What’s up, everybody? I have got a news flash for you. My technology does not have to be your technology. So many times as agency principals, we get caught up in being in the cool kid’s club and shiny object syndrome that we make bad decisions. Let’s talk about that for a little bit today.
Listen, it’s no secret that as agents, we want to keep up with the Joneses, right? Technology has got to be one of the worst places for us to compete. I see so many agencies out there, and yours truly is guilty of it as well, who make bad decisions when it comes to technology. Why? Because they’re trying to keep up or compete with their peers for whatever the reason. Today, I want to talk to you about the steps you should take to get the technology that’s correct for your agency. My technology does not need to be your technology.
To start, let’s think about why we need technology. We need technology to make our lives easier, to make processes run smoother, to make sure that we don’t forget or miss things. And to do that, we need to know what those processes are. A hundred years ago, there was no real technology in the insurance industry, so everything was manual labor, and workflows got mapped out so that everybody knew their role and responsibility. The very first thing any agency needs to do is you need to have your processes mapped out and defined. If you’ve not done that, this is an excellent time for you to do it. If you don’t have mapped out and established processes, how are you going to identify which of those processes you can automate or replace with technology to run a leaner, more efficient, and more profitable agency? Map your processes people; it’s a must.
The second thing is to prove that you need the technology. I have agents come into Killing Commercial all the time, and one of the first questions out of their mouth is, do I need Zywave? Do I need Zywave to be in your program? The answer is no. You don’t. I would encourage you to prove to me that you need Zywave before you commit to a multiyear contract with them. Go through the program, get your processes defined, go out and get in front of some prospects, and have them request for you to do a mod audit. If you get two or three of them that want you to do it, guess what you need Zywave. If you’re not having any luck there and you would have signed up for a software tool, you’d be out the money every month was no return on your investment because you haven’t created the need yet. Create the need and then fix the need with the software.
The other thing you need to look at is you need to look at your technology as a team member. I talk about this all the time. When you’re going to go, interview somebody, what do you do? You research them and look at their social media. You review their work history and look at their resume. You interview them and talk to them. You essentially demo them to see if they’re going to be a good fit for your organization or not. Why don’t we do the same thing with technology when we’re looking to add technology to our team? We don’t. Technology can make our lives great. They can make our client experience even more impressive than it already is, but if it’s the wrong technology, it won’t work right, it won’t get used, and you’ll have spent a lot of money for no reason.
Make sure you take the time to make the right decision. Look, you might want a CRM. Salesforce may not be the answer for you right now, based on the size of your organization. That’s perfectly fine. There are plenty out of the box solutions that you can use, like Better Agency, that open up immediately and work for you. They have campaigns that they’ve already created that can help you follow up on leads that you thought you were dead while you continue pushing forward progress to write more organic new business.
Don’t rush into making your technology buying decisions. Do your research and understand it’s okay. Salesforce might be your end game, but there are plenty of great products that you can use for now that are more cost effective, that will do the trick and you may just find out you don’t need the 800 pound gorilla after all.
Listen, if you can do those things, if you can pay attention to your technology and your agency, how you’re buying it, how you’re researching it, how you’re integrating it and how you’re enhancing your culture and your client experience by using technology, you’re going to kill it in commercial insurance!
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