When’s the best time to send a cross-sell email? And how far in advance should you check in for renewals? Should you reach out to prospects throughout the year or just around their ‘X’ dates?
It’s hard to know when people will be most responsive to certain messages, but luckily, we’ve helped insurance agencies communicate with millions of clients and prospects for over a decade.
Here’s a guide on when to send emails, texts and cards to your customers and leads.
Create a positive onboarding experience
Start the relationship off on a personal note—literally. Send your new customers a handwritten card in the mail to welcome them to the agency. This gesture will immediately set your agency apart as one they can count on for personalized service.
In addition to a card send new clients a welcome email with ways to get in touch and other important information. They can reference this email in the future if they need it. Don’t wait more than 30 days to send your welcome communications.
Customers are most likely to leave you a review or refer others to your agency while they’re still relatively new. Send another handwritten card a little over a month after they become a customer to let them know you’re there for their friends and family. This handwritten note will help you stay top-of-mind when they’re most likely to tell others about their positive experience with your agency.
Collect client feedback regularly
You want to know if someone is a retention risk before they leave so you can reach out before it’s too late.
Email or text customers a simple survey a couple of times per year to see if there are any issues you can resolve. Keep the survey short to increase response rates.
Sending feedback surveys is a great way to find who your promoters are. Follow up via text or email with anyone who leaves a positive score on the survey to see if they’d write you a review on Google or Facebook. And remember to call everyone who leaves a negative review to resolve all issues.
Make customers feel special with handwritten cards throughout the year
Everyone loves getting a beautiful, handwritten note in the mail. Keep track of your customers’ birthdays and send them, and their spouse or partner, a card every year. Very few businesses will take the time to send a birthday card, so this simple gesture will have a powerful impact.
Go beyond celebrations. Remember to thank your referral sources for sending business your way. If someone thinks you don’t appreciate referrals, they won’t be motivated to recommend you to friends and family in the future. Send your referral sources a thank you card within 60 days of a referral.
Surprise your long-time clients with a card thanking them for their loyalty. This unexpected touchpoint may just be the push they need to recommend others to your agency, even if they’ve never done so before.
Send holiday cards to end the year well. A personalized handwritten holiday card will set your agency apart from other businesses that, at most, only send holiday emails.
Many people review their budgets at the beginning of the year, so creating a positive, meaningful experience around that time will go a long way. Customers know they won’t get that level of care elsewhere and it could keep them from comparison shopping just to save a few bucks.
Cross-selling is a marathon, not a sprint
Build a personal connection with your clients by occasionally sending them content they’ll enjoy based on their interests or life stages.
Try sending customers who have children a podcast about fun outdoor activities for kids. Send business owners an article about unique and meaningful interview questions to ask job candidates.
Once you’ve established a track record of sending clients content they enjoy, you can send content about car insurance and why they need more than just liability coverage. Customers will be much more likely to respond positively to this email if they know you care about them as a person.
Send your clients a renewal questionnaire annually asking about any life changes so you can see if they still have the right coverage. They’ll appreciate the policy review, and it will give you valuable insight into any new purchases they’ve made or changes to their business that would require additional coverage.
Cross-sell throughout the year, at the right times
Outside of renewals, there are a few other times throughout the year when people are more receptive to purchasing additional policies.
Reach out about life insurance before clients’ and prospects’ premiums go up around their birthdays or half-birthdays.
Clients are happiest with your agency about 35 days after they’re new, so offer to help them add other coverage at this time. For example, if they’ve purchased a home policy, wait a month and see if you can help them with auto, flood, earthquake or umbrella coverage.
Similarly, get in touch with your commercial clients a couple of months after they purchase a BOP to see if they could benefit from a cyber liability policy, EPLI or commercial umbrella coverage.
Convert leads at the right times
Even if a prospect rejects your quote or a customer leaves your agency, end the relationship on a positive note and leave the door open for future opportunities.
Check in with prospects and prior customers throughout the year just to see how they’re doing—it’ll mean a lot if they know you care about their family or business. Then, reach out 30 to 60 days before their ‘X’ date with an offer to requote them before they renew with a competitor.
Prepare for the unexpected
Some events happen suddenly and require you to get a message out to customers or prospects right away.
For example, if a bad storm is coming, send a quick message to let clients know what precautions to take and how to file a claim if needed. Your agency will be busy when inclement weather hits, so make sure you have a way to get an email out quickly allowing your staff to focus on other things.