As the narrative goes, few franchises in the NFL can be so lucky as the Colts. Transitioning from future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning to arguably the top quarterback prospect since Manning, Andrew Luck, seemed almost unfair.

After a few years of growing pains, the Colts started building a team filled with young players to pair with their veteran talent, all driven by their superstar quarterback Andrew Luck. For many, they became a trendy dark horse pick to defeat the New England Patriots and make it to their first Super Bowl since the Manning era.

However, on Saturday, August 24, 2019, Andrew Luck unexpectedly announced his retirement from the NFL. Nagging injuries forced a tough decision to walk away at only 29 years old, in an age where many quarterbacks are refusing to show signs of aging and are playing into their late 30s (or early 40s if you’re in Boston). In one night, the Colts went from 6-1 Super Bowl odds to 30-1.

Andrew Luck and Your Business

Similar to the Colts’ dependence on Luck for success, P&C carriers often rely heavily on a few big accounts. Their company’s success is based not only on acquiring, but retaining, those big accounts. And when big accounts unexpectedly leave for another carrier or suffer unexpected huge losses, it can leave you scrambling to pick up the pieces.

Just like how a star quarterback’s departure can harm a team’s Super Bowl odds, the departure of a star client can harm your chances of maintaining a profitable bottom line.

Looking Beyond Andrew Luck

To increase predictability and better retain your star clients, carriers need to continuously look for new ways to bring more value to their key customers. And this value must be brought to their entire book of business.

After all, any team’s success is dependent on developing a whole team that works well together—from the linemen to the wide receiver corps to the special teams. Neglecting the “smaller” positions to only focus on your main stars can hurt your entire team and keep you from reaching your full potential.

The same applies to insurance carriers. While it’s obviously important to retain your star accounts, keeping your whole book of business happy is essential. Providing exceptional service to all your clients—not just your top 1 or 5%—can go a long way when it comes to winning new business and driving growth.

Here are three strategies to help you provide “all-star service” to your entire book of business:

1. Go Digital

One of our carrier partners recently shared that 10 years ago they used to refer to themselves as the “Blockbuster of insurance” due to their massive library of safety DVDs. The world has gone digital, but similar to Blockbuster, not all carriers have adapted.

Online delivery of services is critical to retaining and attracting new customers—as such, policy documents, recommendation letters and safety content should all be moving this direction.

2. Get Prescriptive

Employers should thank you for sending over recommendation letters. That’s not sarcastic. Employers engaged in safety operate more profitable businesses and you are adding money to their pocket with every safety recommendation you make. So why do they despise your letters?

To be perceived as helpful, versus critical, look for ways to improve the process. These letters should be consultative versus diagnostic. Top carriers require their field reps to submit two or more pieces of content with each recommendation that helps the employer understand the root issue and ultimately how to fix the problem.

Providing educational resources that employers can pass along to their clients can help instill a greater sense of awareness for a particular safety issue. By offering your policyholders comprehensive educational resources on safety and risk management, you can prove your value and help them reduce their risks and chances of claims.

3. Be Proactive & Thought-Provoking

Internal reporting on workers’ comp loss drivers, paired with experience, should leave no secrets as to what your policyholders’ high-risk exposures and nature of loss trends are. Get active in addressing those areas today. Many carriers curate or bundle content specific to these pain points and deliver proactive resources to help employers save money, improve safety and reduce their workers’ comp expenses.

Consider providing a monthly or quarterly email with safety tips for smaller employers and online training and safety programs for organizations with greater exposures. Safety webinars and videos are additional ways to demonstrate your expertise and engage more policyholders, which can ultimately lead to more referrals.

You Control Your Fate

While Indianapolis had little say in Luck staying or going, your business’s fate is much more in your control. Be unique, be consistent, be engaging and you’ll keep a happy customer base that will sing your praises in the marketplace and stay with you for years to come.