We may be just a few weeks into the New Year but you can bet a fair few people have long since given up on their New Year’s resolutions by now. If you’ve already caved on your mission to give up sweets and you’ve failed in your plan to hit the gym five days a week, perhaps I can suggest another resolution for you to have a go at – one relating to your work life.

Unfortunately, in every industry, there is a tendency for us to fall into the habit of going through the motions. Even the very best brokers can let opportunities pass them by because they’re not actively looking for them.

When it comes to selling insurance products this is something we see a lot of. A client may come to a broker with a need for home insurance – a need which the broker will duly satisfy – but that client could well have other GI needs that even they aren’t aware of.

Do they have mortgage payment protection insurance to cover their mortgage payments should they find themselves out of work, for example? Do they have a rental property but no landlord insurance? Perhaps they have commercial insurance needs? Without asking the question the broker will never know and these lucrative sales opportunities are missed.

Of course aside from the obvious sales benefits for the broker, exploring your client’s other insurance needs allows you to offer a more holistic service to your client thus saving them the time of having to look elsewhere at a future date and ensuring you have a client for life.

Make 2016 your best year yet by vowing to stop doing the bare minimum and instead to leave no stone unturned when it comes to seeking out sales opportunities.