You can’t tell consumers what to do. Not anymore. Give them options instead.
We live in a different type of world now. It’s a world where you can’t pick up the phone and convince someone that they need to do something. It’s a world where operating a business with old school mentality will not get you very far. You can’t tell and sell. Consumers aren’t told and then sold. The world has evolved. The consumer has evolved. It's time you did too.
It’s pretty clear that the world has evolved a lot in the last 20 years. In particular, we’ve seen some incredible advances in technology, which has enabled the consumer to be connected to everything, giving them the worlds information at their fingertips. In 1992 IBM unveiled the Simon Personal Communicator. This phone came out before the term “smartphone” was introduced (that came into play in 1995), however it was a ground breaking piece of technology which allowed users to do more than just make phone calls. It was the world’s first smartphone. Fast forward to 2007 and the world saw the release of the iPhone and life as we knew it changed forever.
Today, we see smartphone technology integrated into everyday life. You can use your smartphone to access information on everything. Access to the internet 24/7 means that consumers are more clued up on what’s going on in the world and they are able to source information in an instant. And this is why I believe it’s no longer possible for businesses to tell consumers what they should do. They know so much already or at least have the ability to find out everything themselves.
Gone are the days of telling and selling or being told and sold.
That’s the old school mentality I’m talking about and in the insurance industry those methods usually relied on using fear to drive the consumer to purchase a product. Nowadays people see through your sales pitch. They’re smart. Don’t insult them by telling them what they already know.
Consumers are very aware of the risks they face in life, it’s on TV and the internet, plastered over Facebook every day of the week! They know that if they have a mortgage and a family that they should consider getting life insurance. They know that they should have a contingency plan in place for those rainy days. They know. So don’t tell them what they already know.
What consumers are looking for are options. Here’s an example of what I mean –
Take the Big Save Furniture lady or even the Harvey Norman guy. They spend most of their weeknights on your television or on your social media forum, telling you to go to their store this weekend. Now, you don’t watch those adds and then, like some brainwashed zombie, go to their stores on the weekend and just stand there asking yourself, “What am I here for…?”. You would only go to the store because you know you need something that these stores supply. And you make the decision to go to their stores because they’ve given you an option (there’s that magical word again). And usually they’ll have a sale on, so it’s a good option and it beats their competitors.
This applies to every industry. Consumers are well educated on what their needs are (sometimes) and they only need an option, that they are happy to use, when they are ready to make a decision and purchase.
Consumers will eventually see a need for personal insurance through a change in their personal circumstances, much like someone who buys house insurance because they have a gigantic mortgage. They don’t need to be told that they need something that they themselves have not seen the need for. They’ll eventually see it for themselves.
The question is, who do they go to for help and advice when they see the need? What are the options available to them in the form of Financial Advisers and brokers? At the moment, there is only one choice… there isn't much of a difference between businesses. Everyone seems to be doing the same thing.
Consumers are looking for a point of difference. Why should they choose you over the other guy? What makes your business stand out so they want to deal with you and only you. What will make then loyal to your brand?
Evolve is doing something different. It’s a broker business with a strong social purpose. It’s a business that is designed to do more than just help consumers with their insurance needs. It’s a business designed to help people and serve humanity. How many insurance brokers do you know have their own charitable foundation and are making a difference to their community with every interaction? Not many, if any..
As a consumer, you’ll be hard pressed to look past Evolve.
Your choice can make all the difference. And this is Evolves point of difference.
Choose Evolve and you’ll choose to make a difference.