According to a recently released World Insurance Report, only 32 percent of insurance clients around the world feel they have had a positive experience with their insurers. That means that nearly 70 percent of clients are at risk of changing agencies. There are strategies you can use to increase your client retention rate while attracting new clients.
Get to know your clients:
Ask questions about their life and business outside of your sales experience together. Mentally, change places with them so you can more clearly assess their needs. Make a client your friend. When clients send you referrals, be sure to send thank you notes. Handwritten notes are even better than emails.
Maintain your website presence:
Be sure your website is easily navigable and accessible from mobile devices. Your clients may need to access information when they are away from their home or office computers. Keep the site updated with current and useful information by providing a blog or a newsletter. Include your website address on all your paper documentation, such as your letterhead, business cards and advertising brochures. Include your URL in your social media postings.
Use social media to connect with clients:
Use social media to frequently post information of general interest about the insurance industry. Include a link to your website. Be sure to respond to comments and questions posted there. This keeps current clients interested and attracts new clients as well.
Provide state-of-the-art customer service:
When clients contact you for assistance, do not delay in providing them the service they need. Offer rewards to clients who refer new clients to you even if the reward is a simple Starbucks gift card. If you can help them with problems unrelated to their insurance business with you, do so. Have a list of referrals you can provide to clients, such as attorneys, CPAs, banks and other professionals. Give clients an opportunity to provide both positive and negative feedback so you can relate to any concerns they have and keep them from taking their business elsewhere. Respond quickly to client requests. If you don’t know the answer to a question, be honest. Admit you don’t know but will find out. Then, get back to them as quickly as possible with the answer.
Put client needs first:
Work with clients to get them the best coverage that meets their needs for the best price. If clients need a change in coverage, work diligently to see that the new policy meets all their needs. When something new develops, be sure to contact your clients to let them know.
Join an organization for independent agents:
Whatever problems you may have with client retention, communication or other issues, it is likely that someone else in the same business has had similar experiences. Joining an organization dedicated to serving the needs of independent agents and brokers, such as the American Agents Alliance, can provide you camaraderie with others in your same business as well as helpful suggestions for attracting new clients and keeping current clients happy.
