If you had advanced notice that your home would burn down and you had 20 minutes to grab whatever you wanted, what would you save? This was the question put to an audience of over 800 attendees at the National Conference on Home Insurers last October. The intention was to demonstrate viable areas of upsell insurance that many insurers overlook.
The number 2 answer was Christmas ornaments (click: insuring your Christmas ornaments insurance and other Christmas heirlooms) & decorations that contained family memories. The number one answer was family photos. In short, the top two answers were all about preserving family memories.
But rarely does the consumer actually consider Christmas decor. Think about it, ornaments with kids and everybody else's names on them are small snapshots of particular years and family events. Most families have sports Christmas ornaments with a son's or daughter's name on it and the championship they won. There are also baby's first Christmas ornaments, marking the top occasion in the family's existence when a new member was added. And don't forget the ornament for someone's art project, a family Christmas ornament, a new home, a first driver's license...the list is long. Each of these is just as valuable as a photograph, yet few think of this when buying their insurance policy.
When selling, ask your prospect what's most important to them in their home. While the home can be replaced, a few very special contents can never be replaced. Review these items with them, and ask them what memories they would most hate to lose.
In sum, we suggest that all agents carry a holiday photo of their family and kids in front of the Christmas tree on any and all insurance sales meetings. Show the photo to the prospect. Then they will understand. Not only are the photos themselves invaluable, but all of those Christmas ornaments gone will produce a gasp that most frequently will translate positively to your bottom line profit.