PRODUCER-RELATED ISSUES

By Michael J. Weinberg

THE AUTOMATED AGENT

Use technology to improve personal efficiency

Automation can certainly take an inefficient agent and
make him or her into a far more efficient selling machine.

Recently I spoke to two different insurance groups about the automation tools that today's agents need to succeed. This is an interesting proposition because when I entered the insurance business, all you needed in the way of office tools was an adding machine, a telephone and a typewriter. Today, adding machines aren't even being manufactured (yes, I was actually in the business for a full year before the desktop calculator was introduced in 1970); I am not sure if you can still buy a typewriter; and your phone is probably cellular with Internet capabilities.

Things certainly have changed over the last 35 years!

Some agents are not efficient with their prospecting time, nor are they typically organized during their workday. Automation can certainly take an inefficient agent and make him or her into a far more efficient selling machine. Let's explore several tools that can be employed.

In my opinion, the basis for any agent's workflow should be the agency's automation system. We use our system from the moment a suspect turns into a prospect and all the way through the sales system and again when he or she becomes a client. We enter and track every contact, appointment and direct mail letter; every sales call and, eventually, every policy, certificate of insurance, and claim.

We do not allow agents to enter prospects without a "next step," and each week our agents get a list of their prospect and client follow-ups for the coming week. If they don't complete an activity as scheduled, management gets an "exception" report that prompts inquiries into the missed activities.

By using the system to its fullest, agents are unable to forget appointments, x-dates, follow-up marketing letters, etc. And, of course, they have access to all prospect and client data and history. We have a Citrix server farm so that agents can access client data remotely, and I use a laptop with a Verizon wireless cellular card so that I can access my complete desktop from anywhere in North America. This is particularly handy when traveling or when I'm in a client's office and need immediate access to data. It also makes down time more productive between appointments, when sitting in airports, or waiting in a client's reception area. Our next step will be to try and offer laptops to all of our agents to increase their efficiency and productivity.

For us, Microsoft's Outlook Express is like a gift from heaven. Let's begin with e-mail. Even a year ago, e-mail was like fax machines were in the early days--while a great idea, not actively used for client communications. While we have always used e-mail internally between employees and offices, we are now using e-mail extensively with our clients. I am pleasantly shocked by the number of e-mails that go back and forth on a daily basis between our office and our clients. It is certainly an efficient, 24/7 method of communicating and, fortunately, we can attach e-mails to our client files within our agency management system which eliminates the potential of not fully documenting our system.

The next best feature of Outlook is the networked calendar. In our agency, we have three primary offices, two remote locations and 93 employees who, at any given time, may need to schedule an appointment for me with a client and/or a producer. By networking my calendar, our staff can merely go in and schedule me as needed. This eliminates the constant barrage of phone calls asking me when I might be available and then the hassle of keeping up with all of these appointments. Each night before going home, I check my schedule for the following day to give me an idea of where I need to be and when.

On the subject of calendars, I have to add that many agents fail because of improper planning. On my calendar, I schedule travel time so that I am not unrealistically booked for my appointments. I also schedule desk time for paper work and I schedule time for specific and important phone calls. I am not an organized person by nature so my calendar is my bible that keeps me out of trouble. The busier (and older!) we get, the more critical it is to manage each minute detail of the day using a calendar schedule.

The task pad on the Outlook calendar is also critical for me. The sheer volume of tasks that I need to remember is beyond my capability level so I use the task pad to help to remember all that I need to do. When I am in the office, I carry around a small spiral notebook and write down everything that someone asks me to do and then I transfer those entries to Outlook. I try to leave nothing to chance.

Finally, there is the Contact section of Outlook. Needless to say, I try to enter each and every contact I have in that section for instant access. I use a Card Scan scanner to enter each new business card that I receive during the course of business and then I "sync" everything in Outlook with both my PDA and with my laptop. This gives me both mobility for these functions and double backup in case I lose the information on my desktop (Yes, it has happened!).

Interestingly, I see these various gadgets, gizmos and toys being used by agents of all generations. It is my belief that, in the future, newer and younger agents will demand universal connectivity and we in turn with be forced by competition to supply them with all that they ask for. The good news is that I believe that every one of these tools creates a much higher level of efficiency and productivity in addition to a higher level of organization. And my personal experience is that an organized producer is a more productive agent.

If you are using automation tools in a unique and innovative manner, e-mail me with your story and you may just see it in a future column. Thanks to all of you for your constant feedback and responses! *

The author

Michael J. Weinberg, nationally known columnist, speaker and seminar leader, is the managing director of Gateway Insurance Agency where he spearheads the agency's marketing/sales and automation efforts. He invites reader participation and feedback through his e-mail address (mweinberg@gatewayins.com).