Picture this: You get a letter in the mail. Not a bill, not an advertisement, an actual personal letter. Your heart skips a beat because you can’t remember the last time someone took the time to write to you personally.
That’s exactly the feeling Teri DiGrande creates for her insurance clients every single day.
In a world where everything has gone digital and impersonal, Terri has built her Teri DiGrande Insurance Agency on something radically different: genuine human connection. After nearly four decades in the insurance industry and fifteen years running her own State Farm agency, she’s discovered what truly sets businesses apart.
And it’s not what you think.
The Insurance World Has Completely Changed (But Most People Don’t Know It)
“If you haven’t reviewed your insurance policy since The Brady Bunch was on TV, you are missing out on discounts. You’re missing out on the right coverages,” Teri warns. “You can’t just set it and forget it anymore.”
Think about it. When Teri started in insurance, there were no cell phones. Computers were “giant dinosaurs” on desks. Applications were written by hand.
Now? Cars drive themselves. We have earthquakes in New Jersey that weren’t happening before. Hurricanes hit areas that never saw them. That hurricane deductible that seemed unnecessary five years ago? It could now mean a $20,000 out-of-pocket expense.
The problem: People treat insurance like a commodity. Set it and forget it.
The reality: Your coverage needs change as fast as technology does.
This is where personal relationships become your superpower.
Why “I Found You Online” Doesn’t Tell You Anything
Here’s a conversation every business owner knows too well:
“How did you find us?”
“I found you online.”
“Great! What site?”
“I Googled you.”
“But which site specifically?”
“Um… I don’t know.”
Sound familiar?
Teri struggles with this exact challenge. Despite having SEO, social media, and over 185 five-star reviews, she can’t pinpoint where her leads actually originate. Even with tracking systems and different phone numbers, people just say they “found her online.”
The frustrating truth: Marketing attribution is nearly impossible for service-based businesses.
The silver lining: This is exactly why personal connection matters more than ever.
While everyone else is chasing the latest digital marketing trend, Teri discovered something remarkable: 52-54% of her business comes from networking groups.
The Magic of “We’re Not Just Insurance, We Are Family”
When Lyon Creatives worked with Teri on her brand identity, one element made her arms tingle with goosebumps: her new tagline.
“We’re not just insurance, we are family.”
It wasn’t just marketing speak. It was truth.
An 85-year-old customer recently told his wife he needed to call Teri about his bill. His wife said, “No, you need to go see her. You love her anyway.” When he arrived at the office, he told Terri, “I feel like when I sit with you, I’m sitting with an old friend.”
Before leaving, he asked, “Can I just give you one more hug? I love coming here with you.”
That’s not customer service. That’s family.
Teri knows when her clients just had a baby, got married, or are going through a divorce. She calls to review coverages proactively. She thanks customers for choosing her agency because she recognizes they get dozens of insurance advertisements in the mail.
The Networking Secret That Beats Social Media Every Time
While most business owners stress about Instagram followers and Facebook engagement, Teri discovered something liberating: in-person networking delivers measurable results.
“Get off your seat and get out and do networking,” she advises. “It’s one of the biggest regrets I have that I didn’t start sooner.”
The numbers don’t lie: More than half her business comes from networking relationships.
The reason it works: People refer people they know and trust. When you know 200 people and they each know 200 people, your referral network explodes exponentially.
Social media feels impersonal. Networking creates real relationships.
“Those folks you meet in person are going to follow you on social media, and their friends will follow too. It should all be complementary,” Teri explains.
When Your Work Actually Changes Lives
Here’s why all of this: the personal relationships, the careful coverage reviews, the family approach: actually matters.
Teri received two devastating phone calls within two months. A 51-year-old client and a 47-year-old client had both passed away unexpectedly.
The 47-year-old had come to Teri when he first got married, before children, before buying his first house. She’d watched his family grow. When his wife called to report his death from leukemia, Teri’s heart broke.
But then something beautiful happened.
Because of the life insurance conversations they’d had fifteen years earlier, his wife and two daughters could stay in the home they’d created together. The family was protected during their greatest time of need.
The second client, who had no children, used her husband’s life insurance to pay off their mortgage and take the vacation they’d planned together: because that’s what he would have wanted.
“That’s when you know you did your job for a family,” Teri says, getting emotional. “We’re not just insurance, we’re family.”
Why Personal Connection Will Always Win
In our hyper-digital world, everyone can buy insurance online. Customers can get quotes in minutes, compare prices instantly, and purchase policies without talking to a human.
But when life happens: when the unexpected strikes: they want that person who knows their name, remembers their children, and treats them like family.
They want Teri.
“We’re never going to be the cheapest,” she admits. “I don’t want to be the cheapest. But when people have a choice between a cheap 1-800 number and a personal relationship, more are choosing the personal relationship.”
That’s the future of service-based businesses. Not competing on price, but competing on care.
The Takeaway for Every Business Owner
Whether you’re in insurance, consulting, or any service business, Terri’s approach offers a blueprint:
1. Review and adapt constantly. Don’t assume yesterday’s solutions work for today’s problems.
2. Invest in face-to-face networking. It delivers better ROI than social media for most service businesses.
3. Create genuine taglines that reflect your truth. “We are family” isn’t marketing: it’s how Terri actually operates.
4. Focus on relationships over transactions. When you care about people as individuals, they become loyal clients for life.
5. Remember why your work matters. Sometimes you’re not just providing a service: you’re protecting someone’s entire future.
The insurance industry might be changing rapidly, but human nature isn’t. People still want to be known, valued, and cared for.
That’s something no algorithm can replicate.
Ready to build stronger client relationships through strategic branding? Lyon Creatives helped Teri develop a brand identity that truly reflects her family-first approach. Visit our website to see how we can help your business stand out through authentic brand strategy.
Want to connect with Teri DiGrande? Visit TeryDiGrande.com or find her agency on Facebook at Morris Plains Agent, Instagram @DigrandeAgency, LinkedIn at Teri DiGrande Agency, or X (formerly Twitter) @TeriDiGrande.
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