Community Archives | Insurance Agency Management System by Strategic Insurance Software

2019 Partner Regional Learning Recap

We wrapped up another round of engaging Partner Regional Learnings with visits to Massachusetts and Connecticut. The groups of 20-30 each had a great time learning how to maximize the insurance management system Partner Platform and provided great insights into future upgrades and enhancements.

At each Learning, we always see a nice blend of new and tenured clients. This mixture of skill and experience levels leads to stimulating collaboration, with each Partner agency learning helpful tips and tricks for system use.

Hear from our Partner agencies on our Client Stories page

Partner Regional Learnings are never “another boring software event.” Each training focuses on using the Partner Platform the best way possible and engaging superusers in feedback sessions for enhancements. Ideas vary by state, specifically around state-specific insurance regulations, but are always thoughtful and innovative. Engaging with such a vibrant, creative community is invigorating!

One of the best parts of the Regional Learnings are the questions. Commonly asked questions tend to focus on efficiency. Our Partner agents want to make sure they’re using the Partner Platform the best way possible. We focus on every little click and keystroke, highlighting ways to do more with fewer actions. These shortcuts make a huge difference in areas like document management and certificates. No matter how long someone has used the system, they’ll always learn something new.

Find out more about our Partner Platform training opportunities

We’re grateful our Partner community engages in this way. Agencies who embrace coming to regional events like these, attending webinars and joining us at national industry conferences have a significant impact on the direction of SIS, Partner Platform, and our industry partners. Engagement in the Partner community means shaping our goals and growth, which in turn impacts the growth of our Partner agencies.

We look forward to meeting with all our Partner Community later this month at the 2019 Partner XE User Community National Conference at our Columbus, OH headquarters. Find out more about this and other Partner Community events at https://partneragents.com.

What to Expect at the 2019 Partner XE Community National User Conference

Community, News and Events

Here at Strategic Insurance Software, there is one thing I am most looking forward to in 2019: the Partner XE Community National User Conference.

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What Does Service Mean to Your Independent Insurance Agency?

Choosing an Agency Management System, Community

“The service was excellent.”

This sentence is music to any business owner’s ears. Being known for great customer care and service is the golden ticket to lasting success. So, what does great service look like? We asked Strategic Insurance Software (SIS) staff and clients to talk a bit about what it means to serve and why they’re motivated to go above and beyond for their customers and clients.

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Maine Agency Reflects on the Power of Personalization

Choosing an Agency Management System, Community

The Thayer family has been running Batchelder Brothers Insurance in Sanford, ME for more than 140 years and counting. With history like that, the family-run business has become a cornerstone in the small town. “Our agency is committed to showing the people in this town that we care by protecting their interests, families, and businesses,” owner Andrew Thayer said of the agency. And it’s that care that attracted him to SIS and the Partner XE agency management system.

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More than a Provider: Our Partnership Credo in Three Parts

Choosing an Agency Management System, Community

Running a successful business requires a great team. And not just the people on the payroll. All members of your community – employees, business partners, service providers, and other connections – impact your efforts in some way. Choosing the right community members has a huge impact on your business.

Your agency management system provider is a part of that community. At SIS we take this role seriously – we’re not just providing our partner agencies with a product, we’re creating an experience. And that experience is partnership.

Learn more about who we are at SIS and what partnership means to us

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Behind the Scenes: Partner XE Community Workgroups

Community

At SIS, Partner is who we are, and Community is how we work. Our Partner XE Workgroups are a hallmark of that community. These groups provide critical feedback on Partner XE updates and help shape our Partner XE management system into the versatile, efficient tool our agencies need.

Today we’ll take a look behind the scenes of this invaluable part of the Partner XE Community.

Find out more about the Partner XE User Community here

Who are part of the Partner XE Workgroups?

Workgroup membership is open to anyone in a Partner XE agency. Comprised of a mix of veterans and newcomers, representatives from Partner XE agencies elect to join a Workgroup focusing on a specific area in the Partner XE system.

Each group contains 8-10 members who meet quarterly, sharing ideas and coming up with practical solutions to improve Partner XE and the Partner XE Community.

What happens in a Workgroup?

Each Workgroup hones in on a specific area, such as Accounting, Mobile, or Commercial Lines. Recently, we’ve focused on our CRM and Marketing Automation products, coming in Fall 2018.

Check out our most recent product release, the Partner XE Client Portal

Our Workgroups started as conference calls, with one member taking and sharing notes. But, we found large group conversations didn’t offer enough time for each agency to share their thoughts. So, in true SIS fashion, we innovated and started focused calls with each Workgroup member agency.

In each call, the SIS team shares screens and walks through Partner XE enhancements and updates with Workgroup members, getting their opinions along the way. Then, we follow up with screenshots of improvement mock-ups for another round of feedback before making live changes. Through this process, we ensure each Partner XE update is agency tested and approved.

Get an inside look at Partner XE by viewing a demo today!

Why have Partner XE Workgroups?

The answer is simple: Partner XE agencies are the authorities on what they need to serve their clients and grow their agency. Each Partner XE update is based on these specific needs. Some examples of enhancements that came out of Workgroups are:

Certificate Management enhancement
Document Management system
Policy Details screen updates

Upcoming development projects from Workgroups include:

CRM and Marketing Automation products
Claims Management updates
Attaching documents to activities
And more to come in Partner XE 2018.3 this Fall!

Curious to know more about the Partner XE Workgroups and how you can get involved? Contact me, SIS Director of Product Management, Bryce Lee, at blee@sispartnerplatform.com. Or, to join the team of Partner XE agencies, contact one of our team members at sales@sisware.com

Data Security and Your Agency

by Sarah Deak | May 23, 2019

We’re living in a digital world. It’s estimated that by 2040, 95 percent of purchases will be via online methods. And with good reason – digital purchasing is faster, more efficient, and less expensive for both merchant and buyer. But there is still a part of digital business that looms: cyber-attacks on your insurance agency systems.

It’s reported that by 2018 nearly 70 percent of businesses experienced a cyber-attack. Even scarier, a Nationwide survey showed only 9 percent of companies said they were victims of an attack when in fact, after seeing a list of harmful activity, at least 50 percent had experienced one. Chances are those businesses didn’t know how to prevent an attack, either.

Get more detailed info on protecting your agency in our Cyber Security and Data Protection eGuide

Knowing the Threats

The first step to protecting your agency and its data is knowing what threats are out there. The most common threats are:

Viruses infecting systems and destroying data
Hackers breaking into systems and stealing personal data
Employees leaving systems open for passersby to see and steal info

Unfortunately, the last threat is more common than you may think. IBM and Ponemon’s Institute’s Cost of a Data Breach Study showed 27 percent of data attacks were due to human error while 25 percent were a system glitch. That’s over half of cyber weaknesses falling squarely in the laps of the victims.

Read more on how to keep your agency safe from cybersecurity experts in the industry

Implementing Insurance Agency System Solutions

The good news is you have control over these vulnerabilities. You can decrease your likelihood of attack through a few simple agency system solutions:

Limit access to sensitive data
Require multi-character encrypted passwords that change regularly to access data
Conduct background checks on employees who access sensitive information
Educate employees on best practices, such as only accessing data on private networks
House data on a secure, off-site server with redundant back-up and outsourced security monitoring
Regularly test your security systems, including drills for employees
Purchase liability insurance for your agency in case of unpreventable threats

Read the Top 4 Reasons to House Your Insurance Data Offsite on our blog

Finding a Partner You Can Trust

At SIS, we always have security top of mind. Every Partner Platform upgrade is coupled with security testing, ensuring we’re handing our Partner agencies a safe, secure, effective tool. And we leverage state-of-the-art technology to hold customer data in facilities with geographic redundancy, data encryption, and backups compliant with industry and government standards.

We work hard to earn and keep our Partner agencies’ trust. See what they have to say about our security and service: check out our Client Stories page to find out more.

Insurance Management System Musts: Integrated Text Messaging

by Sarah Deak | May 16, 2019

Close to 90% of people say they always have their smartphone close. That’s 90% of people who can read and respond to anything sent to their phone almost immediately. With that sort of accessibility, integrated texting is a critical insurance management system tool. Texting is a great way to get short, important messaging to your agency’s prospects and clients, providing the convenient communication they desire.

Texting and Your Agency: Efficiency and Safety

Texting is not only fast, it’s also effective: texting open rates are around 98% while email is still hovering around less than 25%. With texting, you can schedule messaging knowing the recipient will almost certainly read it.

Dive deeper into texting and your agency with our post on texting best practices

Beyond its speed and efficiency, texting can also be a great addition to your E&O toolbelt. Integrated texting allows you to capture everything you sent in your agency management system, attaching it to client and prospect profiles as needed. This allows you to have a permanent record of your conversation instantly.

And, texting is a lifesaver when it comes to claims management. Texting allows clients to take photos and send information the moment an accident happens, making the information that much more reliable. In many cases, texting is even better than opening an app as it requires no sign-in and it’s a process the client knows well.

Get best practices on all agency communications on the SIS blog

Texting and the Partner Platform

At SIS, we’ve worked with our customers to provide all the efficiencies they need while remaining E&O complaint. That’s why we added integrated texting to the Partner Platform.

Texting is integrated directly so our Partner agencies can send messages right through the system and replies will be captured and paired with prospect and client profiles. And, it’s easy for clients to opt-out per texting regulations. It’s just another way Partner Platform helps your agency get more done, better.

Learn more about our integrated texting, and other Partner Platform features: contact us today to view a demo and see how Partner Platform can transform your agency.

Insurance Agency Marketing for the Generations

by Sarah Deak | May 9, 2019

We’re on to part three of our look at insurance agency marketing to the generations with an analysis of the oft-stereotyped Baby Boomers. Born between the mid-1940s and mid-1960s, Boomers number an estimated 75.4 million in the U.S. Many are looking forward to retirement and have big plans for an active future.

Those big plans mean Boomers are prime consumers. Baby Boomers’ spending is estimated to increase by 58 percent over the next 20 years, while Millennials and Gen X will only increase spending by 24 percent. And, they’re doing more of their shopping online, spending more on average per transaction than Millennials.

These facts point to the same conclusion: Boomers are a powerful buying force. How do you harness that force for your agency?

Read Part One in our series: insurance marketing to the rising Generation Z

Get Personal

A recent study showed over 65 percent of Baby Boomers went for one-on-one meetings when seeking insurance. Boomer’s preference for personal interaction doesn’t stop there: the same study showed Boomers preferred any “live communication” during the purchasing process. Live communication includes over the phone and online chat – any method that gets them in touch with a real person in real-time.

Treat Them Well

It’s critical to provide great service to all customers regardless of age, but it’s especially important to Baby Boomers. They are the most likely to write off a company due to bad service. And, they’re loyal to good service. One study showed 54 percent were “very or somewhat likely” to stick with a business if their patronage was valued. Only 33 percent of Millennials agreed.

Take a look at Part Two on our series, focused on marketing to Generation X

Be Mobile Ready

Half of those 60 to 69 and almost 75 percent of people in the 50 to 59 age range own a smartphone. Yet, Boomers still face a persistent stereotype that they’re not tech savvy. Don’t be fooled. Boomers also own 1/3^rd of all tablets purchased in the U.S. Suffice to say Boomers expect websites to be mobile accessible.

Get Social

Social media continues to rise in popularity for Baby Boomers, with 82 percent belonging to at least one social platform. Though LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter are all in play, Facebook is by far the most used social platform by Boomers, coming in twice as popular as the rest. And, Boomers like to share what they find on social – they’re 19 percent more likely to do so than other generations.

Find out how to get your agency to Boomer’s scrolls in our post on Getting Your Website Seen and Heard

Use Your Words

Contrary to most marketing trends, Baby Boomers are reading what you write. They’re more likely to look at print and read whole articles than Millennials or Generation Z, so give them something to take in. When it comes to writing, Boomers look for straight talk and facts. They’ve been marketed to for years, growing up during the advertising boom, and are almost immune to gimmicky and salesy language. Be clear and honest, and avoid spelling and grammar mistakes as many Boomers take note of these small errors.

Avoid the Age Gap

Don’t call Boomers “old.” Just don’t.

Marketing to the Generations

If you’ve read the other posts in our series, you’ll know each generation is different and responds better to sometimes contrasting marketing methods. Such duplicity means you need varied marketing tactics, segmented to target each group individually.

The Partner Platform Marketing Automation Manager (MAM) is designed to tackle just this issue. With over 50 sample campaigns and 100 pre-built customizable outreach templates, Partner Platform’s MAM makes it easier to craft and send your agency messaging to a variety of audiences.

Get specifics on what MAM has to offer on our website. And while you’re there, sign up to view a demo of the system in action.

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