Insurance policies can be confusing to customers, so having a thoughtful onboarding process in place will help you eliminate misconceptions, answer questions and make clients feel welcome.
Here are a few ways to make a positive impression with new clients during onboarding.
Welcome new clients to your agency with a handwritten card
Sending your new clients a handwritten card is the perfect way to make them feel appreciated. This kind gesture makes you stand out right away because very few businesses would take the time to write and mail a welcome note. It’s a personal way to show you’re excited to have the client choose your agency.
Send a welcome email
Sending a welcome email is another way to show how much you value your new customer and is a great opportunity to send them important details about your insurance agency. Include information they may need to reference in the future, for example, how to contact you, where to access their policy information and what to do if they need help outside of business hours. If your agency uses an app or client portal, include access instructions in your welcome email as well.
Secure opt-ins
Make sure you collect accurate contact information as part of your onboarding process. If you use texting at your insurance agency, secure permission to text new customers about their policies and other insurance-related topics.
Check in after a month or two
Once a client has been with you for a couple of months, it’s time to see how things are going. Send them a card one to two months after their policy effective date to thank them for being a customer and remind them you’re happy to help their friends and family as well. Clients are most likely to refer others to your agency approximately 35 days after they become a customer.
Ask for feedback regularly
Find out how things are going with your new customers by emailing or texting them a simple survey. If they say they’ve had any issues, give them a call to see how you can make their experience better. Check-ins will let them know that you care about them and will help them feel welcome. After six months, follow up with another survey to make sure things are going smoothly. This will also give you a chance to identify clients who may be willing to leave a review or refer others to your agency. Follow up with these promoters and ask if they’d be willing to leave a review on Google or Facebook. Repeat this process every six months.
Never miss a step in the onboarding process
Onboarding clients can be time-consuming if you don’t have the right tools. Look for a client relationship management (CRM) system that can help you send welcome cards and emails as well as survey and review requests automatically at the right times.
If you have additional information you’d like to share with new customers during onboarding, such as how to file a claim or request their ID cards, you can easily send emails with these resources over the next few weeks. This is a simple way to build an amazing onboarding experience, without having to do everything manually. Read our blog for more information on how you can use the Journeys CRM from ClientCircle for the onboarding process.
Reach out on a regular basis
Onboarding is just the beginning—to retain clients and make sure their policies are meeting their needs, it's important to follow up regularly. Be proactive in addressing any issues that come up and build long-term relationships with your clients by sending meaningful emails, cards and texts throughout the year.