What’s your insurance marketing style? Robin or Bumble Bee?

Last Monday, a beautiful red-breasted robin took up residence in our front yard.

He marked his arrival by knocking repeatedly on my front living room window at 5 a.m. The knocking was funny at first, but after three hours and 100 more knocks, I realized we had a psycho stalker-bird in our midst. He flew into our window over and over again, not to be dissuaded my family or my dog’s effort to scare him away. Finally, I shut the blinds. That slowed him down for a few minutes.  Then he moved down to the next room and started hurling himself against my dining room windows.

Seven days have now passed and the blinds in both rooms are still closed. Every morning I open the blinds, hoping that the robin is gone. Every morning, he immediately starts hurling himself at my windows.  In my dark house, I’m starting to have dark thoughts about this robin.

I’ve noticed a few other visitors in my front yard too. The honey bees are productively buzzing around the flowers and trees. I’m glad to see them because I know that their efforts will bring lots of blossoms and maybe even some pears in a few months.

What’s the point of this ramble? It occurred to me that there are two types of insurance marketing professionals – the crazy robins and the productive bumble bees. Which one are you?

• Bumblebees contact their prospects respectfully in the manner the prospects most prefer.  Crazy robins contact prospects haphazardly – usually in the time and method most convenient for the robin. Robins never pay attention to business cycles and workflow considerations. They’re happy to interrupt prospects and invade pace during prospects’ busiest times.
• Crazy robins think only of their own needs. On the other hand, helpful bumblebees constantly think of ways to provide value and improve the prospects’ working environment with helpful tips, sales tools and ideas.
• Bumble bees are methodical and patient. They don’t expect instant gratification, but they know if they do their job well, they’ll eventually see results. They understand the value of nurturing their leads. Crazy robins want an immediate YES.

I could probably think of many more robin and bumblebee examples, but I’m sure you get the point. To be a successful insurance marketing professional, you have to start by putting your prospects’ needs ahead of your own.  Go forth and pollinate!