You’ve converted a lead and sent an onboarding email to welcome them to your agency. The hard part, marketing to and nurturing your leads, is over. But what may seem like an end result is a new beginning for both you and your new customer.
When you consider that converting a lead can cost up to 25 times more than retaining an existing customer, the importance of insurance agent client onboarding is clear. In a customer onboarding study, WyZowl found that 86 percent of respondents say they feel more loyalty to a company that welcomes and educates them after the sale. To achieve the best onboarding experience, you must take a modern approach to meet customers’ increasing expectations.
A Modern Approach to the Insurance Agent Client Onboarding Process
The outdated insurance agent client onboarding checklist of the past was a short one. See if this sounds familiar: send a welcome email, call the new customer a few weeks later, and then send a friendly reminder for their renewal. Modern customer onboarding must provide an excellent user experience that is fast and easy, and incorporate a long-term strategy for building loyalty.
The consumer preference for doing business online has nearly doubled in the last decade, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly increased those numbers. For insurance agents to stay relevant in the Insurtech age, quotes, onboarding, premiums, and claims must be processed fast to meet the modern customer’s demands. Here are five ways to create an insurance agent client onboarding process that reassures new customers they’ve made the best decision.
- Make Your Welcome Email a Big Deal
Your welcome email is still a great way to start the onboarding process because most of your customers want to communicate via email for customer service. Welcome emails should be automated to streamline your onboarding process, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be personalized and inspiring.
Include content that is engaging, original, and makes it clear how excited your agency is to bring a new customer aboard and creates the foundation for a long-term relationship. Your new customer wants to feel appreciated, but they also want to know more about their policies, how to file a claim, and what they can expect down the road. Whether you link to your FAQs page or include a getting started guide, it’s essential to give customers the tools to make the most of the new relationship. - Focus on Retention from the Start
Once you’ve properly welcomed your new customer and assured them choosing your agency was the right decision, it’s time to continue the onboarding process. Immediately turn your focus to how you can retain your new customer for the long term.
The best part about automated marketing is setting up an onboarding campaign that strengthens the new relationship over time. It’s easy to send a follow-up email to the welcome email and elaborate on your services, introduce your team, or share relevant industry news. Let your customer know you’re thinking of them and how you can better serve their needs. - Ask for Referrals Right Away
One of the best times to ask for a referral is when a new customer feels welcome and confident in their purchase decision. Asking for referrals early in the relationship generates viable leads and provides another opportunity to connect with your customer and strengthen the new relationship even further.
Most of your customers will send you a referral if you ask. Leverage your customer’s confidence in your agency by asking them to spread the word to their neighbors, family, and co-workers. Get started with this automated referral email guide and make the most of every new customer. - Fill in Coverage Gaps
Your new customer can experience a life change, your agency can add services, or you could identify coverage needs you may have missed at the start.
Regardless of what creates a coverage gap, it’s your responsibility, and in your customer’s best interest, to let them know. If you’re hesitant to offer new coverage early in the relationship, keep in mind that closing the gap is a win for the customer and your agency. The customer gets increased protection, and the agency profits from a greater customer lifetime value. Refer to this account rounding guide and close those coverage gaps using an automated email campaign. - Keep Customers in the Loop
The last thing you want to do is optimize your new customer’s experience with welcome emails, follow-ups, and other outreach and then let the communication fizzle. At best, your new customer may feel like you’re too busy to continue the regular communications. At worst, they may feel like you’ve got what you need, and the honeymoon is over.
Whether your agency shares an interesting local story, tips for staying healthy, or other relevant content, your customers will appreciate knowing you’re thinking of them and keeping them in the loop.
Insurance agent client onboarding is an ongoing process. You can increase retention, generate leads, and bring long-term value to your customers and your agency when you do it right. If you’re ready to bring your customer onboarding process into the digital age, let FMG Suite get you started with our insurance marketing platform, Fuse™. We’ll help your agency keep the lines of communication open with prospects, leads, new customers, and existing ones — automatically.