4 Awesome Retention Tips That May Also Bring in New Business

52% of Insurance Consumers are Relationship Buyers

One of the best ways to set yourself apart as an insurance agent is with the service you provide both your current clients and prospects. Proving that you are both their provider and their partner is crucial to having a long-term happy client.

But service isn’t everything. There are multiple things you can do to boost retention, and the happiness from these efforts can even trickle down and return as new business for you. Remember, happy clients are 3x more likely to refer!

So what are some things you can do to improve your retention? Well, that’s what we’re going to discuss today. I’ve cherry-picked 4 ways you can improve your retention that may also result in new business for you.

Communication

Regardless of the kind of relationship you have, communication can make it or break it. Make sure you’re doing all that you can to make it by being the best communicator you can be. There are a couple of processes you can implement into your current day-to-day to help you achieve this.

Keep Detailed Notes

When it comes to keeping notes, I always think about the gal who cuts my hair.

I only see her a time or two each year, but she never fails to remember what’s going on in my life. She’ll ask if I’m still enjoying living downtown, if I’m doing any races this year and how those are going, about our cats (and remembers their names!), if I’m still dating the same guy, and much, much more.

I know she has notes stored somewhere, but it’s still the thought that counts. Each time it makes me feel special, and that’s one of the reasons why I keep going back to her.

Are you doing this, too?

If not, then you should seriously consider starting to do so soon. It’s not too hard to implement stellar client-centered communication into your current process—especially if you have an agency management system (AMS) or CRM helping you manage your book.

If you don’t have a system where you can store notes about your clients, then you’ll have to use paper and sticky notes instead. Paper is great for many things, but it does have some serious drawbacks like:

• It’s easily lost or misplaced
• If you spill your coffee on it, your message will likely disappear
• It doesn’t automatically update with new information
• It can be thrown away by accident
• It’s anything but efficient

With an industry-specific AMS, you’re able to keep all of your notes in one centralized location tied to the client or prospect. This is super convenient for when you have a client or prospect call in since you can pull up all of their information in a second or two. That way you start every conversation intelligently and are able to get to the meat of the problem faster.

Each time you chat with that client or prospect you can update their information to include the most relevant notes to their current situation. It could be something as simple as their grandson Jonny is 4 and loves baseball or they’re in the middle of a divorce, so don’t ask about the partner.

These notes help you to keep that personal touch with your clients and prospects which helps them feel more connected to you. It’s far easier to leave someone you don’t feel a connection with than someone who puts in the time and effort to get to know you.

Having the AMS also helps when you’re gone unexpectedly or on vacation. Someone at your office will be able to log in, see all of that client’s information, and help them without having to bother you during your time off.

Caring enough to maintain thorough details on your clients and prospects increases retention by making them feel like a priority; plus, it helps you be efficient!

Automated Communication

Automation can help you save serious time when it comes to routine communications with your clients and prospects. This can include everything from basic touch points to alerts about policy approvals and expirations.

Automated communication is only possible when you have a software in place with automation capabilities. In AgencyBloc, we call these Automated Workflows. Automated Workflows help you stay in contact with your clients and prospects to help boost retention, relay general information, and save you the hassle of remembering to send manual emails.

The benefit of using automated communications is that they allow you to accomplish more in less time with less effort. You can stay in better, more informed contact with your clients and prospects, and important details aren’t missed like they can be when it’s left up to your memory.

Some examples of workflows our agencies leverage include:

• Happy birthday
• New prospect
• Lead form submitted
• Policy application submitted
• Policy application approved
• Policy renewal
• Agent license expiration

Client Appreciation Days

Get out of the office and have fun with your clients and prospects with client appreciation events. There are loads of things you can do, but here are some ideas from Medicare Cafe that you could consider:

• Picnic/Potluck/Grill Out (don’t forget yard games!)
• Open House
• Movie Nights—you could host them in your office or at a park, or sponsor one at a local theater

Think of it as an opportunity to really get to know your clients and prospects (and their families!) on a personal level without the weight of shop talk or expectations hanging over your heads.

Your clients and prospects will be thankful that you took the time to put the shindig together and will be even more excited to attend. Plus, they’ll likely tell their friends and people around town will see the flyers/signs and will be interested in what’s going on. This could help you bring in new business, get referral business, and just get your name out there with a positive association.

Regardless of what comes of it, it’s a fun time for everyone to get together, relax, and unwind—and it helps you build a stronger relationship with your clients.

Host Educational Seminars

This is especially important for those agents who sell to the 65+ market as that’s one of the places where consumers feel the most flux. Help fill those needs and calm their nerves by providing them with essential education that will help them down the road.

These seminars are beneficial for both clients and prospects as they can both learn and gather takeaways for next steps. Host these seminars where the 65+’ers habitually go.

This is also a great option if you deal mainly in group policies. It often costs employers more to have their 65+ employees on their group plan rather than on Medicare. Plus, it’s cheaper for the employee. But, many employers and employees aren’t always aware of this.

Use these educational seminars as an opportunity to inform them of these benefits. Invite CEOs, CFOs, partners, founders, and other high-ranking business decision makers to your presentation so you can relay this crucial information.

You can do a series or one-off presentations to best fit the needs of your audience and their time constraints. Just don’t forget to bring your contact information and additional marketing materials!

Partner With Other Professionals

It can be extremely beneficial (and lucrative) for you to partner with other industry professionals. Find partners in areas that aren’t your expertise to create a mutually beneficial relationship. This helps you both grow your businesses without forcing you each to expand and compete.

Remember, people are relationship buyers. Make things easier on yourself and bring in referrals just by being reliable, trustworthy, and helpful. Those traits stand out to clients and will stand out to potential professional connections as they’ll want to vet you before they recommend you.

For many professionals, these partnerships are based on mutual growth and not focused on “finder’s fees”. Instead, both gain from the partnership as they’re each sending quality candidates to the other with the client’s best interests in mind.

It helps to reduce stress for you, helps you grow your own book of business by allowing you to do what you’re already good at, and allows you to focus on improving your efforts and be the best agent you possibly can be.

You can find these professionals at local meetups, by joining local associations, at tradeshows and conferences, and by giving presentations. Your clients will have more respect for you if you point them in the direction of someone who can truly help them fill their need. By helping them, they’ll see you as a true advisor they can ultimately trust and will help them stay longer and be a happier client for you.

For many clients and prospects, a great agent is the one that goes out of their way to make them feel like a priority. Make the effort, do something out of the box, and reap the benefits.