with your clients and empathize with their needs as each person reacts differently to dealing with the daily in-person interactions. Taking a few safety steps, such as wearing a mask in-person or doing meetings through an online meeting platform, can keep you in touch in hopes of reducing the chances of passing along or contracting the virus.

With more people staying home and possible life events changing their needs, 2021 does open up multiple possibilities to help our clients during these challenging times. More people are now finding themselves more available through working at home, not leaving the house as much, and maybe even taking the time to read emails more often.

AIPMA is passing along a few tips to reconnect with your clients safely and are tailored toward today’s current conditions.

• Prepare Before You Call. Based on what products you sell to your clients, do a little bit of research before calling them. Are there any new life insurance or annuity products that may factor into their retirement planning? Could they be more concerned about long-term care and final expenses based on COVID-19’s effect? Would a policy review make sense at this time?
• Reach out to your clients. Most people have caller ID on home and mobile phones, so they could avoid a phone call. Right now is the BEST time to call as a new year could mean a lot of changes caused by 2020’s impact. A life event could change their life insurance, long-term care, or final expense planning. Fluctuating market conditions could make them worry about their retirement planning, which could open up an annuity conversation. If they miss your call, you can also leave a detailed voice message and follow up with an email reinforcing the reason behind your call.
• Keep your relationship personal and professional. You value your clients, but you also value your health and safety. Today’s technology makes online, virtual meetings easy for you and your clients. Agents can leverage online applications like Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, and other platforms so you can virtually meet face-to-face with your clients.
• Have your sales tools ready. While you are checking in, you don’t know where the conversation may go with your clients. AIPMA recommends having an annuity comparison tool or life insurance quote tools ready in case you need to compare options with your client. Most virtual platforms have screen sharing so that you can go through the advantages of each product with them. You also can generate an illustration and adjust it based on their feedback right there and then!
• Generate New Prospects. At the end of your online conversation, ask your clients if they know anyone else who could benefit from your services. It doesn’t hurt to ask, and it’s much easier when you have a “warm” referral from a current client. Another idea involves starting a Facebook page and inviting your clients to follow you on that social media platform. By connecting on Facebook, you can post content and keep in touch virtually plus potentially add prospects.

One more tip from the AIPMA team involves utilizing your AIPMA resources. Our business development team can generate some illustrations and product comparisons to help you prepare for your appointment. Need some additional materials to show your client? Our marketing department can create some flyers or social media graphics. Contact AIPMA at (800) 783-5206 Press #2 or email marketing@aipma.com for assistance.