MAKE YOUR CLIENTS FEEL APPRECIATED!
by Catherine Oak
At your next general staff meeting, ask your people what they can do to get each client they see to feel appreciated. Have a leader gather the ideas
The leader should then use an easel or whiteboard to ask each person for one or two ideas of things they think would be great to do on the phone, in person, or thru the mail to make clients feel appreciated and special.
Brainstorming Works!
Brainstorm these ideas to refine them and to bring out additional suggestions. To get the creative juices flowing, discuss current situations that employees have run into. Others can learn from both the good and poor experiences of others. Also, review to handle tough situations and take advantage of opportunities.
Discuss how to build up your clients; and make sure your staff lets clients know the agency and employees really care about them and want to be there for them at any time, especially when they need you.
Implementation Stage
Once all the ideas are gathered, have the group select the top three or four best suggestions. Then work them into an action plan (possibly at another staff meeting). To make sure that the plan actually gets done, it’s essential to have an implementation plan that includes accountability and checks and balances. To ensure that there’s group buy-in, as well as delegation, the plan should list employees, other than the owners.
Renewal Retention
Help your clients in this tough soft market and weak economic times, and you can bet they’ll remember you when things turn around. .For example, if clients are having financial problems and needs to reduce their renewal premium, make sure that your producers and staff recommend methods of cutting premiums – such as higher deductibles, self insurance, and risk management programs. By saving money, clients might also be able to add coverages in other areas where they have exposures (EPLI, Business Interruption, an Umbrella, a Fidelity Bond, etc.).
Get Referrals
Referrals are the lifeblood of your agency – and happy customers feed referrals, even when you don’t ask for them.
Summary
If your clients feel that your agency and your staff appreciate them, you’ll find it far easier to build retention and referrals, not to mention making your staff feel great!
Catherine Oak is a principal with Oak & Associates (Glen Ellen, CA), an agency management consulting firm. You can reach her at Oak & Associates, P.O. Box 2047,Glen Ellen, CA 95442; (707) 935-6565; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.oakandassociates.com.