Prospecting in any industry takes a combination of the right “stuff” (technology, data, people) and the right execution (systems and processes). Though it may be tempting, purchasing the best insurance prospecting software isn’t a solution on its own; you and your team need to understand how to leverage it.

We’ve worked with countless agencies to help them get their insurance prospecting software to work with and for them. Here are some common pitfalls we see in agencies struggling to put their software to work.

1. They’re not gathering the right data

What you put into your prospecting software matters. Quality data brings quality results, and outdated or incomplete data brings poor outcomes. Information like your customer’s age ranges, marketing preferences, and what they value most in their coverage is essential to understanding who you should target in your prospecting. The days of blindly calling or emailing hundreds of contacts are over – you need the right data to narrow down lists to the best fits for your agency.

2. They’re not putting data into action

Gathering the correct information is just the beginning – it’s what you do with it that affects your growth. Your agency needs to interpret data and determine how to use it. When you understand your customer’s contact preferences and pain points, the next step is to schedule marketing automation to send targeted content addressing their needs via the methods they prefer at the times that work best. You can also see opportunities for cross-selling and referrals in your data, capitalizing on your established relationships to grow your book of business.

3. They don’t have the right people in the right roles

Mismatching people and their roles in the agency is a common misstep. Especially in independent insurance agencies, staff take on multiple roles and do a lot of learning on the job. While these are valuable skills, it often means people are stuck learning or doing something that doesn’t fit their strengths.

Work to identify individuals who excel in data management and sales, targeting people with the skills and the drive for these challenging positions. Once you have the right people in the right place, add support through training and mentorship to keep them motivated and successful.

4. They’re reaching out too much or too little

Communicating with prospects is a delicate dance, and each group or individual is different. A common mistake salespeople in all industries make is using the same tactics on every prospect or lead. Personalization, especially around outreach, is highly valued in today’s sales landscape. Again, data comes into play, informing your team of how often to reach out to their contacts to keep them engaged enough without overwhelming their inboxes.

5. They’re staying stagnant

What worked last year, or even last quarter, won’t necessarily work today. It can be tempting to set up a workflow for contacting a specific group of prospects and letting it run for perpetuity, but you’ll soon find your results will wane. Habits and preferences quickly change in our digitized world, and your agency needs to stay vigilant. Update your database regularly, reevaluate processes, and continually adjust to improve results.

Make Prospecting Work for You with Partner Platform

Our Partner Platform team stays updated on prospecting in insurance, adding a host of essential technology over the years. Each enhancement comes with testing and training to find the best tools that integrate seamlessly into agency life.

With in-person, custom training, always accessible online tutorials and FAQs, and a responsive customer service team, we are confident our Partner Platform agencies have the best tech and training to make effective prospecting a part of their daily lives.

Find out more on what our Partner Platform agencies have to say and see for yourself how our sales & marketing technology works at sisparterplatform.com.