Seven ways benefits brokers can wow clients beyond open enrollment

Any benefits broker can impress their clients when it’s time for open enrollment. But it’s what that broker does beyond open enrollment that establishes them as an expert who cares about clients.

Steve Ogden, sales manager at AgencyBloc, listed seven ways brokers can wow their clients beyond open enrollment during a presentation at the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals annual convention.

“Not everybody will be wowed by the same things, so you can’t take a cookie-cutter approach,” he said. “And it’s a lot more expensive to pick up a new client than it is to keep a current client, so you must develop a year-round approach to wowing them.”

Ogden said brokers must do some research on how clients want to receive communication. “Some people want full communication. They say, ‘Give me newsletters, give me everything.’ Other people say, ‘Nope, just talk to me when I when I want something done with my policy.’”

After brokers are certain of how clients want to receive communication, they can move on to the seven ways to wow clients.

1. Reliable and consistent communication. “This tells your clients that you are competent. They know that you’re reliable and consistent, that you’re competent in what you tell them and they’ll listen to what you say.”

 Ogden also suggested brokers throw in a little surprise now and then. “Let’s say you answer emails within 24 hours but then you change and start answering them within minutes. It’s a nice surprise for a client. Or let’s say you are going to meet with a client, and you stop at a coffee shop and pick up something for them. It’s adding positive surprises to your consistent service.”

2. Live out your agency’s mission and value statements. “I'm going to ask people if they have these documented because we think it's important to wow your customers. And the main reason that is so powerful is because people have a lot of ways to do research today. Brokers must be as competent in their company as they are in their products.”
3. Respond quickly, no matter what. “Sometimes it's better to say ‘I don't know, but I'll get back to you,’ than to make clients wait to hear from you until you do know.”

 

Ogden discussed tools such as automated workflows to make it easier to respond to client concerns.

 

4. Regular communication that can be repeated. “By automating the process, doing good reporting, understanding when people want to opt in and opt out of email campaigns, just making sure that you're regular in communication. You don't want your clients to ever feel like you've forgotten them.”
5. Express gratitude. Handwritten letters or surprise gifts will go a long way in earning client loyalty, Ogden said.
6. Talk about your experience and expertise. “Your clients need to know why you’re the best at what you do and why you’re not like everyone else.”
7. Personalize the client experience. “If you think of all the times you go on social media, and you see ads for things you’ve been looking at online, you know that marketing people are getting so good at personalizing the experience. I believe agents must be very good at that as well.”

Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at Susan.Rupe@innfeedback.com. Follow her on Twitter @INNsusan.

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