Follow Up.................

[cdsnuts]

So if there's one thing I've learned over the past few years doing FE is that proper follow up with your client will make a huge difference with keeping the business on the books. It's so easy in this business to write the app, have it fly through jet issue and then mail the policy out a week or two later. When I was very busy and writing a ton I would do this, forget to even do a follow up phone call after mailing the policy. I noticed a big jump in charge backs.

From the time you submit the app, how often do you guys follow up/call your clients?

 

[Bcrane0305]

So if there's one thing I've learned over the past few years doing FE is that proper follow up with your client will make a huge difference with keeping the business on the books. It's so easy in this business to write the app, have it fly through jet issue and then mail the policy out a week or two later. When I was very busy and writing a ton I would do this, forget to even do a follow up phone call after mailing the policy. I noticed a big jump in charge backs.

From the time you submit the app, how often do you guys follow up/call your clients?

I just send a personal thank you card before the draft with the info of the draft information.

 

[jdeasy]

So if there's one thing I've learned over the past few years doing FE is that proper follow up with your client will make a huge difference with keeping the business on the books. It's so easy in this business to write the app, have it fly through jet issue and then mail the policy out a week or two later. When I was very busy and writing a ton I would do this, forget to even do a follow up phone call after mailing the policy. I noticed a big jump in charge backs.

From the time you submit the app, how often do you guys follow up/call your clients?

I send a Thank You card to every buyer. I used to use SoC but now I handwrite them.

I also deliever all, or most, of my policies.

If there is an NSF I contact them immedaitely. Other than those times I don't initiate contact with clients.

 

[cdsnuts]

I send a Thank You card to every buyer. I used to use SoC but now I handwrite them.

I also deliever all, or most, of my policies.

If there is an NSF I contact them immedaitely. Other than those times I don't initiate contact with clients.

I have SOC as well. You never sent in your handwriting sample to them?

And I was always wary of sending thank you cards. Shouldn't they be thanking you for your service and help getting them the best coverage? Thanking them for the business always seemed to shift me away from this angle.

I bet delivering your policies really keeps your charge backs at bay?

 

[PA Bill]

If you want to reach out and "touch" them once in a while, how about a birthday card (or a call)? Hardly anyone sends them these days and yours is likely to be the only one they get. B-day cards get you remembered and foster positive feelings, imho. Just a thought.

p.s.- Always do something after the sale. You don't want them to think you're one of those "fly by night" operators. Especially in rural areas as they see a lot of those. I'm with JD in personally delivering policies (stopped doing it but reverted back). That obviously has its drawbacks and is work, but I learned the hard way for it to be the single most effective way to "salt the sale". Big surprise, huh? The best way requires the most effort.

 

[jdeasy]

I have SOC as well. You never sent in your handwriting sample to them?

And I was always wary of sending thank you cards. Shouldn't they be thanking you for your service and help getting them the best coverage? Thanking them for the business always seemed to shift me away from this angle.

I bet delivering your policies really keeps your charge backs at bay?

I don't thank them when I'm with them. I want them thanking me then.

But after the sale is done I change my mindset. They are now clients.

But I used to send congratulations cards instead of thank you but they didn't seem to get it. My clients love the cards. They always have the card out when I deliver the policies. And they thank me for sending it.

I used a handwriting font with SoC but that's not why I stopped with them. They had all those problems last year when they changed the system and maybe that's resolved now? But their problem was timeliness.

I would enter the card as I was doing the applications and faxing them in. It would take at least a week for the person to get the card. Sometimes 10 days.

I buy them in bulk at the Dollar Store. Fill them out when finishing up the faxing, put a stamp on them and in the mailbox the next morning. They get the card in 2 days tops.

I found that it costs me about 1/3 of what it did with SoC and they get the card sooner. Plus I put another business card in the envelope.

Just works out better.