Questions For Brokers
Every person should have access to the services of a good broker. This is basically like having a personal financial advisor at your disposal. With all the different insurance and medical companies bombarding you with information, deciding on an insurance company and product can be quite testing! Your broker will act as middleman between yourself and such companies and make your life that much easier!
A broker needs to listen to their clients so that they have a clear understanding on the client’s requirements. They will then be able to suggest the best possible products to suit their clients’ needs.
What are a couple of questions you can ask brokers to test their knowledge?
What type of products do you sell? It is important that your broker specializes in the specific products you require. If you are looking for short term insurance, it might be disastrous if your broker only handles life insurance! Some brokers can assist you with anything from business and home insurance to car insurance and medical aids!
Are you part of a firm or are you independent? A broker might be connected with more than one insurance firm. This will of course depend on their fields of choice and their level of expertise. If a broker only works for a specific insurance firm, he/she will obviously try to force that company’s products onto you. Brokers are rewarded through commission and other incentives – if your broker works independently and is able to offer you a wide range of products from more than one company to choose from, your chances of getting an impartial quote are quite good!
Not all brokers are as qualified as we might think…
Tell me a bit about your financial background? You’d assume that because brokers work with money and policies on a daily basis, they’d all have formal training. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A lot of brokers are purely salespeople who have no other formal training except for the training on the products they’re selling. Would you not be so much more comfortable if your broker had proper financial training?
How long has your company been in business? You might be entrusting this person with your total lifesavings, therefore you should be 100% sure that you’re not dealing with a fly-by-night company or broker. New brokerage firms are formed on almost a daily basis; make sure that your broker is with a professional and reliable firm.
What if I want to cancel my policy? If you are not satisfied with your investment, your insurance policy, your medical aid or any other financial product, you would want to cancel or switch to another company. Enquire about the procedure and the penalty or cancellation fees involved.
Do you communicate with your clients? It is important that a broker keeps in touch! This can be by means of an email newsletter or an occasional phone call. If there are any changes to your policy or maybe exciting new products on the market, your broker should inform you immediately.
Will it be in order if I contacted some of your existing clients? Word of mouth is the best referral. If other clients are satisfied with the broker’s services, you can rest assure that you will also be taken properly care of. If the broker refuses, take your running shoes and get out of there!
Are you only available during office hours? This is very important as life does not stick to office hours! If you have an emergency and need to get hold of your broker, you need to know that they will be available!
Follow the above guidelines carefully – the result will be a good relationship with your broker and the assurance that your requirements are properly taken care of!
Brokers are there to make our lives easier – by choosing the perfect broker for your requirements, your insurance will be smooth sailing from now on!