Agency Operations, Product Updates
Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google are now
some of the world’s most recognizable names. Each serves customer needs in
multiple sectors, yet they all started with a single focus. Apple made
computers, Amazon sold books, and Google helped people find what they were
looking for online. Starting with that simple focus, they improved upon their
service and looked for organic ways to expand, serving new areas of their
customers’ needs.
(more…)
News and Events, Product Updates
It’s hard to believe a new decade is here, and it’s a
special one for us here at Partner Platform. We recently celebrated our 10th
anniversary and are looking forward to the decade to come. As an agency-focused
provider, we’re dedicated to giving our Partner Platform agencies the support
they need.
Get a re-cap of our 2019 User Conference celebrating
our 10th anniversary here
We’ve heard from our agencies and are now focusing on
providing smaller updates more frequently throughout the year to help them stay
up-to-date and on track to provide their customers with the best service and
experience possible. This change in update schedule will:
- Make it easier for agencies to digest new
features and get staff up-to-speed
- Provide targeted webinars, spending more time on
new features
- Allow for longer quality testing periods on each
new feature
- Produce more enhancements throughout the year
Discover all of
Partner Platform’s capabilities here
What’s to Come for Partner Platform in 2020
Our big deal for the new year is the Agency
App release. This much-anticipated feature will go live in the first
quarter of 2020, adding to our already robust personalized digital offerings.
The Agency App brings Partner Platform agencies to the forefront in the industry,
propelling them to compete one-on-one with direct writers.
Combined with our Marketing
Automation Manager, Producer
Results Manager CRM, Client
Portal, and integrated
texting, the Agency App is part of a suite of products that no other
management system provider in the market offers today.
Also in 2020, our team is focusing on three main areas:
Commercial Lines Policy details, Reporting and Analytics, and New System
Integrations. Some of our future updates include:
- Rolling out support for eDocs and messages
downloads
- Report Scheduling
- Integrating VoIP
- Adding download for Commercial Inland Marine
- Providing Premium Finance Integrations
- Adding New Comparative Rating Solutions
This is only a taste of what’s to come in the next year! Our
Partner Platform agencies can stay
updated on PartnerNet. Interested in joining the Partner Platform
community? Get in touch
at contact us at 800.747.7005, Option 6, or [email protected].
Agency Operations, Choosing an Agency Management System, Technology Trends
Having a mobile-enabled agency is critical to future growth and success. J.D. Power and Associates reported that 42% of claimants surveyed used an agency mobile app. That number will only continue to grow. As the independent channel competes with the direct writers of the world, you need this top agency management system tool.
There are two mobile apps you need to stay relevant: an internal app connecting with your agency management system and a client facing app for customers to connect to you.
Internal Mobile App: Connecting Your Team
An internally connected mobile app allows your agency team to access client, policy and claim information anywhere, anytime. That means faster service for your clients, better connection for your staff, and it even serves as back-up should your agency lose power or experience other technical issues.
An agency management system mobile app extension is also an excellent sales tool. Agents can add in notes and update prospect profiles immediately after meeting, And, they can reference game-changing info during sales conversations. Plus, a mobile app serves as a great task list, keeping your sales team on top of follow-ups and other prospect requests.
Check out these other essential tech tools you need to stay up-to-date in your agency
Client Mobile App: Leveling Up Your Customer Service
Mobile access for clients via a branded mobile app is also a must. With a mobile app, your policyholders can access account information all in one place. It’s convenient, efficient, and essential. With a mobile app, your customers should be able to:
- Search for and download your app right in the app store
- See your agency name and logo on the app icon and within the app for a fully-branded experience
- Access important policy and coverage information, ID cards, list of drivers on their policies, and claims information among other relevant documents
- File a claim or send important information back to the agency via the app
- Receive updates from you via push notifications for things like inclement weather notices, policy renewals, and billing inquiries
Before going mobile, check out these tips on handling agency technology
Getting the Right App for Your Agency
The first step in getting your agency on mobile is finding an app that fits your needs. No matter which you choose, find one that syncs with your agency management system. The data captured via mobile apps is invaluable to your agency, and you want to ensure it’s going right into your system.
At SIS, we know the power of that data. That’s why we added mobile to our Partner Platform agency management tool. This “always on” cloud-hosted access is convenient, intuitive, and secure, hitting all the boxes for a mobile management system app.
Find out more on our mobile offering and other Partner Platform capabilities at https://sispartnerplatform.com.
Marketing, Technology Trends
If you’ve been in the business for a while, you’ve seen communication methods evolve. From in-person meetings to phone calls to email, the methods for staying in touch with customers have changed throughout the years. The most recent evolution is texting – a technique used for insurance customer retention and prospecting alike.
Yet, with all new technology, challenges go hand-in-hand with benefits.
Texting Problem #1: Capturing the Conversation
Texting transmits information quickly and can get business done fast, but these interactions are difficult to capture. Many agencies struggle to save such valuable conversations in their management system as a permanent record.
Similar to email, customers text outside of business hours, meaning most conversations are on a personal cell phone or tablet. In these instances, the agent needs to remember to screenshot their exchange, email it to themselves, and attach the screenshots to their management system the next day. This is a cumbersome process, giving agency owners serious concerns about E&O exposures.
Though third-party solutions are available, even these are limited. Some require to text using email – an equally cumbersome process. Suffice to say too often precious customer data is lost during a text exchange.
Gain best practices for capturing communication in your agency management system here
Texting Problem #2: Opting Out
Many agencies have adopted highly effective mass texting to prospects and clients. Though these methods yield great results, there is concern around allowing recipients to opt-out of receiving messages.
Similar to emails, if the recipient no longer wants to be sent content, the agency must offer and track opt-outs. Most email systems are set for opt-outs but with texting it is not so easy. And, once appropriate language is created, it can be challenging to remember to include the required opt-out language at the end of each text. Such barriers can cause an agency to forgo texting altogether.
Find out how to ramp up your agency messaging in our Improving Agency Communications eGuide
The Partner XE Texting Solution
At SIS, we know these texting issues well. That’s why, with input from our partner agencies, we’ve put together the best solutions in our Partner XE agency management system.
With Partner XE, users can text right from the system, saving each conversation automatically. Texts can be sent manually at any time, or marketing texts can be scheduled to be sent to a list of recipients in the future. Plus, we automatically add opt-out reminders, making it easy for the recipient to reply “STOP” to stop receiving text messages moving forward.
Get best practices on texting in ACT’s best practices guide for independent agencies
In fact, Partner XE will automatically check the opt-out box for clients and prospects when they opt-out of messages. Then, if a marketing text is scheduled, Partner XE will skip over them and not send the message to that user.
There are a lot of agencies in the market that would like to leverage texting but are held back with these issues. Or, they just don’t feel comfortable using such new technology. We can help. Get in touch with us today at [email protected] or 800.747.7005, Option 6 to learn more.
Agency Management System Best Practices, Agency Operations
Reports are the window to your agency’s future. They tell you where you’re performing well and highlight areas to improve. And, since all your agency data is stored in your management system, they’re easy to obtain.
If you’re just getting started with reports, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. So, we’ve come up with the top reports you need to run to measure your sales success.
Start with Your Data
First things first: data coming out is only as good as data coming in. To get useful reports, you must establish insurance agency workflow procedures around data entry.
Work with your team to make data entry uniform across the agency. Discuss best practices around creating customer profiles and recording information. It’s important to ensure all policies have information – like producer, CSR, and premium amounts – assigned appropriately. Policies must be accurate and up-to-date every day to guarantee precise, clean data for accurate reports.
Cut down on data entry by using integrated systems in your agency
1.) Sales Reports
Reports: Sales Pipeline, Win/Loss Ratio, and Sales Production Reports
These reports answer a number of questions, such as:
- Where is your sales team winning and why?
- What opportunities are you not winning and where is that business ending up?
- What industries/markets is your agency succeeding in and how do you focus on growing that book of business?
Another less obvious but impactful report is an Activity report, showing where your sales team is spending their time. If you’re not tracking sales team activities in your agency, it’s time to start.
Check out these tips on how to create a winning sales team in your agency
2.) Current Business Reports
Reports: Book of Business and Production Reports
Your management system should give you a clear picture of your existing business, including breaking down by the following:
- Policies by Carrier
- Line of Business
- By Personal, Commercial, and Benefits
You can also gain current business insights by viewing CSR activities and workload by carrier, line of business, policy type, etc. Reports like these can help with managing staff, telling you which CSRs or account managers have heavier workloads than others.
3.) Financial Reports
Reports: Balance Sheet and Income Statements
As you may have guessed, accounting reports are critical for understanding success as it pertains to the agency’s bottom and top line. These reports should be clean and easy to read and review with your bookkeepers and CPAs. Financial reports tell you where money is being spent and where money is being made, helping you determine how to best use funds and investments
Find out if you’re making the most of your insurance agency accounting data on our blog
4.) Activity Reports
Reports: Activity reports by staff and customer
Activity reports can tell you if: 1) your team is spending their time effectively and 2) if they’re spending it with the right clients. Use activity reports to see if VIPs are getting the attention they deserve and if too much effort is put into leads that go nowhere.
Client portals are a great way to capture customer activities, giving insight into what customers need and how they’re interacting with your agency.
Get All the Tools You Need in One System
Getting good reports has a lot to do with the tools you use to gather data. That’s why we’ve made our Partner XE agency management system so data-friendly, with integrated accounting and email systems, a Client Portal plug-in, and our Producer Results Manager and Marketing Automation Manager to help agencies track all the essential data they need in one system.
Get the full details on how Partner XE makes reporting easy. Schedule a demo and get in touch with an SIS team member today.
