More
than 90% of companies with more than 11 employees use a CRM to manage their
business better. This includes insurance agencies – yet a targeted CRM for
insurance agents can be hard to find and can be even harder to implement.
Independent insurance agents using the Partner Platform agency
management system are looking for a CRM that fits their agency-specific
needs. They’re looking for a CRM that:
Builds a meaningful pipeline and tracks it in a
single system
Uses shared information to deliver meaningful
coaching to producers
Better manages companies by providing insights
into why “Company A” responded to a quote while “Company B” did not
Increases understanding of lead sources and win percentage
…all within the unique constructs of independent insurance agency operations. When confronted with this challenge, we suggest agencies take the following steps to bring the right CRM into their agency.
Independent agencies are unique in how they sell
and manage new business. Your CRM system
should reflect how you do business and provide structure for greater efficiency
and improved results.
A quality
CRM experience starts with a system that integrates with your agency management
system. Once you have an integrated CRM, the next step is to ensure customizable
workflows, dashboards, and reporting, along with high-quality training and
support. With full system integration, customization, and continued support,
your agency has a solid base for successful CRM usage.
2. Audit and clean your data
Up
to 30% of data stored in CRMs is considered “not useful” to the businesses
that use it. That useless data usually stems from database neglect, with
agencies declining to clean data before transferring it to their CRM. If you
start with clean data, you’ve already saved dozens of hours of backtracking and
deleting or editing incomplete or outdated information. Save yourself the
headache and get ahead of data cleansing.
Think about how you want to use your CRM to align
processes with sales activity. Do you want to look at producer progress? See
how one industry responds to messaging versus another sector? Are you looking
to identify lead sources and win percentages?
Your answers will determine your CRM structuring:
naming conventions, critical data fields, and reporting, among other areas.
Identify these structures at the onset to avoid confusion and eliminate
backtracking to rename misallocated information or find lost data.
4. Identify prospect segments and test how best to reach them
Data segmentation and grouping is the hallmark of a
CRM. Identify segments within your data and begin organizing. Segments include prospects
in the same geographic location, businesses by industry, current versus lost
customers, and a host of others.
Once you segment your data, you can determine and
implement targeted outreach tactics for each group. The more segmentation you
have, the easier it is to understand how different groups respond to tactics. Segmentation
can also help you identify niche markets so you can pursue clients in those
markets and communicate your value.
Gain the Prospecting Tools and Training You Need with
Partner Platform
Get the customization, integration, and training
you need to get the most out of your CRM with Partner Platform.
Our integrated experience means all you need is a
single data transfer to access our
agency management system and Producer
Results Manager CRM among other tools. This all-in-one system provides data
and training consistency, ensuring your entire agency is connected within one
solution, improving your selling process and results.
Research shows almost 70% of insurance consumers
do an online search before making their purchase. That means 70% of your
prospects are looking for you online. Are you one of the insurance websites
that will keep them engaged?
With “insurance near me” online searches growing by over 100% in the last two years, you need to be one of the stand-out insurance agency websites to make an impression. To stay competitive, be sure your site includes:
1. Clear branding elements
Your agency website should clearly state: “This is
us. This is what we do. This is what we value.” That means giving your agency
name and logo prominence and using your branding (logos, colors, and text)
throughout the site. Have your mission or value statement front and center and
include photos of your community to show your personalized approach.
2. Succinct messaging and minimal text
There’s no doubt a lot you can say about your
agency and why you’re the best choice in town, but your website isn’t the place
for too much detail. Focus on getting across the services you offer, the value
you bring, and how people can get in touch with you.
Despite the high volume of online searches, close to
80% of insurance consumers call an agency before closing the deal. You can fill
in all the details and personal stories on the phone, but your website should
get right to the point to get you connected.
To foster that connection, you need a consistent, prominent
call to action throughout your site. This could be a “Contact Us” or “Get a
Quote” button or another action-oriented callout. Prospects shouldn’t need to
search to figure out how to get in touch – make it obvious.
4. Mobile access
More than half of online insurance searches take place via a
mobile device. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile access, it can get
scrambled when viewed on such devices, frustrating prospects and turning them
away. Ensure your site can adapt so it looks its best no matter how someone
finds it.
As we have cited before, Microsoft
found 90% of consumers worldwide expect organizations to offer a self-service
portal. Insurance agencies are no exception. Besides providing an online
self-service portal, you need to ensure your client portal integrates with your
management system, CRM, and other customer data-driven software. The more your
agency tools connect, the smoother your operations.
Get All Your Agency Website Must-Haves in One Place
If you’re looking for an experienced partner to
help you craft an engaging, professional agency website, the Partner Platform
team has you covered. We now offer custom, agency-branded sites to help
agencies promote their brand and better serve their customers.
We work closely with all our independent
insurance agency clients to determine and create the best agency management
experience for their business. Over the years, we’ve tackled the highest needs
of the time, ranging from accounting integration to cloud-based
system security. Our Partner Platform agencies have made one need clear in
the past few years: insurance prospecting software.
As small businesses, our Partner Platform agencies are working to keep up with the sales and marketing advances big insurance provides wield. Thanks to our hard-working, innovative team, we’ve been able to equip our agencies with the tools they need to promote client growth and retention, all within one system.
The year 2020 brought transformation across all
industries, including insurance. Insurance agency software continues to evolve
in response to these transformations, prompting savvy agency owners to update
their tools and processes to respond to the needs of 2021.
A recent Chief Executive article pointed out several broad trends within the independent insurance agency: more digital interactions in the sales process, increased focus on digital customer experience, the convergence of sales and marketing, and the need to apply values in a new way.
Ken Branch echoed similar points in a recent PC360
article noting that in 2020 technology became more strategic, staffing and
communications shifted to digital, and customer service was heightened in
priority.
How can your agency respond to these changes and
apply your values in a new digital way?
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the
digital shift, and it isn’t going away.
What does that mean for independent insurance agencies?
From both a sales and customer service
perspective, independent insurance agency software systems must support more
digital interactions. These digital interactions help agencies streamline sales
and customer support, including integrating digital tools into your agency
management system for one digital agency “ecosystem.”
Upgraded digital agency sales software includes:
Insurance CRM
Marketing Automation
Text Messaging
Quoting
Proposals
eSignature
Upgraded digital customer experience software
includes:
More digital interaction not only means you need
the right digital tools, but you also need to reimagine how you use them. The
increased focus on customer experience means you need to know more about your
customers. Much of that information comes from your sales and marketing tools which,
when integrated, maximize your data stream.
A management system with built-in insurance CRM helps
you improve prospect targeting, allows you to segment audiences, and empowers
your team to use management system data to initiate conversation in informed
ways. For example, you can craft an upsell/cross-sell campaign offering clients
with active Auto and Home policies but no Umbrella policy information,
emphasizing why they might consider Umbrella and a link to schedule a conversation.
Better coordination like this improves outreach at
all levels, including helping you target the appropriate number of calls and
emails to reach a prospect without the producer having to do it all manually. Embedded
CRM and marketing allow you to schedule and send emails, texts, and letters in
bulk while simultaneously prompting producers to call at the appropriate time.
This integration of processes increases your effectiveness and decreases time
spent.
The move to digital requires new ways to support
clients and a rethinking of the customer experience through the digital lens. Ask
yourself:
How could our agency use technology such as a
client portal, agency mobile app, and agency website in a way that enhances our
unique relationship with our clients?
How do these tools offer our clients ways to
conduct business seamlessly in the digital world?
Are we giving away that relationship by using
generic versus company-branded tools?
Texting with clients has become a commonplace form
of digital communication.
Do you support texting with your clients?
Can you easily document text conversations for
E&O purposes?
Can you text clients automated policy renewal
reminders?
Your quoting and onboarding process can be
improved with digital tools as well.
How are you using digital proposals &
eSignature to improve and streamline the quoting process?
Are you sharing proposals with the client in a
secure client portal integrated into the agency website?
And you can improve your quality of service
through digital systems.
How can you use your VOIP phone system with your
agency management system to save CSRs time?
Do you provide CSRs with pop-up client
information when they receive a call?
Can CSRs click to call within your agency
management system?
Do you have easy recording and attaching phone
conversations within your system?
These small improvements lead to an overall smoother
and more fulfilling customer experience, leading to higher conversion and
retention rates.
4. Find a partner to equip you for 2021 and beyond
Need an experienced partner to help you implement
and manage your agency software and digital tools? The Partner Platform team is
equipped to bring a top-of-the-line agency management system embedded with powerful
tools such as an insurance CRM, marketing automation, client portal, agency
mobile app, and agency website into your ecosystem.
The year 2020 was one like no other: it provided
individuals and businesses worldwide with some interesting and rarely seen
challenges. Innovation, flexibility, and adaptation were required in increasing
measure to reduce risk and make the most of the opportunities that came our
way.
For the Partner Platform team at Strategic Insurance Software, the foundational service principles we practice every day were exercised in new ways and to new heights, helping us turn the many challenges of 2020 into some amazing successes. The growth and achievements of the team are truly remarkable.
In this unpredictable and challenging year, our
team worked with the Partner Platform Community to improve the Partner Platform
experience and achieved significant accomplishments including adding and
enhancing features such as:
Through it all, we as a team welcomed a dozen new
team members, celebrated births and marriages from afar, and supported each
other and our Partner Platform agencies through each new test and transition
2020 brought us.
We are thankful for our Partner Platform Community,
who expressed encouragement and appreciation as we worked through the
challenges of 2020 together. Countless positive emails and conversations on
service team experience and product enhancements make us all exceedingly proud
of our team’s commitment, effort, and accomplishments in serving the Partner
Platform Community.
We look forward to building on these successes and assisting our clients in growing and flourishing in the years ahead.
We work closely with all our independent insurance agency clients to determine and create the best agency management experience for their business. Over the years, we’ve tackled the highest needs of the time, ranging from accounting integration to cloud-based system...
The year 2020 brought transformation across all industries, including insurance. Insurance agency software continues to evolve in response to these transformations, prompting savvy agency owners to update their tools and processes to respond to the needs of 2021.
A recent Chief Executive article pointed out several broad trends within the independent insurance agency: more digital interactions in the sales process, increased focus on digital customer experience, the convergence of sales and marketing, and the need to apply values in a new way.
Among the many insurance marketing strategies out there, blogging continues to be a popular and useful tool across the years. We consider blogging an effective method and have the facts to back it up: websites with blogs have over 400% more pages indexed in Google than those without a blog, and more than 60% of consumers made a purchase based on a blog post.
