Insurance agency marketing and sales are being transformed, and customer expectations are driving the change. Yet consumers still want to buy from people they know, like and trust. Independent agents can take advantage and grow their agencies if they think differently about the customer lifecycle through these nine ways:
Get attention: Getting the consumer's attention—whether personal or business—is more difficult today than ever. A balanced marketing approach helps you engage with prospects. Informative articles on your website, Facebook ads, LinkedIn research and engagement, local networking events, and direct mail letters or postcards all attract customer attention. Training employees to be more active and successful on social platforms is another way to engage and get the attention of your ideal prospects.
Capture information: Offer a “special report” or other information in exchange for contact information. Technology automatically manages this process. When a prospect fills out a form, “the system” sends a confirmation email asking him or her to verify that he or she wants to receive the information. After confirmation, the system directs the prospect to a webpage to download the document.
Build relationships: A campaign management process allows you to stay in touch (with letters, emails or phone calls) with the individuals that requested information from you. I automatically send eight emails over 12 months (one every 45 days) to keep my name in front of a prospect.
Sell something: If you've built a solid relationship, sales will come because you have demonstrated that you're not just out to sell something, but to truly help. This builds trust and is the key to long-term profitability.
Deliver and satisfy: Continue to build trust in the relationship by creating internal processes and systems that ensure service activities are done well. Create a new client welcome process that sends nine contact pieces over 90 days and educate new clients on your services.
Upgrade coverage: The sales process doesn't stop when the prospect becomes a client. You could have a personal auto client that did not purchase liability limits as high as those you recommended. Have you created a process to regularly contact that client and suggest higher limits? What is your process for selling personal articles floaters on homeowners' policies?
Round out accounts: There are many “stupid” coverages, such as pet insurance, that most agencies don't sell. But clients are buying it—just not from you.
Keep existing business: The longer a client stays with your agency, the more profitable that client becomes. The new client welcome (deliver and satisfy) is a great way to create a renewal process—which starts after the policy is sold, even though renewal is months away.
Get referrals: Do you ask for referrals from your satisfied customers? Are you actively asking satisfied clients to leave online ratings and reviews that appear on Facebook or LinkedIn for you and your agency?
Although technology can help you create and manage the perfect customer lifecycle within your organization, you need to create a strategy before implementing the technology. These nine steps can help you create and manage your own perfect customer lifecycle and lead to long-term profitability.
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