8 Strategies for Client Retention

With more competition and less opportunity for face-to-face contact with customers, how can you stay top of mind, keep more clients and shore up your retention numbers?

Depending on the type of insurance product you’re marketing, your customer acquisition cost (CAC) varies—from an estimated low of $24 for disability insurance to a high of $550 for health insurance, according to analysis by Focus Digital.

Calculating your own agency’s CAC requires dividing the total amount spent on marketing by the number of new customers acquired. However, even without an exact CAC, you already know it’s less time and money to retain a customer than it is to recruit a new one. How can you keep more valued customers on your book?

Here are eight steps to retain more clients:

1) Know your starting point.

It’s tough to measure results if you don’t know your current retention levels. Review your records and look for patterns. Some questions to ask to discover those patterns include:

• How many clients do you have?
• How long have you serviced each one?
• Who are your longest-standing clients? What industries are they in and what policies do they carry?
• How many customers have you lost in two years or less?
• Do you know why they left? If you don’t know, start asking and keep track of those reasons. This is the best way to pinpoint issues you need to work on, whether that’s claim handling, pricing perceptions, personnel issues or other factors.

2) Emphasize risk management.

Let customers know you’re not just there to sell coverage; you’re also a great resource for helping them avoid claims.

Share safety tips and provide resources for developing a strong risk management plan. When you support such a proactive approach, it may help your customer lower claim frequency, minimize claim severity and decrease premiums over the long-term—all great ways to build a partnership.

And don’t forget to share any of these positive trends when they do happen. Too many insureds only hear from their agent when there’s a price increase or a claim. Highlighting wins and sharing good news should increase customer satisfaction levels.

3) Reach out.

Offer an annual, personalized review of your customer’s insurance program. Conduct the review in person when possible. You also should check in periodically throughout the year to make sure there are no new factors that might impact coverage, such as property upgrades, new purchases or new lines of business.

To make this process manageable, develop a routine schedule. Some agents find it best to set aside a full day each month for this outreach, while others like to start their day with a few check-ins before work gets too hectic. The key is formalizing a schedule so it’s appropriately prioritized. An important side benefit is that you’ll minimize your errors & omissions exposure.

4) Create a genuine connection.

Get to know the specifics of a customer’s life. How many kids do they have and what are their ages? If you know someone’s son is about to turn 16, you can check in before that birthday to make sure the family understands their policy and has the insurance needed for more complete protection. They might want to up their coverage, or perhaps they’re adding a car.

And what about that business owner who also loves fishing? Did they buy a new boat? Knowing a customer’s interests gives you more opportunities to cross-sell and position yourself as a go-to resource.

Even if you have a conversation that has nothing to do with insurance, the connections you build have value. Not only will it make your own workday more enjoyable, but people are more likely to stay with an agent they feel knows them personally and values their partnership. And they’re more likely to refer friends and associates who could be equally good clients.

5) Leverage the expertise of others.

You don’t need to create every message from scratch. Share relevant resources from other experts as you find them. If your client is a family with a teen driver, why not share Driving Tips for Teens, a webpage from the Traffic Safety Team, or another local organization?

Did you see a helpful article about trends, new risks or specific lines of business that you specialize in? Simply share them on your social media accounts with your own comments added or forward them to key customers via email with a short note.

6) Humanize your content.

Online communication is arguably more convenient, but it can make it harder to build relationships. Don’t be afraid to be authentic and relatable in your online posts and emails. Share real stories about recent claims—with the insured’s permission—or the reasons you joined the insurance industry. Keep your tone conversational and friendly so your personality comes through. People prefer to work with people they like.

7) Meet customers where they are.

Not every customer uses Facebook or LinkedIn. Some avoid social media at any cost. That means you may need to use more than one digital platform or amplify your message via email or old-school methods like direct mail.

Your website is your most-important “office.” Make the site easy to use, focusing on the visibility of frequently used customer tools, like contact information or claim-filing buttons. It is also important to make your site mobile friendly.

Reply to emails quickly. It’s fine to send an automated message to let the customer know their email was received but follow it with a personal email within a promised timeframe as well.

8) Thank customers for their business—and ask for referrals.

Let your customers know you appreciate and value their business. Some agencies give customers a small token of appreciation during the holidays or at renewal times; however, that isn’t as important as a genuine statement of gratitude.

Don’t be shy about asking for referrals either. If you decide to develop a formal referral program, offer an incentive that motivates customer participation, create a referral link or code to make it quick and easy, and track results so you can adjust the program as needed. Happy customers will be proud to refer others to you.

Author

Mia McGowan

Marketing and Communications Manager, Trusted Choice