People who want to become insurance agents generally have abasic desire to get to know people and buildrelationships. And that should be the case, since being a goodagent means understanding not only the technical aspects of riskmanagement and coverages, but also the more personal nature ofpeople.

An agent may make the sale initially for tangible reasons suchas a good product, a good carrier or a good price. Butultimately it is the intangible qualities and the client'sconfidence in the agent's advice that transform a simpletransaction into an enduring relationship both parties value.

Establishing these relationships isn't always easy.Personalities vary, and to ensure effective communications, agentsmust have a real understanding of these differences. Here'sa quick look at five of the most common mindsets agentsencounter and tips on how to best serve these clients.

Agreeable Amelia

Although it can be nice to work with an agreeable client, it canalso be difficult to fully identify and understand the actualinsurance needs of someone who amenable to every option youpresent, even for an agent who is an expert at uncovering risk. IfAgreeable Amelia is an organization's risk manager, this approachis hardly cost-efficient. If she is a personal insurance client,she may “agree” to all of the coverage suggestions proposed andstill not have the appropriate coverage in the event of a loss. Theagent's task with Amelia is to delineate the options so that Ameliacan easily see the difference in making a choice. Don't decide forher, but make it easy for her to choose.

Curious Cornelius

This personality type is open, but inquisitive. An unpreparedagent can easily be caught off-guard by a line of questioning fromsomeone who doesn't understand how insurance works. An agent whoviews himself or herself as fully supportive of the relationshipbetween client and agent will want to learn the client's business,family and other interests in order to be better positioned torespond as a risk manager. To truly provide the best servicepossible, agents should strive for their customers to fullyunderstand the products they purchase and the related decisions.That deeper, technical understanding of the insurance mechanism maynot be required in all insurance transactions, however.Over-reliance on technical issues can, in fact, impede the processwhen the client might be better served by trusting in theagent. Businesses can host educational seminars in riskmanagement and insurance and support designation programs such asARM, ERM and CPCU when having deeper levels of technical trainingis required for team members to best represent their organization'sinterests to agents.

Nail-Biting Norbert

Although anxious personalities could be prone to gobbling upwhatever coverage they can, Nail-Biting Norberts are just as likelyto distrust that you, as an agent, have their best interests atheart. It is challenging for agents to establish relationships withthe Norberts of the world, especially when they perceive it to beagainst their best interests. Norberts may be adverse to yourrecommendations. The best approach is to acknowledge the Norberts'concerns; never underestimate the power of empathy and goodlistening. Then, provide reasonable coverage options that addresslegitimate risk management issues while allaying Norbert's fears.

Positivity Polly

Positive Pollys have a sunny outlook on life. Althoughthey're a pleasure to interact with, these folks can sometimeshave a hard time believing in worst-case scenarios and don't thinkthey need to insure against one. If it weren't for regulations,banking or shareholder interests, Positive Pollys would never findtheir way to an insurance agent. For them, bad things happenexclusively to other people. Making the case for PositivePollys to become Prudent Pollys is a reasonable and economicallycompelling way for agents to convert this personality type.

Planning Percival

Perhaps an agent's favorite client, perpetually PlanningPercivals are all about preparing for the future. However,sometimes they may be convinced they see things betterthan we do and demand the wrong type or level of coverage. Agentsenjoy interacting with Planning Percivals, and the relationship isoften viewed as one of equals, especially if Percival is abusiness' risk manager. Could Percival really know what coverage isbest for his organization over and above the agent? Reasonableminds can differ. In these cases, it is the agent's responsibilityto illustrate for Percival all available options and to confirmthat he or she is both fully informed and aware of possibleconsequences. In that way, Planning Percival can make his bestdecision for his organization.

Ideal Imelda

This client is the rarest of the breed (much like peopleactually named “Imelda”). Ideal Imeldas appreciate the trustand honesty that is so important in the agent-client relationship.Though they require a well-prepared agent (who doesn't?), IdealImeldas will ask specific questions designed to gain a betterunderstanding of their own exposures to risk and how to mitigatethem.

Agents must become accustomed to dealing with a variety ofclients as they navigate the relationship environment in order todo so successfully. Their key consideration should always beproviding the highest quality guidance and support to theirclient—no matter which personality they encounter.