Leverage Client Testimonials: Watch Insurance Sales Soar

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Trust is essential in the insurance industry, because anything worth insuring requires an investment – your home, car, business, and even your health and life. 

Everyone needs insurance on some level, regardless of their station in life. When customers research insurance policies, they want assurance that the company will pay for their loss if they need to file a claim. 

Assurance equates to trust – trust that can easily be solidified by people who have “been there, done that.” 

If someone else has had a good experience with an insurance product, a new customer can likely expect a similar experience. When you multiply a testimony many times, the experience becomes believable and trusted. 

Client testimonials can be a powerful tool for driving insurance sales. 

In this article, we’ll explain why testimonials boost conversions and provide an overview of how to leverage them effectively. We’ll also outline the best practices for collecting and showcasing testimonials, and review some critical legal and ethical considerations. 

Shortcuts:

Social Proof: Why Testimonials Boost Conversions

6 Types of Client Testimonials

Best Practices for Collecting and Posting Testimonials

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Testimonials Build Trust Through Real-Life Experiences

Social Proof: Why Testimonials Boost Conversions

Social proofing is a psychological process where someone makes a decision after observing someone else’s actions. The concept behind social proof is that widespread actions tell us what is correct or appropriate.  

A simple example of social proofing is choosing a restaurant in a locale you’re not familiar with. You’re more likely to try a restaurant with a busy parking lot than one that’s empty. 

A restaurant filled with locals likely means the food, price, or both keep them coming back for more. Nonetheless, restaurateurs may tempt regulars to visit their new eating establishment when the buzz around town tells them it’s worth a try.  

In insurance, written testimonials work the same way as social proof does when choosing a restaurant with the tastiest cuisine. They’re real accounts given by real people. 

According to Gartner, people are more likely to rely on social proof when it’s “genuine, timely, and relevant.” You have to believe the testimony. It has to hit you at the right time, and it has to have meaning for you.

Gartner also lists three key aspects of social proof – conformity, belonging, and trust. 

  1. Conformity: We’ve learned from the time we were small that we gain acceptance by fitting in.
  2. Belonging: When a product or service aligns with our values and beliefs, we will likely take action.
  3. Trust: We can trust others’ opinions when we need to make a decision, especially when we’re on the fence about it.

A strong testimonial proves that a product or service solved someone’s pain points, boosting your credibility as a salesperson. 

6 Types of Client Testimonials

A testimonial is a statement a client makes to express why they feel your products or services are exceptional. Testimonials provide a way for customers to publicly state what your business has done for them, and how their connection with you has changed their lives for the better.   

Insurance brokers and agents commonly reserve space on their websites for client testimonials. 

That’s a great thing to do, but you don’t have to limit your testimonials to a few short quotes at the bottom of a webpage. 

Think outside the box and post testimonials in different formats. You’ll capture a broader audience by posting them on various platforms. 

Here are six ways to display client testimonials in interesting, engaging ways that you may not have considered:

  1. Written testimonial formats: In addition to short quotes, written testimonials can be in the form of customer reviews or case studies. 
  2. Video testimonials: Ask your best clients if they wouldn’t mind allowing you to feature them in a short clip that you could post publicly. Let them speak from the heart, and your target market will view them authentically.
  3. Problem-solving stories: Ask your clients to write a short story that you can share publicly about their lives before working with you and how much better things were after using your services. 
  4. Social media reviews: Share the links of your social media sites and ask your current clients to provide an honest review of your business. Reviews post in real time. Insurance prospects will trust social media reviews when they come directly from consumers. 
  5. Third-party endorsements: Encourage happy clients to post a review on third-party review sites, such as Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, or Google My Business.
  6. Display awards: Create a badge to announce awards. You could also create a carousel of images or a slideshow. You might also dedicate a separate webpage to your awards and achievements. Consider publishing a press release to publicize awards and post them on your social media platforms. 

Best Practices for Collecting and Posting Testimonials

When asking for testimonials, you’re essentially asking your clients to give public testimony to your products and professionalism. 

Some clients may feel you’re asking them to brag about you. In a sense, you are. Yet, by going about the process professionally, they’ll understand your true purpose in getting testimonials, which is to help others just as you’ve helped them. 

We’ll give you some tips about collecting good reviews and showcasing them for optimal results. 

Collecting Testimonials

Timing can be everything when you’re seeking testimonials. Give customers a chance to appreciate how much you’ve helped them. Within a week or two, they should still have positive feelings about their experience with you. 

Don’t wait too long, or their emotional connection with your product or service may start to fade. 

When asking for testimonials, you may run into objections. 

Some people will be hesitant for a variety of reasons, including:

  • They’re too busy
  • They don’t know what to say
  • They don’t know what you expect from them
  • They feel pressured or exploited
  • They’re concerned about their privacy
  • They don’t feel they write well enough

They may have other reasons for declining or delaying as well. 

Don’t be discouraged. There are steps you can take to overcome these and other objections.

First, be transparent with clients about why you’re asking for testimonials. For example, you’re likely to get a positive response to the question, “Would you be willing to give me a couple of sentences that would help someone else in the way I’ve served you?” 

Secondly, give them a few examples of testimonials your other clients have given you. It will give them an idea of what you’re looking for.

Third, give them clear instructions. For example, you could ask them to write three sentences – one describing the problem that led them to you, one demonstrating how you helped them, and one explaining how your products or services have benefited them. 

Encourage them to be specific and add details. 

Always be polite when asking for testimonies. Thank them and vocalize your appreciation for being willing to help you this way. 

When you’ve collected enough testimonials, you’ll want to showcase them to get the maximum benefit from them. 

Showcasing Testimonials Effectively

There are three keys to maximizing the impact of your testimonials – strategic placement, visual appeal, and context. 

Strategic Placement

The positioning of your testimonials can have a significant impact on how effectively they work for you. 

Good places to post them are on high-traffic pages, like your About Us page.  

Other good places for posting are on pages where clients are likely to make decisions, such as on product or landing pages. 

A spot near your call-to-action button is another viable place to add testimonials. 

Visual Appeal

Words and quotes alone can be quite effective. Nonetheless, testimonials can be even more compelling by adding visual appeal. 

A few ways to add visual appeal include adding customer photos, bold typography, and stylized testimonial boxes. 

Visual enhancements will help your testimonials stand out. They also lend a more professional appearance to your website and marketing materials.  

Context

A general quote is good if that’s all you can get but consider how much better a relatable testimony could be.

Testimonies highlighting how you solved a customer’s problems resonate with potential clients. 

For example, if price is a common objection, prospects will relate to testimonials that speak to the value you offer.   

In addition to inputting testimonials on your web pages, consider adding them to your brochures, email campaigns, and newsletters. Also, sprinkle them throughout your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages. 

Testimonials will also add impact when you integrate them into your sales presentation slides. 

How Screen-Sharing Software Helps Leverage Testimonials

A customized presentation sets you apart from other insurance salespeople using a generic presentation. For that reason, new clients will likely keep your presentation at the forefront of their minds. 

A screen-sharing tool, such as CrankWheel, opens up many options for leveraging insurance testimonials. 

For example, you can insert their name on any slide.  

You can also customize their goals and pain points and add them to your slides, making the presentation feel personal. As you continue your presentation, the wheels in their brains will start turning. They will automatically begin to see how your insurance products connect with their needs. 

With CrankWheel, you can further customize your slides by inserting hand-picked testimonials that speak directly to your client’s needs.  

With the help of screen-sharing, you can share relevant case studies that will resonate with them. Quotes from customers in similar situations will reinforce the connection.

A valuable feature of CrankWheel is its flexibility. For example, you might ask the client to choose a preferred insurance product. From there, you can select slides highlighting additional features and information about their preferred choice. 

As you wrap up your presentation and go in for the close, you can use CrankWheel to pull up your calendar and schedule a follow-up meeting to keep the momentum going. 

Ultimately, you will build a stronger connection with clients and increase your chances of converting them with the help of CrankWheel. 

When posting testimonials, legal and ethical considerations must be top of mind. Just as you may not want your name, location, or other personal information posted publicly, your clients may wish to maintain their privacy.

Compliance and transparency are the keys to leveraging testimonials while respecting clients’ rights and wishes. 

The following checklist will help you cover your bases when seeking testimonials:

Regarding reviews, be aware that customers’ feedback may occasionally be negative. Yet, by responding professionally and transparently, you can temper their annoyance and still walk away with a positive experience.

Always respond promptly to negative comments. Then, take the conversation offline to see if you can rectify the situation. Once you’ve had the chance to address the problem directly, share how you resolved the matter online. 

By addressing the situation transparently, you’re giving the audience a broader view of the situation that led to a negative review.

Testimonials Build Trust Through Real-Life Experiences

Testimonials are a valuable component of driving insurance sales. A customer who is willing to give you a testimonial is telling others they had a good experience with your insurance agency – good enough to say so publicly. 

A glowing testimonial goes a long way with potential customers. 

You can reach the broadest audience by using different types of testimonials and posting them on multiple platforms. 

For the best results, be sure to be transparent and compliant to prevent customers from being dissatisfied and other negative consequences. 

Start collecting testimonials that will build trust through real-life experiences as part of your sales efforts today. Satisfied customers are happy to share the good news via testimonials.

Just as importantly, leveraging testimonials will lead to long-term loyalty.  

Is it past time for a surge in your insurance sales? Try CrankWheel for free to personalize sales presentations and give your testimonials the maximum impact.