Navigating technology: Data that drives action

You have access to a wealth of information about your prospects and customers. This data includes details about their preferences, behaviors and interactions with your agency. By harnessing and activating this data across your book, you can make your relationships with clients as predictable as possible. Let’s learn how to use data to predict and prescribe to the right audience segments, helping you build stronger connections and drive business growth.

Data in the digital age

In today’s digital age, data has become a crucial asset for businesses across industries. For insurance agents, the ability to collect, analyze and utilize data can lead to significant improvements in customer acquisition, retention and overall profitability. By understanding your clients’ needs and preferences, you can tailor your offerings and communication strategies to build lasting relationships.

Agency systems that record customer data

The agency is ripe with solutions that assist agents in their interactions with customers. Through those interactions, data is oftentimes recorded and stored. Consider which technologies your staff use to complement sales and service activities and how insights could be surfaced to enhance the next best customer interaction. If you are wondering which solutions may possess valuable information, below is a sample inventory of agency technology that is waiting to be unlocked:

• Phone
• Online meeting platform
• Website
• Mobile app
• Internet of things (i.e., telematics solutions, et. al.)
• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Quoting platform
• Agency management system (AMS)
• Client portal
• Marketing automation platform

Predicting customer behavior

Predictive analytics is the process of using historical data to forecast future outcomes. In the context of insurance, this can help agents identify trends and patterns in customer behavior, allowing them to make informed decisions about how to best serve their clients.

To predict customer behavior, start by analyzing your historical data to identify patterns and trends associated with your team and your clients. This can include segmenting data on policy purchases, renewals, cancellations and claims. Look for correlations between variables, such as demographics or policy types, and specific behaviors. For example, you might find that clients in a certain age group are more likely to purchase a specific type of coverage or that clients with a history of claims are more likely to cancel their policies. Here is a list of reports to consider compiling from your management and/or marketing automation systems to aid in the assessment of targeting opportunities:

• List of personal lines, commercial lines and benefits clients
• Sales reports
• Claims reports
• Service request reports
• Top performing messages
• Top performing campaigns
• Net Promoter Score (NPS) responses
• Premium per client
• Engagement score
• Premium by Account Representative
• Premium by Producer

Once you have isolated segments and reports demonstrating the impact made by your agency and your clients, you can begin to forecast future behaviors. Forecasting can help you anticipate which clients are most likely to purchase additional policies, renew their coverage or file claims, allowing you to proactively address their needs and improve customer satisfaction.

Prescribing solutions for your clients

With a deeper understanding of your clients’ needs and preferences, you can begin to prescribe tailored solutions that address their unique requirements. This can involve personalizing your marketing and communication efforts as well as customizing your product offerings.

• Personalized marketing and communication: By understanding your clients’ preferences and behaviors, you can create targeted marketing campaigns that speak directly to their needs. This might involve segmenting your email list based on policy types or demographics and sending tailored content to each segment. Additionally, you can use your clients’ preferred communication channels to ensure your messages are received and engaged with. See Navigating technology: Develop cross-sell and upsell campaigns using automation for more details on segmentation and personalization.
• Customized product offerings: By predicting your clients’ needs, you can offer customized policy options that align with their requirements. For example, if you notice a trend among clients in a specific geographic area who frequently experience natural disasters, you might offer additional coverage options tailored to their needs.
• Proactive client management: Predictive analytics can also help you identify clients who may be at risk of canceling their policies or filing claims. By proactively reaching out to these clients and addressing their concerns or providing guidance on how to prevent claims from happening, you can improve retention rates and minimize the impact of claims on your business.

Leveraging technology to harness and activate data

To effectively use data to predict and prescribe to the right audience segments, it’s essential to have the right tools in place. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems, data analytics platforms and marketing automation tools can help you collect, analyze, and activate your data across your book.

• CRM systems: A CRM system can help you store and manage your customer data, making it easier to segment your audience and track interactions with your agency.
• Data analytics platforms: Data analytics tools can help you analyze your data and identify patterns and trends. Many platforms offer predictive analytics capabilities, allowing you to forecast future behaviors and make data-driven decisions.
• Marketing automation tools: Marketing automation platforms can help you streamline your marketing efforts, allowing you to create targeted campaigns and personalize your communications based on your audience segments.

By leveraging these technologies, you can harness the power of data to predict and prescribe to the right audience segments, ultimately driving growth and success for your independent agency.