Digital Resource Center

As more small business owners turn to the internet to begin their search for insurance it is important that agencies start to build trust from the very beginning. Prospects most likely will not have heard of you. You need to demonstrate your value from the start.

Building trust with a potential customer begins with your website. If a website seems poorly put together, they will likely move on. But once you have them reaching out, it takes care and commitment to maintain a trusted relationship.

Here are tips on how agents can build trust online:

Make sure website is well designed, easy to navigate and has clear contact information

• Organize it based on the different coverages you offer. Provide some initial information about each coverage type.
• Make sure there are no spelling errors or typos.
• If possible, use images from your agency instead of stock photos.
• Include testimonials from past customers and feature the logos of the carriers you work with.

Be responsive

• Don’t leave a customer or prospect wondering if their email, text or phone call went down a black hole. Even if it will take time to get them the information they are asking for, acknowledge that you received their note, and that you are working on their request.

Show emotion – engage like a human

• It’s ok to not use formal language all the time – in most instances it might be preferred. If texting or live chatting with a customer or prospect use emojis when appropriate.
  
  
• Make sure your online communications are connected to an actual agent at the agency. For example, even if you are using an automated chatbot to respond to routine questions, the answers should be assigned to a person at the agency.

Expand the relationship to be more than just sales

• Embrace the role of trusted advisor. Offer guidance that can help them navigate the complex commercial insurance landscape. Consider even hosting roundtables or webinars where prospects and customers can learn about key insurance issues. 

There was a time in the past when annual communications may have been enough for small business owners. But Millennials and Gen Zs are overtaking the industry. They want more communication from their insurance agents – preferring to hear from them multiple times a year.

Maintaining a high touch level of customer service can be difficult for agents who are already strapped for time. But by incorporating technology you can meet customers’ expectations and still have the bandwidth to pursue and secure new business.

Here are tips on how agents can maintain ongoing communications with customers:

Implement live chat or chatbots enabling customers and prospects to easily ask questions and quickly get answers

• These features can be installed on the agency’s website, enabling customers and prospects to quickly ask questions as they are doing research.
  
  
• Program responses to routine questions so agents can handle more complex concerns.

Adopt video conferencing to meet face to face without having to travel

• Because of the pandemic, many people have become accustomed to video conferencing platforms. Instead of making a trip to visit a customer at their location or have them come to the agency, schedule meetings using these platforms to still meet face to face without the travel time.

Explore automated email marketing platforms

• These solutions enable you to program messages so you are not tasked with remembering when to send out emails and notifications. Setup renewal reminders. You can also enable certain messages to be sent after a customer or prospect performs a certain function – such as submitting a quote.

Make sure information is helpful and not sales-oriented

• If your communications focus solely on selling– it is likely to turn them off. Also include helpful information about the risks their businesses face. This could be another way to expand your book, while at the same time be assisting your customers. For example, you could provide a brief about the common cyber risks that small businesses face and explain how a standalone cyber policy could help increase their protection.

Understand that not everyone wants more frequent communications

• Though many small business owners have indicated that they want more communication from their insurance agents, this cadence might not be right for everyone. Ask your customers what their preference is. Perhaps they do only want to be contacted when it is close to renewal. Adjust your outreach for each client based on what they want.

There’s a significant shift taking place in insurance. The pandemic has made people more comfortable doing business online. These changes are also extending into small commercial. Many videoconferences will replace in-person meetings. Communicating via text and social media is more commonplace. Even as we head back to normal, a lot of these changes are here to stay.

The PIA Partnership created a resource called Winning@Virtual that highlights the different tools that agents can use to succeed in the digital marketplace. Many of these tools can help you as you look to expand your small commercial book of business. On the Winning@Virtual website you will find:

• Lists of the useful technologies for operating online, an explanation of what they do as well as their benefits, and examples of providers who offer these products.
  
  
• Tutorials explaining how to put these different tools into practice.
  
  
• Best practices for implementing the technologies.
  
  
• Real-life stories from agents on how these digital capabilities enabled them to grow their business.

Technologies featured on the site that could be most beneficial in helping to grow your small commercial business include:

Net Promoter Scores and Referrals

• Customer referrals and reviews are one of the best ways to build trust and secure more business online. Net Promoter Score is a simple survey enabling customers and prospects to rate you.
  
  
• When a customer gives you a high score you can ask them to give you a testimonial that you can use on your website. 

Email Marketing

• These solutions enable you to maintain ongoing communication with customers. You can send personalized messages based on insurance needs or do broader outreach – for example with a newsletter – that can offer important insurance updates.

Videoconferencing

• These platforms enable you to have face to face meetings even if you can’t meet in-person. When starting a new relationship with a prospect, meeting face to face is a great way to build trust. These solutions also enable you to expand your agency reach and pursue clients in areas that were thought to be too far for your agency.

Live Chat and Chat Bots

• Having chat functions on your website enables customers and prospects to ask questions and get answers quickly. You can automate answers to routine questions freeing up the agents’ time to handle more complex issues.

The pandemic has led to a rise in entrepreneurs. People turned being laid off or furloughed into opportunities to start their own businesses. Many of these new business owners are Millennials and Gen Zs, and they have different expectations about the level of service they want from independent agents.

Younger business owners want more – more options, more communication, and more service. For example, 81% want agents to shop coverage before it renews, compared to 63% of their Baby Boomer counterparts. Millennials/Gen Zs also want contact from their agents more often – less than a quarter think once a year communication is enough, according to a recent survey from Semsee.

Here are tips on how agents can adapt their processes to meet the expectations of the next generation of small business owners:

Utilize technologies that allow you to increase communication without adding to your workload.

• Automated email marketing platforms enable you to program messages so you never miss an opportunity. For example, emails can be sent when a renewal date is approaching. Or if a customer requests a Workers Comp quote, this can trigger an action to the send the person a document with Workers Comp FAQs.

Use the methods of communication they prefer

• Younger customers do not like talking on the phone. Enabling them to send a text or message you through a customer portal or mobile app will give them more outreach options beyond email and phone calls.

Embrace the role of trusted advisor

• Younger customers want agents to do more than just sell them a policy. They want an advisor who can walk them through all of the options and answer in detail any questions they might have. To make sure you have time to counsel your customers, look for tools that help you automate routine tasks.
  
  
• Offer advice, don’t sell. Unlike Baby Boomers, Millennials/Gen Zs don’t want to be told what to buy. Offer them several options, review their differences, and offer your best opinion – but allow them to make the final decision.

Dive into detail but make it digestible

• Most Millennials/Gen Zs will do initial research online about what types of insurance coverage they need – so they won’t be walking in completely uninformed. They will want to go deeper into the different coverages beyond what they can find out online. The more understandable you can make these policies, so younger business owners truly feel that they comprehend what they are and are not covered for, the more likely you will be able to build a lasting relationship.