We all know that, for nearly every product or service, people are much more likely to buy when they receive a recommendation from a friend. For some reason, though, a lot of insurance agents are reluctant to ask their satisfied clients if they know anyone who could use their service. Other brokers ask but without much success.

Whatever the reason, if you’re not getting as many names and numbers as you’d like, here’s an idea you might want to try: instead of asking for referrals, you can ask for a testimonial—a short statement that you can share on your website or on social media. Most people are happy to give you one, and when they do you’ll have a powerful tool that will help build credibility with other prospects. After all, the first thing many people do when shopping online is read the reviews.

More importantly, though, you can then ask your clients to “like” your post of their testimonial and can even ask them to share it on their favorite social media channel along with your contact info. When they do, you’ll have an instant referral to their friends and family members who may turn around and share the post as well. The viral nature of social media helps to spread your message, and since insurance is a numbers game, you’re more likely to make a sale when more people learn what you do.

Why not give this strategy a try? And when you do, please let us know how it works. We’d love to share your success story with others.