How did we get to December so fast? It always seems like we are planning our summer and then, in the blink of an eye, it’s December and we are caught up in the crazy rush to finish up projects before the New Year.

While you might want to take a moment to look back over the past year and review your wins and losses, there are also several things you could do this month that are quick and easy (and in some cases, fun) to keep your insurance business growing. And all of these suggestions are subtle enough that nobody can accuse you of being totally work-focused during the most wonderful time of the year.

Make new friends that could benefit you later!

Instead of your usual networking events, many chambers and business networking groups will host holiday parties. Take this opportunity to expand your horizons and chat with businesses that don’t need your services but might be valuable to your clients.

Making partnerships with complementary businesses could lead to referral opportunities and will expand your marketing reach. As a basic example, if your business has 300 followers on Facebook and they have 325, you could more than double your reach by mutually sharing posts. Imagine how else you might help each other out.

“The key to a complementary relationship is offering value to both your customers and your partner’s. Both you and any business you consider partnering with should gain from the experience. Before you approach a potential business ally, consider what’s in it for them as well as for you. List which benefits each of you will receive from an alliance before you bring up the possibility. Be ready to point to those benefits when you approach other businesses with whom you’d like to partner.” (Laura Grey, posted on Medium.com)

Take More Than Give

Before you hit the holiday scene, make a list of potential complementary businesses, but be open to new ideas as they come. We always recommend taking business cards from others instead of simply giving them. That way, you’re in charge of keeping in touch.

Ask For Reviews

It can be hard to gather reviews at the end of the year as people are busy, but there is no better time to get a good review than the season of joy and wonder!

You could gather reviews yourself and add them to your LinkedIn page and website, or you could use an independent service online, such as Google (you should have a Google My Business account which gives you a free and easy link to send out for reviews) or Facebook. The only downfall with the independent sites is that you have no control over what is posted, but they usually get more views than your own website, so the benefit outweighs the risk.

Reach Out

Holiday cards are a great way to keep in touch. If you have your cards printed and list ready to go, then you are ahead of the game. If not, consider sending New Year’s cards. It will give you a little more time to get them printed and in the mail, and it also will help you to stand out amongst the sea of cards that are sent each year. New Year cards are actually an excellent way to be the first person thought of as people come back from the holiday break. What a way to start the year!

We hope you are enjoying our monthly memo for agents. At Normandy Insurance, we are always looking for ways to help our agents and agencies to write more workers’ comp policies. If you’d like a way to reach new clients this winter, try sharing our blog post on winter risks and how to avoid a costly workers’ comp claim: www.normandyins.com/blog/2018-11-16-common-winter-risks-that-affect-business-owners

If you’re interested in becoming an agent with Normandy Insurance you might like to know that our agents receive excellent incentives and rewards, with full administrative support for easy quoting. To learn more, click this link: www.normandyins.com

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