James over at the InsureMe Affiliate Blog sent something my way this morning (I say "over" like he doesn't sit across the hall from me) and it's exactly the kind of thing that insurance agents should take note of.

Here's the deal. Listen up and listen closely.

Seth Godin, "agent of change" and marketing extraordinaire got wind of this [true] story, where a guy did some off-roading in his little Citroen C2 and had to file a claim with his insurance company.

In return, his insurance company sent him a toy SUV and told him he'd probably have better luck in his off-roading endeavors in a different vehicle.

The story's originator had this to say about it:

"We laughed out loud. Who woulda thunk it, an insurance company with a sense of humour?"

The point is this: insurance is inherently boring. It will never be exciting or funny or sexy or any of the things that make consumers go wild. But you're not boring. I'm willing to bet that you have a personality, a soul and a sense of humor. And the more evident you make this, the more you stand out from your competitors and the more your existing clients are going to talk about you to their friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.

The world is full of wallflowers. When it comes to business, the last thing you want to do is blend in with the crowd.

So get out of your box. Stand up and stretch a little bit. You'll find that it feels pretty good. And it may bring one heck of an ROI.