When you’re looking to take out insurance for the different areas of your life, you may find yourself unsure of where to start. For this reason, working with an insurance agent is a fantastic idea to start navigating your options. But how do you know how to find the right insurance agent?
No matter the type of insurance you’re looking for, working with a trustworthy agent is essential for finding the best possible coverage for the best price. Let’s take a look at the steps you’ll need to take to find the right insurance agent for you.
Understand Your Needs
Understanding the type of insurance agent you need begins with understanding your own insurance needs. What type(s) of insurance coverage are you looking for? What’s your budget? How much communication do you want with your insurer?
Understanding these questions first can help you pick the best possible candidate for the job. Make sure to do your research so you have some baseline knowledge of what you’re looking for.
Read the Signs
Everyone’s been burned by a company with poor customer service, selling practices, or products. When investing in insurance, you need to make sure you’re working with a trustworthy company that puts you before profits.
When you’re searching for insurance, it usually quickly becomes clear whether your potential agent truly has your best interests in mind. The right insurance agency will do a number of things to support you and have the right characteristics and practices proving they’ll be agreeable to work with and get the job done right. Signs of a trustworthy insurance agent or company include:
- Taking the time to talk to you, understand your needs, ask you questions and run through your options with you. They won’t pressure you or rush you into making a choice.
- Offering you fully customizable packages that will give you the coverage you need without tacking on extra policies you won’t use (but will end up paying for anyway).
- Being open and honest about the different coverage and policy options you have.
- Being knowledgeable and highly experienced in the specific type of insurance you are looking for.
Alternatively, signs of an organization you don’t want to work with include pushy sales tactics, unresponsive or inattentive communication, and untrained or unspecialized agents.
Get Recommendations
Once you know what you need and some signs to watch out for, it’s time to actually find an insurance agent that fits the criteria. One good resource for finding a reputable agent, alongside searching online yourself, is to get recommendations from those around you. Friends, family, and colleagues may have worked with insurance agencies in the past that they have loved. A personal recommendation can be a great lead for finding a reputable, knowledgeable company.
Ask Questions and Meet with Prospects
When you have a shortlist of candidates, be sure to meet and talk with them to get a feel of what working with them would be like. It’s a good idea to ask questions and get a sense of their services and communication style.
Will you have a dedicated insurance agent with experience in the areas you’re looking for? Are their prices competitive? Make sure you know the answers to these and other important questions before you make your decision.
Make an Informed Choice
Now that you’ve done your research, gotten recommendations, scoped out your options, and gotten a feel for how different insurers communicate and what they offer, you’ll be prepared to make an informed decision as you choose your insurance provider.
At Bethany Insurance, we offer the dedicated care and communication, competitive pricing, and customer-focused service that businesses and individuals need in an insurer. Get in touch to learn more and get a quote from one of our expert insurance agents!
