As agents, we have so much to juggle at once. Claims to process, customer relations, office work, calls, walk-ins, etc. With so much being managed at a time, it can be easy to let your efforts toward client retention go overlooked, even though it's essential for your agency to stay successful. Your number one priority should be how your past clients are speaking about the service and the products they dealt with as your customer. If clients feel like they're just a number on a spreadsheet for you because they didn't receive personalized attention from your agency, odds are they won't be back.
We've put together a few ways that you can male your clients feel like they're the only one you're working for. Check them out!
As an agency, you always want your phones to be dinging so you should find the best possible ways to reach out and for your clients to reach out to you. Keep in mind that no one is thumbing through the Yellow Pages to find you anymore which means you'll have to make yourself accessible in multiple ways.
Making sure your social media is up and running and all of your contact links are in working order IS A MUST. You want clients to be able to go from your Instagram page or your agency's web page directly to someone on the phone in your office. Once people have to search for your contact info, they're likely to search elsewhere.
Reaching out via email and with a handwritten note is still highly suggested to keep clients happy. But don't let that be the only way. Picking up the phone never goes out of style.
Studies show that when clients are holding policies on more than one product with you, they're going to stick around longer. A lot longer. Potentially 5x longer. With this being the case, agencies can not overlook the importance of carrying more than one type of coverage and cross-selling them to clients at every possible opportunity.
Thankfully for agents, once a client purchases a policy from you, you've usually got a year to make them happy. Throughout that year, there's a good chance you'll hear from your clients with questions or concerns. These are opportunities for you to give them top level service by responding quickly and always being prepared with info about their specific claim.
Over the course of a client's policy with you, things in their life may change, creating a need for them to contact you about more policies. If you're continually keeping your attention on them and offering the best products possible FOR THEM, chances are they'll have other friends or family who could also be in need. This is where referrals come in handy, obviously, but you can't ask for a referral before you know you're giving them the best you have over the course of that year.
Annual coverage reviews can change everything in your business. Being able to get client feedback on the products you offer and the service you provide will only help you going forward and will show your customers that you care about the products you sell and the way you sell them.
While business can sometimes seem like a cold or dirty word, it's important to remember that you and the people seeking your help, are human. Making sure that you're bringing your authentic self to your business will mean more than you realize to your clients. Don't over-automate your business so much so that your clients go a full year without hearing your voice, or seeing your face in a social media post. Your clients and prospects want to know that there's a living breathing person at the other end of the policy they're buying.
There are lots of ways to make an impact on the clients you serve. You want to make sure all of these impacts reinforce that your agency is being attentive, caring, competent and willing to do whatever it needs to do to make sure the client is happy. Follow these steps and you should be making just the impact your clients are looking for.