Category: <span>Business Building</span>

You’ve probably seen businesses in your community that have earned the coveted “Best Place to Work” award. Even better, perhaps your company has earned this highly regarded distinction! What makes this award notably prestigious is that it’s based on employee surveys of their own workplace.

Over the years, I’ve had numerous clients that have received this award. Using five categories, here’s a list of initiatives, programs, and ideas that contribute to becoming a Best Place to Work.

1. Support of good health and well-being. Studies have shown that employees who are both physically and emotionally fit are happier. These employees have fewer absences, produce higher quality work, and contribute to positive morale.

Some examples of employer funded (or partially funded) initiatives that can generate improved health and well being: complimentary healthy food in the break room, on site fitness programs or access to a local health club, work breaks to use fitness facilities, quiet room for meditation and recharging, and flexible work schedules to accommodate family and personal needs.

Top employers recognize the employee family’s influence in creating a positive work environment. Special attention is given to including and thanking the family. Activities can include family picnics and holiday parties, office trick or treating, bring your little tyke to work day, company newsletters that are mailed to the home, celebration of life’s happy occasions at the office, and sending restaurant gift cards home as a family thank you. One company owner assists with financial well being. He offers his staff a complimentary meeting with a financial advisor to learn about retirement plans, college saving plans, budgeting, and eliminating debt. In addition, he gives his employees a personal subscription to the Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine.

2. Continuous learning and career development. What employees learn on the job is theirs to keep forever. That’s why top performers are passionate about furthering their knowledge to advance their earning potential and careers. Establish a company university. Each employee should be asked to create a personalized education curriculum. Employers have many options of what to offer employees. Self-study, in-house training, classes offered by industry associations, complimentary vendor programs, co-worker instruction, and formal mentor programs should be part of your in-house university offerings. Best place to work businesses encourage employee participation outside the office in Toastmasters, Dale Carnegie programs, and Fred Pryor and Skillpath seminars. Spend time working with each employee to create a development plan that benefits the individual, your company, and your clients.

3. Personalized workstations. While standards and procedures need to be consistent to ensure quality work and outstanding service, individuals have unique preferences that suit their best thinking, creativity, physical comfort, and productivity. Ergonomic experts can help by recommending an appropriate office set up. Stand up workstations are becoming very popular. Choice of chair, desk height, position of keyboard and monitors, and foot stools are just a few things that can make a huge difference in avoiding discomfort and injury. Personalization can go one step further. Award-winning workplaces give office-based employees the option to work from home one or more times a week. Working from home also supports good health and well-being.

4. Commitment to a cause. Participating in something for the greater good improves morale and encourages teamwork. Some popular volunteer activities include tutoring children, meals on wheels, senior care centers, Habitat for Humanity, and fund-raising walkathons. Please consider offering each employee four hours a month to volunteer as they choose.

5. Do fun and silly things. I have several clients who excel in this. Pool and ping-pong tables that double as meeting tables make for spirited Friday afternoon competitions. A well-equipped kitchen can be used by employees to make meals together or have cooking classes. Put an oversized crossword puzzle on the wall for all to work on. Have a table designated for jigsaw puzzles. Host a talent contest. Start seasonal traditions such as an Easter egg hunt, a Halloween costume contest, or a chili competition. Ask employees for their ideas for fun and amusing activities and you’ll get dozens of suggestions.

If you’d like your office to become a best place to work, start by implementing one idea from each of the categories. Once you hear an employee exclaim, “This is a great place to work!” you’ll know that you’re making a positive difference in the personal and professional lives of your team.

Emily Huling, CIC, CMC, helps the insurance industry create top-performing sales, service, and leadership organizations. She is the author of Selling from the Inside, Great Service Sells and the audio program Service Selling Supercharge. Contact Emily at 888-309-8802, www.sellingstrategies.com or emily@sellingstrategies.com.

By Emily Huling, CIC, CMC

The southeast storms of 2011 struck close to home – my home! In June, a Sunday evening thunder storm brought a bolt of lightning to a 40-foot high poplar tree on our property. Kaboom! John and I jumped 6 inches from our cushy seats on the sofa and screamed. The power went off, then surged back on. Our skylights were intact, the TV was still tuned to the golf match, but the burglar alarm was making all sorts of screeching noise. After trying to reset it with no success, we called the control center and they walked us through disconnecting it. We’d have to call Monday to set up a service call. Then twenty minutes later we said to each other, “Is it getting hot in here?”

To make a long story short, it took us a couple of days to find all of the damage. The heating and air conditioning system was toasted, stereo and speakers fried, burglar alarm inoperable, printers, telephones, wireless devices and the list goes on as to what was affected. Luckily, our three computers survived thanks to a top-grade uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

Nothing like first-hand experience to be reminded of the opportunity agents have at claim time to stand out in the minds of their policyholders. If you’d like to measure your agency’s level of claim handling customer care from my perspective as a claimant, this survey (and my tips) can help you do that.

Have you instructed your insureds to call you for the initial claim report and not the carrier’s toll-free number? Carriers do a great job handling claims promptly and fairly (if not, you shouldn’t be doing business with them) and I know the carriers don’t want agents interfering. However, to your customer, you are the company. You sold the coverage and service their policy. If you tell your insured to call the company directly you are conveying to them that you aren’t interested or involved. Customers will think, “What are you doing to earn your money and my business?” Please don’t leave a list of claim department numbers on your after-hours phone message. To avoid that, some agencies have the caller call a specified agent who, on a rotating basis, has been assigned after-hours customer-care duty.
Within 24 hours of a claim report, do you initiate a follow-up personal connection with your policyholder? How are they doing emotionally? Or physically, if someone was injured. Has the company’s claim adjustor made contact? Are there any questions? Is there anything you can help with? An added personal touch at a time of damage or distress is most appreciated.
Do you stay on top of the claim status with the carrier and keep the policyholder informed? For our lightening damage claim, we were instructed to get things repaired or replaced ourselves and complete the paperwork within 60 days. After 45 days we were still scrambling to get things done. A gentle reminder from our agent with an offer to answer questions or ask if we needed an extension would have been welcome.
Do you give advice on how to avoid future losses or problems? Bravo to the adjustor I spoke with who suggested we contact the electric company to look into having a surge protector added to the line into the house. Agencies should consider compiling a list of recommendations to offer policyholders to prevent another claim.
Do you deliver the check personally, if possible? Prompt and fair claim payment is why people buy insurance. If delivering the check is part of your customer service strategy, speak with the claim representative about doing that.
Do you send a follow-up survey after the claim has closed? Send an e-mail survey or use traditional mail with a return envelope. Ask your policyholder to rate response time, communication, courtesy, settlement process, and so on. This is great information to pass along to your carrier as well.
Do you offer an account review? People tend to pay more attention to their policy coverages, liability limits, property values, and deductibles once they have a claim. Within 30 days after the claim is settled, schedule a time to do a complete account review. Chances are you’ll uncover other exposures or opportunities in other areas to round out your policyholder’s insurance program.
Have one person assigned as a claims coordinator. Many agencies do not have a specific person assigned to oversee open claims. Instead, CSRs and producers learn of issues only when a problem arises. Stay on top of all open claims to be sure all goes well. Generate a list so all agency staff is aware, not just the assigned agent. There’s nothing more embarrassing than to run into a policyholder in the community and not know that a claim occurred.

How did you rate your agency’s claim handling acumen? If you’re wondering how my agent did, well, I’m going to send this to him and ask him to rate himself!

Emily Huling, CIC, CMC, helps the insurance industry create top-performing sales and customer service organizations. For information on her products and services visit www.sellingstrategies.com.
 

Emily Huling, CIC, CMC

Our six-month new producer coaching program was coming to a close. Both Sarah and I felt we had accomplished much in laying the foundation for her long-term sales success. Through her own connections, during this time, Sarah successfully closed 20 new accounts. Through homework assignments and phone coaching sessions, we covered a variety of topics: creating her unique value proposition, moving prospects to clients using effective sales funnel activities, working with different personality and decision-making styles, and handling customer objections.

The purpose of our final call was two-fold. I wanted to learn from Sarah the top three lessons that she will apply consistently. The second piece of our discussion was to talk about where she goes from here. Here’s the essence of our conversation.

Three lessons Sarah will continue to apply:

Stay heavily involved with networking organizations. Half of Sarah’s new business success came through her BNI (Business Network International) connections. Her weekly group helps her hone her value message, networking skills, knowledge about the local business community, and gives her an opportunity to refer business to others.
It’s not about price. What a great thing for a young producer to learn early on! Sarah had chosen to work on a piece of new business that she knew had a long-time connection with an existing agent. She knew that the price and coverage she was offering was better than the buyer’s current program so she proceeded. Guess what? The lower price and better coverage did not move the account. The relationship between the account and the existing agent was too strong. Sarah will now do a better job of qualifying business and pay close attention to red flags.
Sales success requires harder work than she imagined. Although she had been told the hours would be long, she was amazed at how much there is to learn about coverage, rating, carriers and the selling process. Her first six months as a producer was a reality check.
Where did I suggest Sarah go from here?

Broaden her reach. While BNI has been an excellent source of business and connections, Sarah needs to create more connections building on the success that she had. One method is to approach her existing clients with a list of prospects that her client may know and ask for information and a referral. Another technique to generate more prospects is mind mapping which helps identify connections between clients and people they do business with. Joining and participating in the trade associations of target classes is another strategy. Sarah needs three to five channels that create qualified prospects.
Build her personal brand. Today, buyers want to do business with people they can relate to. They want to know some personal information about those they are doing professional service business with. Through e-newsletters, writing articles, speaking at business events, using LinkedIn and Facebook effectively, and even creating her own website with a link to the agency’s site, Sarah can communicate her business personality, areas of expertise, philosophy of client service, and community interests and causes.
Continuous learning. Having and applying knowledge is a key ingredient of anyone’s success. Sarah is creating a personal development plan that covers formal and on-the-job continuous learning opportunities. Key areas to cover include technical knowledge, communication, negotiating and sales skills, and carrier and competitor information. If all the agency staff works to discover, gather and share information, learning advances for all in the agency.
What Sarah learned and her game plan to move forward applies to producers and CSRs, new employees and seasoned staff. From this list of six, what’s one thing that you will do to further your career and your agency’s success?

About the author

Emily Huling, CIC, CMC helps the insurance industry create top-performing sales and customer service organizations. She is the author of Selling from the Inside, Great Service Sells, and Kick Your “But.” For information on her programs and products call 888-309-8802 or visit www.sellingstrategies.com.

By Emily Huling, CIC, CMC

“Why don’t we…?” “Would it be possible to…?” “I would love to know….” “Have we ever considered doing…?”

Agency owners should jump for joy when they hear employees utter any of those words. When CSRs and Producers make suggestions to improve the agency it means they care about the work they do, they feel safe to share their ideas, and they see themselves playing a role in the future of the business. Here are some great ideas that were initiated and implemented by agency personnel whom I’ve had the privilege of working with.

Bring in an expert to teach us about Social Media. This was suggested by a CSR, a 60-year-old grandmother whose grandchildren set her up with a Facebook page to keep up with family news. Rose is now confronted with customers who want to be her friend. “Now what?” she asked. A community college instructor was hired to speak to the staff about the mechanics, privacy settings, and business-related issues for Facebook as well as other social networking sites.

Contact all customers in 90 days. Two agencies were merging, changing the business name, moving to a new location, and reassigning accounts based on the skills and expertise of the combined staff. Even though letters were sent to all agency customers, the staff was concerned that the letters may not be read or they may be considered impersonal.

“Let’s call everyone,” Jane, a personal lines CSR, suggested during a transition-planning workshop. The room grew quiet. Sally piped up, “That’s a great idea. How would that work?” Fifteen minutes later, the agency had a plan. Within the first 90 days of the merger, all customers would be called by their new CSR. Everyone did their part and the plan was a success.

Teach employees about agency operations. “There’s so much I don’t know about how this agency works,” lamented Chris, a 26-year-old producer. Chris was quickly learning about sales, coverages, and carriers, but felt more knowledge about how the agency business works would help him succeed faster. The agency operations manager created a curriculum to teach employees about agency financials, carrier contracts and compensation, alternative markets, human resource practices, and so on. Through a series of lunch and learns, employees expert in specific areas taught classes for their coworkers.

Learn quickly about a target niche business. Tanya, a personal lines CSR, was asked by the agency owner to move to the professional liability unit to assist a producer in developing her dentist professional book of business. Although Tanya was willing to take on the challenge, she wanted to fast-forward her learning about her clients, markets, and coverages. Working with her producer, Tanya put together a fast-track learning program for herself. It included participating in the upcoming association meeting to attend the learning sessions, spending two days in an existing policyholder’s office, traveling with the producer for several days to meet clients and get intensive field training, and spending a day working with their main carrier’s underwriter.

Interested in generating great ideas from your staff? Ask them to complete any of the phrases that opened this article. “Why don’t we…?” “Would it be possible to…?” “I would love to know….” “Have we ever considered doing…?” Let me know how it goes.

Emily Huling, CIC, CMC, helps the insurance industry create top-performing sales and customer service organizations. Visit www.sellingstrategies.com for information about her products and services.

Emily Huling, CIC, CMC

Read. Delete. Read. Delete. Read. Ummm…Interesting. Save.

Listen. Delete. Listen. Delete. Listen. Ummm…Interesting. Save.

You know the drill. We do it every day. We read e-mails and listen to our voice mail messages making split-second decisions as to what is relevant, valuable, and worth our time.

Think about this question for a minute. What is it that moves us to act on a voice mail message or an e-mail sent by someone we do not currently have an ongoing business relationship with?

The broad answer for most of us is “What’s in it for me?” Is the seller offering a product, service, or knowledge that will advance my personal or business goals? Has the seller done any homework to learn about me or my business? Has the seller zeroed in on my specific issues and challenges and conveyed that in a knowledgeable and concise manner? Has the seller reached out to me because we have common connections? What is the seller asking from me at this time?

The most common mistake salespeople make is leaving a message that says, “This is who I am and this is what I can do for you.” Here’s an example of an ineffective voice mail message. “Hello, Gina. This is Joe Smith from ABC Insurance Agency. I can save you money on your business insurance. Please call me back if you’re interested in learning more. Here’s my number.”

When I receive a message like that, I think “You haven’t a clue who I am, what my business is and what I’m concerned about.” Delete.

What would be an effective “what’s in it for me” message?

“Hello, Gina. Maria Connor suggested I give you a call. This is Joe Smith. Last week, she and I worked together to save 20% on her company’s health insurance premiums while broadening coverage. I’ve learned from your website that you have fifty employees and you’re a member of (association). I’m an associate member. Let’s set up a time to talk. Again, this is Joe Smith from ABC Agency. My number is 888-888-8888.

Here are four reasons this message works. The referral source, a name familiar to the buyer, was mentioned first. Specific value was mentioned – saving money and broadening coverage. Checking her company’s website – I did some homework to learn about you. We hang out with the same business associates – I do business with your colleagues.

Here’s an alternative close to that voice mail message since connecting by phone can be a challenge. After leaving your call-back number say, “I’ll send you a follow-up e-mail with my contact information in case that’s easier for you to connect with me to set up a time to talk.”

So, what do you do if you don’t get an immediate reply? Use another communication channel to connect. Here are two ideas.

Mail a business article that would be of interest to Gina using the USPS delivery system. It could be something from her industry trade publications or information about how providing more health insurance options for employees – even when it’s at their expense – is a proven way to improve employee satisfaction with their health insurance program.

Connect at the next association meeting. Give Gina a call or send an e-mail telling her you’re looking forward to meeting her at the upcoming event.

Buyers have loads of choice where to spend their insurance budget. Through demonstrating you know who they are, have knowledge of their business environment, and do business with others they know, you’ll set yourself apart, earn their trust and insure their business.

About the author

Emily Huling, CIC, CMC helps the insurance industry create top-performing sales and customer service organizations. She is the author of Selling from the Inside, Great Service Sells, and Kick Your “But.” For information on her programs and products call 888-309-8802 or visit www.sellingstrategies.com.

Emily Huling, CIC, CMC

Most agencies cringe at the thought of bringing a new CSR onboard. Will she get along with everybody? Who will train her? Will her work be accurate and reliable? How fast will she learn our agency management system, rating programs, and carriers? Will she connect with our customers? While this conventional thinking puts the burden of success on the new employee, it’s the employer who is primarily responsible for ensuring that the qualified new hire is a winner.

Before the CSR’s first day, let everyone know a little personal information about her and why she was chosen to be part of your agency team.
Have her workstation clean and organized with equipment to be up and running on the first day. Remove all things that she won’t need for the job or was the personal property of the former employee. Having business cards and a name plate ready is a nice touch.
Plan the reception that your new employee receives from the minute that she walks in on her first day. This includes being greeted warmly by all employees and scheduling a break time to mix and mingle.
Assign an office buddy. Match your new CSR with a coworker from another department who will make introductions and familiarize her with general office information. This assures a cross-departmental welcome which is often overlooked.
Agency owners should spend some time to welcome the new hire and impart firsthand the vision and values of the agency.
Have a 90-day structured orientation and training program in place to coincide with the 90-day probationary period. Within that time both the manager (or assigned training coordinator) and new employee will have enough interaction to determine if the employment is working as it should.
Expose the new hire to as much as the agency operation as possible through shadow training. Have the CSR spend several hours or more with coworkers in various departments and positions to get a feel for job responsibilities and the flow of the agency.
Utilize as many coworkers as possible for technical, product, and technology training. This not only spreads the work around, it helps build relationships.
Ask your carriers for assistance in training. Marketing reps love to do this to gain loyalty and get business.
The manager or training coordinator should provide weekly feedback and monthly updates to both the employee and the owner. This keeps the training and education process on track and opens communication for adjustments in the training schedule. A highly-monitored program helps avoid surprises and if things don’t work out, the situation can be handled within the 90-day trial period.
Think of your new employee as a guest. Be welcoming, helpful, have the place in good order, and educate them on the house rules. With an effective 90-day orientation, your new CSR will be a guest you want to have around a long time.

About the author

Emily Huling, CIC, CMC helps the insurance industry create top-performing sales and customer service organizations. She is the author of Selling from the Inside, Great Service Sells, and Kick Your “But.” For information on her programs and products call 888-309-8802 or visit www.sellingstrategies.com.