Key Takeaways

• Workflow automation streamlines repetitive tasks and client communications, reducing reliance on manual reminders and checklists.
• Automated workflows create consistency and improve client engagement by ensuring regular, timely contact without extra effort from your team.
• Six critical agency processes—birthday greetings, prospect follow-up, lead form responses, application updates, renewals, and license expiration alerts—are prime candidates for automation to boost efficiency and retention.

Automating Tasks, Reminders, & Communication

Do you ever feel (or even look like) the guy in the image above? Surrounded by post-it notes and paper files to remind you of upcoming to-dos, you likely feel overwhelmed and a little frustrated. 

Have you ever considered workflow automation to automate some of the tasks you tend to do a lot to rid yourself of the post-it reminders and paper checklists?

We define an automated workflow as a series of tasks created automatically when a specific event occurs. These tasks can be emails to prospects, activities assigned to agents, and much more. Automated workflows are built to increase efficiency and accuracy in each business process at your agency.

However, there are more benefits to automation than increasing efficiency or making your life easier. Often times, workflow automation includes some communication with clients meaning you’re staying in touch with them which is what they want. With automation, you’re able to keep regular contact with clients without adding any time or to-dos to your schedule.

Another major benefit of workflow automation is creating consistent processes. Once you find a process that works for you and your client, you can put automation to work for you. 

A good example of this is policy renewals. You can draw out the flow of what you’d like policy renewals to follow, and then set up automated emails and task assignments to ensure it gets done. 

If you’re unsure of what you’d automate in your agency, take a look at these 6 examples of automated workflows.

6 common tasks or communication that you should consider automating:

1. Happy Birthday

To keep in contact and stand out, send an email to any or all of your contacts wishing them a happy birthday. Did you know that only 44% of insurance clients heard from their agent in the last 18 months? Let your clients know that you’re thinking of them even when they aren’t actively buying coverage from you. Next time they’re in the market to buy, they’ll think of you first.

2. New Individual Prospect

When someone shows interest in your agency, you want to capitalize on that opportunity immediately. With automation, you can automatically create a task for someone to follow-up with the new prospect added to your database. With a due date and setting a priority (high!), they’ll know to reach out ASAP.

3. Lead Form Submitted

You should always be aiming to follow-up with leads immediately because 50% of sales go to the first vendor who responds. In fact, if you follow up with web leads within 5 minutes, you’re 9 times more likely to convert them. 

Here’s where automation can serve you well. Automatically send an email to thank the new lead for their interest, confirm their submission on your form, and let them know you'll be reaching out. Then, assign an activity to an agent to be sure someone reaches out to the lead ASAP.

4. Policy Application Process

The difference between good insurance agencies and great insurance agencies is the degree of personalized service they offer their clients. You can add to your personalized service by keeping your clients in the loop throughout the policy application process. 

Think about sending an email to the potential policyholder at each stage of the process that you believe would be important for them to know, and automate this communication so it isn’t interrupting the rest of your day-to-day. Keep yourself or other agents on task with automated task assignment that ensures this process runs smoothly.

5. Policy Renewal

Proactive communication around policy renewals is an incredibly important part of client retention. Get a jumpstart on policy renewals with an automated reminder to be sure it’s on the agent of record’s radar, and send an email to the policyholder to get them in the mindset as well. When you begin a task early, you’re more likely to complete it in a timely manner without feeling stressed.

6. Agent License Expiration

Whether you’re thinking about your own license expirations or helping out agents you manage, reminders, for when their license expiration is approaching, are helpful and appreciated. This way, you’ll rest assured knowing you and your agents are on top of their licenses (and E&O expirations, if you automate those as well!).

What other processes could you see yourself using workflow automation for at your agency?

Quick Answers about Workflow Automation

1. What is a workflow automation in an insurance agency context?
It’s a system that automatically triggers tasks like emails, calls, or reminders based on specific events or dates, streamlining communication and task management.

2. Why should my agency automate birthday greetings?
Sending automated birthday emails keeps your agency top of mind with clients and adds a personal touch that fosters long-term relationships.

3. How does automation improve lead follow-up?
Automated lead follow-ups ensure fast, prioritized responses, crucial since 50% of sales go to the first vendor who contacts a lead.

4. Can policy application communications be automated?
Yes, automating updates throughout the policy application process keeps clients informed and agents on task, improving service and satisfaction.

5. How do automated renewals help with retention?
Early, automated renewal reminders reduce the chance of lapses and help agents manage renewals proactively, boosting client retention.

This blog post was originally published on 9/26/2016; it was updated and republished on 6/24/2025.