Author's note: This article is meant to agitate, motivate and inspire us all to do more as independent insurance agents. If you disagree with its premise I'd love to know why in the comments. Enjoy.

Have you ever been shopping and heard the sales person say, “Apples to apples our price is lower…” during his or her sales pitch? When the sales person said the words “apples to apples” did you feel that statement added value to what you were buying?

I bet not. I bet you felt like you were buying a commodity.

When it comes to apples, buying on price makes sense. The apples at one farm are most likely similar to the farm down the road.

But we sell insurance.

Have you ever sat down with a prospect and while delivering your proposal blurt out, “Apples to apples our price is lower…”?

You have…Even though the policy wasn't exactly “apples to apples” or maybe the prospect could have used a little more coverage in a few areas? Or worse: You don't know if the prospect could have used more coverage because all you did was price shop his current coverage?

STOP. For the love of all things holy in the insurance business, if you have any self respect as it pertains to growing your business……please, Please, PLEASE! Do not use the term “apples to apples.”

It's offensive to me, your colleagues and fellow insurance professionals. But most importantly, you offend yourself. Do you realize that by using the term “apples to apples” you're minimizing yourself and your expertise? That's what's offensive.

You're a knowledgeable, confident, experienced insurance sales professional and you allow yourself to succumb to the GEICO Complex.

…just as I had. Until I realized, grinding out home and auto business for 5 straight years, that GEICO isn't our competition. As independent insurance agents we're under heavy pressure from direct writers, especially agents that focus primarily on personal lines.

I'm no psychologist, but I know that pressure can cause stress and when we're stressed we say the damnedest things. Things like, “Let me give you an apples-to-apples comparison of your car insurance because insurance is a commodity and all that matters is price.”

We don't say that second bit about insurance being a commodity and all that matter is price do we? Yes, we do.

When you use the term “apples to apples” what you're implying to your prospect is “A computer could do my job. Thank you for throwing me a bone and letting me beg all my insurance carriers to give you a lower rate.”

The GEICO Complex.

It's pervasive. It's pandemic. It's a complete load of nonsense.

Damn it, we're independent insurance agents. We're the value creators. We're the alphas. We're the generals of the insurance industry army and we know damn well that insurance is NOT a commodity.

Have you ever been in a car accident? Have you ever had one of your clients get into a car accident? You're telling me that some insurance carriers don't handle claims better than others? You don't play favorites with where you place your business based on which insurance carriers provide better customer service?

I know I certainly do. And you do too. Because we care about our clients. Our clients are the meat and potatoes of our business and the service we provide them is NOT a commodity.

It's that damn GEICO complex. It makes us forgot about the value we deliver every day with every policy we bind, with every renewal we review, with every claim we handle.

People selling a commodity don't care like we care.

Yet we talk about “apples” and “price” just to get opportunities to quote business. This stops now.

Four reasons why:

1. There is no such thing as “apples to apples” in the insurance business.

There is always a difference somewhere be it between carriers, between policy forms, between agencies. The difference may be difficult to perceive to the untrained eye. The difference may be hidden. It may be small. But there is always a difference when you are comparing insurance products and services. We are the trained eye and it's our job to point out these differences… It's our value proposition.

2. Using the term “apples to apples” immediately implies we have no respect for the insurance product or service we are selling.

The product that I sell and the way I service that product is of a quality unlike any other. I have the utmost respect for myself and my agency. Why would I ever compare something “apples to apples” if I know in my heart it is of lesser or at least different quality? By using this term you are saying that the insurance product or service you're selling has no worth… only a price.

3. By using the term “apples to apples” you are discounting any relationship built within the transaction.

Business, like life, is built on relationships regardless if you are selling paper clips, buying insurance, or processing TPS reports. To take relationship out of a business transaction by comparing something “apples to apples” makes me physically ill… and reinforces that we can be replaced by computers.

4. The term “apples to apples” commoditizes the insurance product or service we are selling.

When you commoditize a product or service all that is left is price. You human interaction during the transaction is not necessary to sell the product or service and all that matters is price. Then an angel loses its wings…

The Rub

Light sweet crude oil is a commodity, apples are a commodity, copper is a commodity…

Insurance is NOT a commodity.

And because insurance is NOT a commodity insurance should NEVER be compared “apples to apples.”

If you use the term “apples to apples” please don't be offended, but don't tell me it's the language of the consumer. Just stop saying it!

“Apples to apples” is the commodity language of direct writers. We as independent insurance agents and the insurance products we sell are worth so much more than that.

Thank you.

Ryan Hanley is the director of Marketing for the Murray Group Insurance Services Inc., located in Albany, N.Y., where he write on issues concerning NY insurance consumers. You can also find Ryan at his content marketing blog where discusses the marketing methods he implements at the Murray Group. Subscribe to Ryan's Content Warfare Newsletter and receive a free eBook on building a successful blog.

Special Reports /

nGInsights: Apples-to-Apples Quotes and the GEICO Complex

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