Insurance is serious business — or is it?
Are there ways agents can make insurance fun? The short answer is: Yes.
More than 100 million viewers watched the Super Bowl and, along with the game, saw a host of funny — and maybe some not-so-funny — commercials. There were ads for Verizon with The Cable Guy, GM with Dr. Evil, and the E*Trade baby, among others: a full dose of entertainment mixed with nostalgia.
In the insurance industry, ads designed to entertain are nothing new, at least when it comes to big companies. Few people today aren’t familiar with Flo, Jake, the Emu, or the Gecko.
But when it comes to insurance agents, being funny can be a bit of a challenge. Are there ways agents can make insurance fun? The short answer is: Yes. Humor and entertainment can actually be great ways for agents to connect with their clients — and it doesn’t have to mean big budgets and advertisements. But it does take effort, an appreciation of your brand, an original approach, and a deep understanding of the audience you’re trying to reach.
“Insurance can be a complicated industry. In fact, you might say that insurance is misunderstood,” says Ariel Rivera, principal of Deer Insurance Agency in Jacksonville, Fla. That may be true, but Rivera has created ways to make insurance fun. In addition to his agency, he’s the founder of Fun Insurance Solutions, a marketing brand that produces a podcast in Spanish, among other things, and literally has fun in the name. In fact, its logo is an actual maze, like the ones you used to play in as a kid.
Rivera entertains his clients in multiple ways.
“I mix a little bit of humor with a little bit of information and a little bit of education. I offer different things to the communities we serve,” he says. “During the holidays, for example, I shared a GIF from the Home Alone movie. I didn’t include anything about insurance — my goal was to connect with people on a different level.”
Professional services, by their nature, are boring, explains Aaron Levine, founder and CEO of LG Insurance Agency.
“But we make insurance fun, so people engage with us and trust us when it does need to get complex,” Levine says. “Nobody wants to read and understand their insurance policies until it’s claim time and then it’s too late. We work to get that content out there in entertaining ways before people need it.”
Putting smiles on clients’ faces
It’s all about your perspective, says Heath Shearon, host of the Insurance Town podcast and sales coach for Agency Performance Partners. “Insurance is the tool that enables the fun. When you think of it this way, the view changes. You can’t buy a car without it, you can’t own a house without it, you can’t open a business without having insurance,” he points out.
Realizing early in his career that he couldn’t take himself too seriously, Shearon often refers to Ned Ryerson, the relentless life insurance agent from the film “Groundhog Day.” By opening a discussion with the simple statement, “I’m not going to be Ned Ryerson today,” he can make people feel more comfortable, and they can laugh at the same time. “You have to poke fun at yourself a little bit. Clients like to see that you just want to get to know them better. The sales can always come later,” he says.
One key is to make sure you’re using information that is relevant to the audiences you’re trying to reach. Rivera is a big fan of GIFs and emojis, which he says are particularly appealing to younger generations. He likes to find out what TV shows and movies people watch, then he signs his emails with a GIF from “Friends” or “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” for example.
“Insurance is usually an emotional purchase,” Shearon says. “I try to establish a relationship and build my connections using information people have shared with me.”
Levine’s audience includes realtors, business owners, homeowners and parents of young children, to name a few. “My humor is going to appeal to that demographic, my peer group. But we keep it broad enough so that we can continue to bring others into the fold as well,” he says.
Promotional giveaways can be another opportunity for agents to have fun. Levine was able to co-brand vodka with a local distillery. “The bottles included my branding and logo, and I was able to give clients and partners something memorable. I love the idea of branding in nontraditional ways like this. You can have fun doing it and have fun sharing it,” he says.
Even simple giveaways can be entertaining when approached the right way. “I just had pens made. Pens can be boring, but I put my Instagram handle on them. I didn’t put a logo on them, I didn’t put my name, I didn’t put a website, I just put @luxurygroupINS on the pens and have been dropping them wherever I wind up. A ton of new people are checking out our Instagram this way,” Levine notes.
Being funny isn’t required
Many of the agents I spoke to were clear: Being funny isn’t critical to success in connecting with clients. It’s more important to understand lifestyle trends and to be able to tell stories that people can relate to. Sharing information in an entertaining way is key.
According to Shearon, one of the most important skills is to be able to talk to people and tell stories. “Insurance is about compliance, but it doesn’t have to be boring and dull. It’s up to the agent to make it interesting,” he says.
And there is material everywhere. “You can be the most unfunny human being in the world and still be able to tell stories that engage people,” Shearon explains.
In a world in which big insurance brands are spending billions to try to capture your attention on TV, insurance agents have an important role to play when it comes to engaging with customers. Humor and entertainment are great ways to connect with clients in relatable ways.
Gerald Hemphill (ghemphill@gfhinsurance.com) is president-elect of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA). He is also the principal agent at G.F.H. Insurance Agency where he represents all lines of insurance, specializing in commercial insurance risks.
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