OPTIMIZING YOUR WOW FACTOR OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH CLIENT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

OPTIMIZING YOUR WOW FACTOR
OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH CLIENT
    RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Optimizing Your WOW Factor
Opportunities through Client
    Relationship Building

                Created & Presented by:
            Christine M. Sullivan, CIC

                Innovative Management Solutions, LLC © 2013

From the Moment the Client
Visits…
 All clients waiting should be greeted by
  anyone who walks by with a smile and a
  hello.
 Waiting is awkward.. Create a comfort
  level for them.
 Your goal is to make them feel
  comfortable and taken care of from the
  moment they enter.. until the moment
  they leave.
                         Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                         2013

Establishing the Lasting First
Impression
   “What you see is what you get”
    ◦ Goes a long way!
 Treat EVERY client interaction as a sales opportunity,
  and NOT an interruption
 Appearance:
    ◦   Neat
    ◦   Organized
    ◦   Professional
    ◦   Confident
   Research their account BEFORE meeting with them!
   Begin paperwork preparation
   Respect their privacy
   What do they expect?
                                 Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                                 2013

Building Client Relationships
   Build a program.. And deliver on your promises
   Why?
    ◦ Price is so apparent in advertising and with
      conversation between consumers
    ◦ Recent surveys support that this is what the client
      wants…
    ◦ Relationships improve:
         Loyalty
         Trust
         Wow Factors
         Referrals
    ◦ Minimizes:
       Need to shop
       Reason for doubt in your abilities and reasoning
                                         Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                                         2013

Client Relationship Program
             Attributes:
 Take care of the clients you have…PERFORM
  REVIEWS!
 Allows you the opportunity to GET THE TOTAL
  ACCOUNT through cross sell efforts.
 Communicates exceptional customer service
 Promotes Proactive vs. Reactive Customer Service
 Communicates agency value-added proposition.
 Controls/Minimizes E&O exposure
 Builds trust, credibility and loyalty
 Ensures long tenured clients
 Increases agency revenue
 Educates and enforces sales skills in CSR Account
  Managers
                              Copyright 2013 Innovative Management
                              Solutions, LLC

Agency’s Value-Added Propositions
   Align them with the agency’s vision and mission.
   Know them
   Rehearse them
   Communicate what they mean to the client.
   Be prepared to elaborate on them – important value added
    propositions promote open conversation.
   When you need an alternative to price, this is your golden
    egg.
   Set a time frame to begin moving away from procedural
    changes such as processes, course of action and methods to
    more of behavioral changes which include our performance,
    activities, how we interact with our clients/prospects and
    how we conduct business as an agency.

                                     Copyright 2013 Innovative Management
                                     Solutions, LLC

Personal Value-Added Propositions
   Develop an effective 2 to 3 line elevator
    speech
    ◦ Include your personal value added
      propositions
      What make you so good at what you do?
      Why do your clients love YOU?
    ◦ Be prepared to use clear examples to support
      this..
      Imagine your client saying.. “prove it…”
   Practice it; this will allow for a success

                                   Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                                   2013

Earning the trust and credibility.. the
feeling that you have their back..
   Create a comfort and relaxing experience for
    them.
   Goal is to ask, listen and provide assistance to
    THEIR needs.
   Set clear expectations for follow-up if needed
   They should not leave without feeling that you
    have addressed AT LEAST what they came in for..
   Make it easy for THEM!
   Leave a lasting impression.. one they will talk
    about..
   Ex: Black Friday experience
                               Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                               2013

DO Not Get Lost In The Process
 We have become so process based that if
  we aren’t careful, our behaviors will become
  more about processes than about the client.
 Are we making it easier for them or for us?
 Do we pay attention to body language.. or
  observe when other team members are
  working with clients?
 Do we strive to create and identify wow
  factors? Share some….

                           Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                           2013

Walking your talk.. Credibility and
Trust
   Communicate and stand by your service
    standards
    ◦ Strive to return calls/emails within the same
      day
 Set and clearly define expectations ..yours
  and theirs..
 Stand by your promises…strive to meet
  them

                               Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                               2013

Service Standard Importance
   Promotes professionalism, awareness and
    communication between clients, carriers and
    co-workers.
   Key factors:
    ◦ What can their clients expect from your team
      and services?
        Communication services
        Products and Services
        Risk Management Services
        Claim Services
        Agency Contacts
        Customer Feedback Procedures

                                   Copyright 2013 Innovative Management
                                   Solutions, LLC

Empathic Listening Defined…
   Empathic listening: a way of listening
    and responding to another person that
    improves mutual understanding and trust.

                            Copyright 2013 Innovative Management
                            Solutions, LLC

Empathic Listening
 Listening and responding to another
  person in a way that creates a mutual
  understanding and trust
 What will it do for you?
    ◦   Build credibility
    ◦   Establish trust
    ◦   Reduce tension
    ◦   Resolve conflict

                            Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                            2013

Listening is Important!
 If you ask a question, listen to the answer!
 Let them open up to you. Choose wisely
  what is filed into your memory.
 Let them get a word in, do not stonewall
  the conversation.
 Empathic Listening is a major key to
  earning TRUST and CREDIBILITY both
  personally AND professionally!
    ◦ Ex: Mushroom experience
                            Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                            2013

Listening is Important! (cont.)
 Can I communicate what they said to me,
  back to them?
 While speaking with the customer/client,
  did you:
    ◦ Use real life examples that will hit them
      personally?
    ◦ Answer their top three questions that
      brought them here to begin with?
    ◦ Create any WOW factors?
   If not, DO NOT LET THEM LEAVE!
                                Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                                2013

Importance of Communication
 Communication is key to any successful
  agency, service, sales, and management
  team.
 Communication builds the foundation of
  relationships.
 How well do you communicate with your
  team, carriers, clients, and prospects?

                        Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                        2013

Talking THEIR Talk…
 Are you using words THEY understand?
 What are the words that are not client
  friendly? What are the alternatives?
          Share some…
             Underwriter
             Upload a policy
             Upload a payment
             Covered Perils
             Covered loss
             2A/LPR/BOR…Supplemental App…..

                              Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                              2013

Telephone Communication
   Before you take the next call..
    ◦ Take a minute to release the last call
    ◦ Refocus and remember that the next person has
      no idea what you just handled before their call.
   Tone of voice
    ◦ What will their first impression be?
    ◦ Do not sound “rushed” like you don’t have time
      to speak to the person on the other end…
   Demonstrate empathy–
    ◦ “I understand why you feel this way…”
    ◦ “Once I understand your concerns /expectations
      I will work with you to find answers/solutions. “
                                 Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                                 2013

Telephone Communication (cont.)
   Avoid Distractions
    ◦ If you need to type during the call, please be sure to
      let the client know why
    ◦ sighs/snickers
    ◦ background noise!
       Banging on desk
       talking to other people, etc.
   Ending the call effectively
    ◦ Think.. “have I answered all their questions or given
      the next steps toward solutions?”
    ◦ Avoid ASAP ….clearly define the timeframe
    ◦ Write it on the upper right corner as the due date
    ◦ Stand by your promises…strive to meet them…
                                        Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                                        2013

Email/Texting Communication

 Be VERY careful when texting clients.. PROOF
  READ! OK for quick questions.. Not discussions
 DO NOT Address the EMAIL Until attachments
  are attached…
 Does this e-mail message make sense? Are the
  actions clear and do they have owners?
 Does the e-mail message meet the P.A.S.S test?
    ◦ What is the purpose of this communication?
    ◦ What action is involved and does it have a due date?
    ◦ What supporting information does the recipient
      need?
    ◦ Has the communication been effectively
      summarized in the subject line?
                                  Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                                  2013

Before You “Press Send”..Cont…
   Is the message well-written?
   Is it concise while providing enough data for
    action to be taken or decisions made?
   Do the links in the message work? Are the
    attachments included?
   Address the email and confirm if the e-mail
    message is being sent to the correct
    recipients (not too many and not too few)?
   Has the email been re-checked for grammar
    and spelling?
                             Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                             2013

Lack of Knowledge
   If you don’t know the answer, DON’T
    PANIC!
    ◦ This will diminish trust and credibility
    ◦ Always speak with confidence
 Gain a full understanding of the
  questions/concerns
 Record all questions…yours and theirs..
 Call them back when you are able to
  provide a solution, next steps or an
  update.
                                 Innovative Management Solutions, LLC ©
                                 2013

Leadership Development

1.   Lead by Example
 ◦    Never expect your team to do something you would not
      do yourself.
2.   Have Passion for what you do
 ◦    you can inspire so much in others through your own
      passion and enthusiasm.
3.   Be Organized
 ◦    When you’re organized you will be much more
      productive and so will everyone else.
4.   Delegate
 ◦    You can’t do everything. A great Leader needs to
      delegate effectively.
5.   Take Ownership & Responsibility
 ◦    Your team needs to know that you will be there for them through
      good and bad times.

            Copyright 2013 Innovative Management Solutions, LLC     23

Leadership Development… Continued

6.    Communicate Effectively
 ◦     It’s critical that you communicate to employees how their
       work matters in the bigger picture
7.    Be Honest and Demonstrate
      Integrity
 ◦     You must learn how to present things to your team in an
       honest but balanced manner.
8.    Be a Great Listener
 ◦     Motivating means listening to them, asking them questions,
       understanding their issues.
9.    Know your Team
 ◦     The more you know and understand your team, the more
       you will be able to identify their strengths and attributes.
10.   Be a Follower
 ◦     Being a leader-follower means finding value in your team,
       getting inspired by your team, encouraging your team to
       communicate, brainstorm and be open.

             Copyright 2013 Innovative Management Solutions, LLC      24