The 'great service' trap: Make your health insurance agency stand out

It's hard for any health insurance agency to stand out in a crowded market. But, the right field marketing organization (or co-broker) can help you do just that. Below, we share the story of how we helped one new agent build a distinctive market position. If you're struggling to differentiate your agency, there are a few lessons to be learned.

Starting from square one

Recently, a new agent came to us with a familiar challenge: how to position their agency when everyone seems to be saying the same things. Instead of seeing their newcomer status as a weakness, we recognized it as an opportunity to build intentionally from the ground up, without the baggage of outdated positioning or mixed messages.

Avoiding the "great service" trap

Our first breakthrough came during a discussion about service promises. Like many agencies, they were tempted to build their positioning around "exceptional service." But as we dug deeper, we realized something crucial: every agency claims great service in its marketing, whether it delivers it or not. The market is saturated with insurance websites promising "outstanding customer service" and "going the extra mile." These phrases have lost their meaning—and consumers know it.

Now, that's not to say you shouldn't deliver great service. You absolutely should. But making service the focus of your message won't help you stand out among every other agent doing the same thing.

The search for authenticity

We began exploring different angles for the agency's positioning. Through our discussion, we discovered the agent had a genuine interest in serving self-employed individuals and small business owners. More importantly, they understood these clients' biggest challenge – lack of time.

This realization led us away from vague service promises and toward something much more concrete. Instead of claiming to offer the best service, the entire agency orbits around a clear promise: "Insurance guidance that respects your time."

Building a foundation of trust

This isn't just a tagline – it's the guiding principle for business decisions. The agency communicates primarily through digital channels, offers online scheduling, creates video explanations of complex insurance topics, and provides a mobile-friendly client website. Each choice demonstrates respect for clients' time before they ever become customers.

Sharing the story

The next challenge was spreading this message. We developed content ideas to reach busy business owners where they already spend time – on LinkedIn, in local business Facebook groups, and through partnerships with other business service providers. But instead of just talking about saving time, each piece of content demonstrates it. The agency's blog posts are concise and actionable. Their social media presence focuses on quick, valuable insights. Their website makes information easy to find and scheduling a breeze.

The power of focus

This positioning works because it solves a real problem. Business owners aren't lying awake at night wondering which insurance agent has the best service – they're wondering how to find time to deal with insurance at all. Focusing on this specific pain point demonstrates value before prospects ever reach out.

Making it work for you

The lesson isn't to copy this exactly – your agency might serve different clients with different needs. It's in the process: identify a real problem, develop a genuine solution, and prove you can deliver before making any claims.

Take time to think about your ideal clients. What keeps them up at night? What frustrates them about insurance? What can you genuinely do better than your competition? The answers to these questions will lead you to a stand-out position – not because of clever marketing, but because you solve real problems.

Your prospects are smart. They can spot empty promises from a mile away. But they'll also recognize genuine solutions to their problems. Focus on providing those solutions, and you won't have to tell people you're different – they'll see it for themselves.