You probably spend lots of time looking for ways to be more efficient. You may even have invested in technology to help your agency grow, service policyholders, and generate leads. But there is another efficiency gain you should consider at your agency — employing a virtual assistant.
The Chamber of Commerce defines a virtual assistant, or VA as they are often abbreviated, as “an individual who provides administrative services to clients while working from a remote location.” A significant benefit to using virtual assistants is they are often independent contractors, which makes them flexible and easy to onboard and use — without the complications of hiring a traditional employee.
How Virtual Assistants Can Help Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers
Many businesses use VAs on a part-time or temporary basis. At an insurance agency, this could mean adding temporary help at renewal time to process the additional paperwork. Or you could consider using a VA for certain administrative tasks each week or month on a regular, but limited, basis. A VA could work only five or ten hours per month for you, for example. Hiring someone in-person for those limited hours could prove challenging, so a VA may be an easier option.
Another option is utilizing a virtual assistant for a special project. Perhaps you plan to expand your agency and want to research the best areas for growth or segments of the population to target with your marketing dollars. You could ask your virtual assistant to spend a prescribed number of hours doing this work, compiling data, and summarizing it for your review.
Finally, you might consider hiring a VA with a specialized set of skills. Imagine hiring someone who could update your database, clean up your website copy, or create templates for email outreach campaigns. Or maybe you need someone with stellar customer service skills to guide Look for a virtual assistant who has the experience and skills to perform a valuable task for your agency to gain the most benefit from the relationship.
How to Decide if a Virtual Assistant is Right For Your Agency
Here are a few ways to help you decide if it might be time to find a virtual assistant for your agency:
- Your team often misses deadlines.
- Tasks that aren’t high on the priority list never get done.
- You are spending too much of your own time handling repetitive tasks.
- You have important projects you cannot work on because of other things that come up.
- You want to increase your efficiency without investing in new technology.
- You need help, but not on a full-time or regular basis.
- You would like to offer additional services, but you don’t have the right skill set to do it yourself.
- Your agency cannot grow or scale without help.
If any of these apply to you, you might benefit from hiring a virtual assistant.
Get More Tips From The American Agents Alliance
For more helpful ideas on running your agency, become a member of the American Agents Alliance. We empower independent agents and brokers to thrive with our vast network, valuable member discounts, and helpful blogs and tips for running your agency.
Become a member today!
External Links:
https://www.timedoctor.com/blog/why-hire-a-virtual-assistant/
