Agents: Look to carrier partners for AI guidance, leadership

An agent’s work is never done, but AI can make the load lighter. Here are tips for working with insurers on AI adoption.

Thirty-eight percent of independent agents (IAs) polled by Nationwide said they have adopted an AI platform for their business in the past six months. (Credit: deagreez/Adobe Stock)

The economy continues to weigh on the minds of insurance-carrier distribution partners.

A recent survey by Nationwide showed that agents are feeling the same economic pinch that their clients are. Top concerns among principal agents today include:

Roughly seven in 10 said their business has been negatively impacted by inflation or rising living costs (70%) and high interest rates (69%) in the past 6 months.

The demands on an agent’s time are not decreasing. Roughly eight out of 10 (84%) agents report an uptick in customers wanting to renegotiate policies or get better rates. That’s not a quick task, given the current state of the insurance market.

Computers can help

Fortunately, insurance professionals are embracing technology to help with this onslaught of customer requests, particularly artificial intelligence. The survey also revealed that:

The most successful insurance carriers are not only proficient with cutting-edge technology but also serve as a trusted source of information for agents and brokers looking for guidance on how to incorporate these new platforms into their day-to-day operations.

Here are some tips that Nationwide provides to our partners thinking about using AI:

  1. Clearly identify your business goals. Understanding your business objectives and pain points will help you identify areas where AI can enhance efficiency and customer experience. From there, you can research how AI is transforming your industry and look for successful use cases or emerging trends.
  2. Evaluate your current technology and choose an AI platform that will complement it. To do this, you’ll need to evaluate your needs to define the right platform to solve your business problem. Make sure you’re considering scalability and the ease of integrating the platform with your existing systems. An external vendor can help with evaluating the different platforms available, finding the one that works for your agency, and integrating it into your current system.
  3. Get employee buy-in. This will be key to ensuring your investment in AI pays off. To get employees excited and on board with using the new platform, agency owners must provide their employees robust education and training on the new platform, highlight its benefits with the staff, address any concerns, fears or misconception about using the new technology and celebrate successful uses of AI within the business.
    Lisa Gobber
  4. Stay vigilant. Agency owners should mandate that the technology be used responsibly and ethically. Since AI is always evolving, they should keep up to date with changing regulations governing the platform and offer up continuing education to agents so they can remain compliant.
  5. Work with carriers that have extensive experience using AI. Not all carriers are proficient with AI. Legacy carriers like Nationwide are more likely to have the infrastructure and expertise to help agents and agencies navigate the complexities of using the technology to support their customers.
    Nathan Lentz

Lisa Gobber is senior vice president of PL Sales & Distribution with Nationwide. Nathan Lentz a Nationwide regional vice president in Small Commercial Sales and Distribution. This article is published with permission from Nationwide and may not be reproduced.

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