How Technology Can Strengthen Personal Relationships
The insurance industry is driven by relationships. Brokers manage an infinite number of relationships across the ecosystem - externally with clients, prospects, MGAs, wholesalers, underwriters, and adjusters and internally with team members, practice leaders, and their company management. With the rise of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), some may question whether technology will eventually reduce the importance of personal relationships in the insurance industry. However, you can rest assured that technology is not here to replace interpersonal relationships, but rather to strengthen them.
Personal Relationships Foster Confidence
The foundation of these relationships is trust. Clients must have faith that brokers will act in their best interests, and personal relationships facilitate the development of this faith. Additionally, personal connections enable improved communication and understanding of a client's needs and preferences, which can lead to more customized insurance solutions. By establishing and sustaining personal relationships with clients, brokers can gain a competitive edge and can grow their book.
Automation Can Improve Productivity
There are numerous areas where automation can increase efficiency, thereby eliminating the need for manual data entry and also reducing the risk of errors. Using efficient systems to create advanced client reports and customized proposal templates simplifies and streamlines the placement process. By storing all customer correspondence in a single universal inbox as opposed to multiple journals, brokers can organize and manage things more efficiently, thereby saving a great deal of time. This saved time can now be spent on developing and maintaining personal relationships.
Personal Relationships Can Help Differentiate
In an increasingly competitive insurance market, personal relationships can help insurance brokers/ agents stand out from others. By providing personalized service and establishing a personal connection with clients, brokers can generate a level of customer loyalty and trust that is challenging for competitors to replicate. In addition, personal relationships can help brokers better understand their clients' requirements and preferences, enabling them to offer more individualized and comprehensive insurance solutions.
Automation Can Help Scale
As insurance brokers grow, it can become more difficult to maintain close personal relationships with each client. By using AI driven risk appetite matching the agents can efficiently find the right markets every time thus helping them not only deliver quality service but also scale their operations. In addition to this by having a dynamic repository of risk-appetite insights the broker teams can facilitate a culture of sharing within the organization thus increasing the book of business for the entire practice.
In conclusion, insurance is based on interpersonal relationships, but automation can be of great value. Personal relationships foster confidence, distinguish agents and agencies from competitors, and allow for more tailored insurance solutions. Automation can support these personal relationships by enabling brokers to increase efficiency and productivity, scale business operations, and provide personalized service to a larger customer base. The key is to choose the right partner who can help you do what you do best.
