If you’ve been reading our blog, you’re aware of the time-saving potential of insurance downloads through your carriers. You’ve read up on how to get started, set up downloads, and sat back to watch the efficiency flow. It’s very “set it and forget it” – right?
You may be missing something.
Downloads sync automatically and − while this is a huge benefit to your operations and workflow− it makes them easy to forget. If it’s been a while since you connected with your carriers, you may be missing out on updates.
Carriers add new lines of business and update download capabilities often. Establishing and fostering a relationship with your carriers can help you stay up to date and take advantage of these improvements. Here are some key ways to build and maintain this experience:
See how Partner XE connects agencies with carriers here.
Get on the same page
Like your agency, each carrier is unique. Find out how they operate and decide on best practices to synchronize your workflows and processes. Focus on questions such as:
- Is policy data downloadable?
- How will it be stored in your agency management system?
- How will you report and resolve errors?
- How will you address policy synchronization?
Get the details on commercial insurance downloads in our Commercial Lines Downloads eGuide.
Establish trust
Entrepreneur.com named trust as the #1 quality to look for in a business partner. Your carriers are important partners in your business, making trust a big deal. Make sure you maintain transparency and honesty throughout your working relationship.
Stay in touch
As with all successful relationships, communication is key. Take your carriers’ calls and make time to meet with them when they stop in. Communicate about issues and when things are going right. The time you put in will be well worth it.
Move forward together
Innovation is important and changes will happen. Reach out to your carriers when you need updates. Communicate your requests and be willing to make changes on your end to implement. Even small actions can make a big difference.
Keep checking in
Carriers may not always reach out when updates are made. You can stay up to date on changes your carriers make via the IVANS exchange. Simply log in to ensure you’re receiving all the downloads available with each carrier.
Maintaining this connection with your carriers allows you to reap the benefits of insurance downloads linked to your carriers, such as:
- Elimination of manual policy data entry
- Increased time to focus on sales and customer service
- Decreased E&O
- Simplified, more consistent workflow
Read a step-by-step guide to setting up insurance downloads.
At SIS, we prioritize maximizing agency automation. With almost 340 carriers now available for download and growing, agencies can access dozens of personal, commercial, and direct bill commission downloads. And our clients can easily add carriers to our list − just contact SIS and we’ll work on adding them. Find out more about our automation solutions and other Partner XE features at https://sispartnerplatform.com.
Sarah Deak has been contributing to the SIS team since 2013, covering topics like agency perpetuation, workflow improvements, data security, and marketing. She has a background in small business, working with organizations to improve their online presence and client engagement. Sarah also writes for the SIS newsletters and website, and counts herself lucky to hear from our many passionate, hard-working clients for our client stories. Her favorite part about working for SIS are the dedicated, service-minded people.