This morning, I woke up to a comment on one of my YouTube videos. It said "Spoken like a true insurance salesman." There is one company out there that is known to train (brainwash) their agents to even hating the industry they're in (and what they do themselves), but I digress. I deleted the comment. What is the difference between being a salesperson and being a client builder? I have two contexts to discuss.
Offering:
The salesperson is known to be a "one-trick pony." They master one sales track and just repeat it over and over again to new people who may buy.
The client-builder has a few, if not many, solutions to various problems. They may not do them all, but they have the professional collaborational relationships to allow these problems to be solved.
Which is better? I think a combination of the two is probably the most potent. Leading the initial approach with a great sales track and follow-up with other needs to be addressed over time.
Source of One's Sense of Professionalism:
The salesperson loves being known for the ONE THING they have mastered.
The client-builder loves that they can build a clientele to continually advise and solve multiple problems of various sizes (and compensation) over time.
Which is better? It depends on how one is wired and their objectives.
If my goal and objective is primarily to maximize my earnings, then being the salesperson would help me accomplish that objective with the least amount of obstacles.
If my goal is to build a clientele who continually looks to me for ongoing ideas and advice... and if my goal is to continually look out for them with areas they still have to be addressed almost without regard to actual sales and revenue targets, then being a client-builder is where that happens far more.
Other considerations:
Referrability:
It is my belief that a client-builder is far more referrable than a salesperson.
However, a salesperson who is known for just ONE THING is more easily thought of in conversation.
Size of Cases vs Size of Potential Relationship:
The salesperson may focus primarily on the size of the cases the continually attract and solve for. However, they continuously need to always look for someone new to talk to.
The client-builder is looking at the potential of the entire relationship over time. Repeat sales are always less expensive than continuously looking for new ones. It is always easier to sell a client than it is to sell to a new prospect.
It is said that each person will buy insurance seven times over their life. They might as well buy them all from me.
What about you David?
While my blog tends to focus on problem solving and analyzing various traditional advice, I have always been wired to be a client builder: to look for and solve various problems. Some people just aren't wired that way. That's okay as this is the insurance industry, and not necessarily a profession where most people operate in a similar way. (This is actually a good thing as it allows multiple modes of doing business.) This is just one reason why I am excited to be part of the future launch of a business owner planning designation. I need to learn more on these topics and how to deepen my relationships with business owners. I want to be "the guy" who does that, not just one thing, but many things. By evolving the existing content and writing new content, I can personally help business owners on many levels... and influence the entire insurance industry to do the same.