I love good systems and tools. They keep everything moving as it should, everyone on the right track and keeps life easy. Having a system for everything is something that will make your office more efficient. You can’t expect, nor trust your staff to figure it all out on their own. Which is why establishing systems will take the guess work out of your insurance business.
I’ve talked about the use of systems before with practices like;
- Newsletters
- Call recording
- Social media
- Email marketing
- Thanking your customers
- Consumer initiated inbound calling
These are just a few of the areas where you should have systems in place. Insurancejournal.com writes, the effective use of agency management systems; policy, document, benefits and sales, is critical to one’s productivity and effectiveness.
However, just because you have a system, doesn’t always mean you are using it to its full potential. As Jeff Yates of ACT’s executive director and an active Real Time/Download Campaign participant has found, many agencies underutilized their system capabilities, leaving dollars on the table that could go to their bottom line. As you well know, systems are not cheap and as a small agency you cannot afford to spend the money and not get the full benefit out of your investment. So knowing how to best use what you have put in place will not only save you money in the long run, but keep you from losing it in the beginning.
The most important thing to remember is the system that works for the agency down the street may not work for you. Agency systems are not cookie cutter, you will need to find what work best for you and your staff. Another key aspect is to be a leader and follow through. Founder and chairman of Sitkins International, Roger Sitkins, wrote in zywave.com, in agency’s when new systems are rolled out, employees often have the attitude that this will never last or here we go again. If you don’t believe in your plan 100% and follow through, why should your employees? As a leader, you will need to run your agency with passion for these new ideas and show commitment and perseverance that these systems not only works, but that you believe in them too.
What systems has your agency rocked? Let us know in the comments.
