Are you using texting in your insurance agency? If not, it’s time to start!
As many of you know by now, we opened an independent agency last year. Now it had been a while since we had an agency and I didn’t realize just how much the TEXTING world has changed since then!
Back in 2009-ish, we texted but it wasn’t like it is now. And if you’re NOT texting, you are guaranteed missing out on new business and customer service opportunities.
I started looking into ways we could make our new business sales process MORE efficient (thus easier on us) and make it more convenient for clients.
I’m one of those people who doesn’t like to talk on the phone very much. I do when it’s necessary, but if I can email, go online, chat, or text…I’ll choose those options first every time. So I completely understand when clients prefer text over a phone call!
There are SO many options when it comes to choosing a texting provider and setting up a system in your office. But today I’ll share what we’re doing to give you some ideas.
Texting With My Office Phone Number
Our office phone is through Vonage, which is a VOIP phone provider. We’ve used them for several years for the marketing agency, so we kept our office phone here too.
John has the Vonage app on his cell phone so he can answer office phone calls even if he’s not in the actual office, making it easy to go to post office, etc. without missing a call.
I contacted Vonage about their texting options and found that for only $10 bucks, I could include texting to our main office number. That way we didn’t have to publish multiple numbers! We could also login online and manage the text messages there. This makes it SO much easier if you have multiple people responding to messages! It’s also much faster to type online than on your phone. 😉
So my first recommendation is to check with your current phone provider and see what they offer! You might be surprised.
Note: I have several clients who use a company called ZipWhip for their texting. It offers similar features and allows you to port your office phone number. (I found it to be a little more expensive for what I was really needing though.)
Another Texting Option
Maybe your phone provider doesn’t offer texting and you only need to use it occasionally. Here’s another option!
I also use a company called TextMagic for our lead texting. I would LOVE to combine everything with our office number, but unfortunately I can’t hook up my Vonage phone system to my Facebook ads.
I am able to hook up TextMagic, so we use it for texting our leads that come through Facebook. This allows us to INSTANTLY follow up with a new lead and establish a rapport with them.
TextMagic is very basic and you can NOT use your current phone number. You can however, choose a local number with the same area code. They charge $4 per month for your number and 4 cents for each outbound text. It is pretty cost friendly and a great temporary solution. You can also manage all texts online or through their app.
When To Use Texting
We love texting with new leads! Since almost all of our new business at this time comes from digital marketing, it’s really important that it be easy for potential clients to communicate.
We text new leads immediately and offer them a way to get a quote online, without having to speak to anyone first. Many choose that path!
We also send a text a few days later if we haven’t heard back. Often a follow up text gets better response!
(Of course, we always remove someone’s name and phone number if they request to not be texted.)
Many of our new clients have handled the majority of their new business via text. They like having a link sent with their ID cards. They like being able to text back if they have a quick question. It’s awesome! It can also cut out a lot of wasted time on the phone and make customer service more efficient.
My Top Tips For Texting
Here’s what I’ve learned so far…
#1 Create a texting number for the whole office…don’t let staff use their personal phones. You want your clients to know what number to contact, even if your staff leaves the agency at some point in the future.
#2 Train your clients to include their name when they text. 🙂 Just makes things easier to manage!
#3 Find a way to manage your texts online so the entire team can be responsible and know what’s going on. It is so much easier to type quickly, follow up, and provide good service if it’s online. And you’ll have the protection of seeing all the texts in one place.
#4 Implement a process for following up with new leads and quotes via text. Think about how a quick text could make the quote process easier or more convenient for your prospects. Start putting this into your process this week!