As we’ve said before, data is an integral part of your insurance agency. Every day your insurance agency creates vast quantities of data and you can use it to inform business decisions. While this can be done manually, it takes a lot of money, time, and human resources.
Luckily, technology can help you get a handle on using the data you collect and generate in the most effective way possible. Within your insurance agency, there are a number of tech tools you can adopt to improve the way your agency collects, organizes, stores, and uses data. We’ll lay out a few of the most common ones here.
If your agency is still running on paper and spreadsheets, it may be time to switch to one of the many agency management systems (AMS) available on the market. An agency management system is a program tailor-made for the insurance industry and solves many of the challenges agents face day-to-day. A solid AMS should track personal client data linked to their applications, claims history, and policies. It should also help track producer commissions, manage your team’s tasks, keep track of renewals, and much more.
An AMS is often the first piece of technology an independent agency adopts, but it shouldn’t be the last! When purchasing an AMS, check to see what other systems it integrates with so you can take advantage of all the features available to you.
A customer relationship management system (CRM) is a robust tool used to manage every aspect of your relationship with your customers. Most are built for general business use, not specifically for insurance agencies, which can be a disadvantage. On the other hand, advantages of using a CRM range from having a streamlined system of client data easily accessible to your agents to tracking each customer interaction, including prospecting, sales, and client services. A CRM provides your agency with the information it needs and the tools to automate processes surrounding client retention and renewal efforts.
Some AMSs provide built-in CRM features while others integrate with existing CRMs. With the multi-billion-dollar investment in insurtech currently underway, the insurance industry is also seeing an uptick in new systems that combine the features of an AMS and a CRM
The last thing you want is for your clients to think you’re not interested in maintaining a long-term relationship. Marketing automation is an efficient way to keep in touch with clients. Having a marketing automation system means you’ll never have to think about (or fear forgetting) a client’s birthday, anniversary, policy renewal, or anything else you might want to talk to them about on a regular basis.
As with many of the tech tools we’re covering, the need for marketing automation grows along with your book of business. What seems like an easy thing to track when you only have a handful of clients becomes nearly impossible to stay on top of as you grow. Marketing automation systems help you scale without losing personal touch points with your clients. They can also nurture new leads, solicit referrals, and make it easier to cross-sell to your existing clients in a targeted way.
As an insurance agent or agency owner, you probably didn’t set out to become a legal expert. But with how heavily regulated the insurance industry is, agents can’t help but be intimately familiar with the regulations that impact them on both a state and federal level. As your agency grows, keeping up with producer licensing can become a heavier lift. While it may not take precedence over an AMS, or even a CRM, investing in a tool to both manage and automate your licensing process can relieve the burden of keeping up with it on your own.
Agency growth means data growth, which in turn means your risk for cyberattacks is bound to grow too. In the insurance industry, our client’s data contains highly sensitive information like social security numbers, birthdays, and addresses that cybercriminals would love to get their hands on. It’s essential that your agency has a solid cybersecurity system and that your agents know the importance of maintaining their own security. Once data is shared beyond the safeguards of the agency’s security system, data is at risk for manipulation and unauthorized access. While many business owner policies include cybercrime coverage, prevention is definitely the best way to reduce the risk of data breaches and cyberattacks.
Investing in a document management system can increase both your sanity and security while cutting down on paper waste in the process. A document management system is software used to “capture, track, and store” documents of all types. From PDFs and Word docs to scanned paper and images, the system structures documents and their contents in the most efficient way possible. Document management systems allow you to control access and permissions for different users and search through the contents of your documents in seconds.
When it comes to running an agency, tech tools like these are quickly becoming the standard. Investing in technology that makes your life and the lives of your staff easier is a great way to remain competitive and set your agency up for success.
Thanks for reading our educational resource! Any above reference to a specific company, method, or product is meant for educational purposes only and is not specifically endorsed by Pie.
