Service as selling – Well, did you call him back?

Does your agency have a formal, documented strategy for following up with people, or as I like to call it, a Follow-up Standard? Do your agents know what you expect of them when it comes to following up on new opportunities? How about a quoted opportunity, do they know what you expect then? How about when a client calls in asking about an additional policy?

Do you have a documented strategy for following up with your clients? If you don’t, please go grab a pen and paper so we can discuss how you go about starting a Follow-up Standard at your agency.

Step 1 – Think about how you would do it yourself

There is no easier place to start than thinking about how you would handle it if one of the above scenarios presented itself to you, the Principal. I bet in your mind, you answered the above questions right away with what you would do. But does your staff know how you would want these matters handled?

So the first step is to think about each scenario and how you would do it yourself, and then write that down. Here are some potential scenarios:

• A new opportunity comes into the agency via your website, or perhaps a voicemail or referral.
• An opportunity has been quoted but did not purchase immediately. (Personal vs. Commercial)
• A client calls in asking about an additional policy.
• A client calls into your agency and leaves a message.

Step 2 – Document the process

Now that you have your notes written down on each scenario, it’s time to document the process by inputting your notes into a Word document. I will give an example below:

New Opportunities – If the potential insured is not in, please leave a cheery message with your contact details every time you call.

• Call immediately.
• Call again in 4 hours.
• Call back tomorrow morning and again in the afternoon.
• Call back the day after tomorrow.

Input into your document exactly how you would handle each scenario until you have fully documented process and good looking document. Congratulations, you have now documented the Follow-up Standard for your agency!

Step 3 – Formalize the Follow-up Standard at your agency

Now that you have a documented Follow-up Standard at your agency, it’s time to roll it out to your staff. This does not mean printing it out, dropping it on their desk, and going back into your office. This means having a few meetings and expressing to them why following up is so important to how the agency sells and cares for its clients. Letting your staff know why you want things done a certain way creates a culture of inclusion and sounds less like you are dictating. Ask them how they feel about the Follow-up Standard and question them on how they might do things differently, and why. They might have a better way of following up in certain scenarios than you do, so be open to their suggestions.

Step 4 – Implement the Follow-up Standard at your agency

Now that you have put all of your energy into documenting and formalizing your Follow-up Standard, even while even asking your staff for their input, it is now time to implement the Follow-up Standard. This means continually coaching and encouraging your staff to abide by the now formalized process. Don’t forget that sometimes you might need to reprimand your staff if the standards are not being adhered to with your clients.

It takes time, but it will be worth it in the end when your staff knows how you want things done and is then doing things that way. I can also guarantee that you will see improved sales and retention at your agency simply by instituting a formalized Follow-up Standard.

Good luck!