#saveyoursales

Insurance companies thrive on contact with customers. This can take the form of personal conversations to determine individual needs, exchange by means of sponsoring the local sports club or signing a contract in the office of the agent (exclusive insurance agent and broker). Due to the severity of the corona pandemic and the cessation of economic and social life, the familiar channels of communication are receding into the background, or to put it bluntly: Without an appointment, there is no sale.

People are placing themselves in self-isolation and social life is limited to a minimum. Stores need to close, existing contracts are being cancelled or deferred and personal consultations and sales appointments are no longer being carried out. The economy and the stock markets are suffering, and the media is not reporting on any other topics. It’s also impossible to predict how long this situation will last.

This is why now is the time to approach customers digitally, as people have more time and are becoming more open to digital services. Insurers and agents that offer simple digital solutions now have a clear competitive advantage. The longer this pandemic lasts, the more profound the changes in society and media use will be.

Together with our partners pbm and .dotkomm, we have put together a ‘digital sales fit’ modular package in order to counter the effects of the current crisis in a decisive manner.

Video consultations during the corona crisis are facilitating a new proximity to the customer in order to design the application process together with them or to have a look at their insurance plans. Depending on the tool used, a variety of functions are possible (parallel view of documents, data exchange), which makes communication even more professional, provided that they are transparent for the user.

Although customers want to communicate in a timely and simple manner, as with WhatsApp, the GDPR has set high requirements for data exchange. For example, if requests are filled out digitally together with the agent, it is expected that the customer will also be able to sign them digitally and directly.

The customer needs to be certain that their company is accessible during the corona crisis and that its operation is modern and reliable, even now. The focus is on centralised messages and stories that are available to customers or interested parties. The agent is actively encouraged to use the digital approach.

If you’re looking to achieve new business in the current climate, great potential can be found in your own portfolio. At the same time, it is important to keep existing contracts and to prevent deferrals and cancellations. With the use of personalised campaigns ranging from letters, to landing pages, to online contracts, you support the agent in addressing the customer, while also managing to broadly address direct customers.

Once the corona crisis has ended and day-to-day life returns to normal, the positive experiences in digital communication will be consolidated and expanded. New processes will be integrated into the digital interface between the insurer, agent and customer. Digital exchange will become more normal across all target groups.