1. How to Choose and Use a CRM
System for Your Insurance
Business
5/21/19
By: ARC Systems, Inc
To say that technology has changed the way we do
business would be a drastic understatement. Computers,
tablets, and smart phones have radically altered every
aspect of our lives, including our businesses. Some of us
may recall the days when we kept all of our client’s
information in ledgers, notebooks, and folders. In fact,
some of us may still be doing it. After all, it’s not always
easy to adopt a new system, even when we clearly see
that it has advantages for growing our business. While
change isn’t, always, easy it can be good for us.
In an industry like ours, nancial services, being a step
ahead of your competition is vital to success. It’s a
highly competitive eld out there. Captive and
independent agents, large FMOs, insurance companies
with in-house sales teams, are all vying for the same
pool of business. For the front-line agent or advisor,
every sale, every client, and every policy or contract is a
doorway to dozens of more sales, clients and contracts.
Nurturing that business is crucial to long term success
in our eld, increased earnings, a larger book of
business, and a sense of trust within the communities
we serve. As agents, adopting technologies that reduce
our administrative workload, while increasing our
ability to intake new clients is a key component to our
upward mobility. In short, software systems have
become a necessity in the modern nancial services
landscape.
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2. Today, we’re going to show you how to use a software
system to manage, and grow your business. This guide is
intended for management systems in general. How do
you go about picking the right system? What features
are important? How do you leverage those features to
increase your client base and reduce your workload? Can
spending money on a system actually save you money?
We’ll take you step-by-step through all of these
questions, and more.
CRM, AMS, CSM. What are they?
Acronyms aside, software systems are designed for the
purpose of tracking, communication, and engagement.
The three acronyms you’ll likely see the most often are
the CRM, AMS or CSM. They share many common
features, but are intended for different purposes. Only
you, with an understanding of your business and what it
requires, can decide which type of system is the right
one for you. Perhaps nding one with the right mix of all
of them ts your needs. Perhaps only a few key features
are what will serve you best. Let’s look at each of them.
CRM
The most common acronym thrown around is the CRM.
This stands for Customer Relationship Manager, or
Customer Relations Manager. The CRM is the base of
the system, allowing you to keep records of your clients,
prospects, activity, and interactions. It’s the digital
equivalent of your paper ling system, but with features
that make managing the details more readily available
and useful when you need them. It helps you to track
your sales funnel, look for new sales opportunities, and
service the clients that you already have. The CRM gives
you tools to manage the relationships and outreach for
your client base.
So, what does it mean to manage the relationships and
outreach? Don’t you already do that by calling
periodically to schedule reviews, or send out birthday
and Christmas cards? Yes, you do those things. The CRM
just makes it easier and allows you to do it in less time,
or in ways you may not currently do. With a CRM, you’re
noti ed of upcoming events, such as client birthdays.
Some systems will allow you to create a birthday list
that can be printed or exported. Some allow for emailing
campaigns, so you can set up a mass email to all of your
clients, like a recurring newsletter. Still others allow for
single click dialing of phone numbers. The features may
vary, but the goal is the same: keeping you connected
with your clients to foster ongoing relationships.
Think about what your time is worth. How long does it
take to write an email to each of your clients? How long
does it take to copy addresses to envelopes, stamp them,
and send cards? How long does it take to look up
information in le folders? This is time that’s better
spent where it is more valuable: sitting with prospects
and writing business. Leave the grunt work to your
CRM.
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3. AMS
The AMS is an Agency Management System. This is a
system suited for managing an insurance agency.
Whether you’re an agency of two or dozens, you already
know that your agency can be a complex machine that
requires a lot of attention. The agency functions on a
different level than that of an individual producer, often
requiring tracking from multiple carriers, lines of
business, different agents, the Agency Principal(s),
organizational communication, prospecting activities,
lead streams, and all of the details that come with
running a business, as well.
The AMS is what keeps it all together in a single place.
Your AMS should be able to
Track commissions or payouts to your producers.
Monitor the pending and issued business from
those producers.
Provide broad, and detailed reports on producer
activity.
Help with managing expenses.
Provide a lead distribution system and monitoring
of lead activity to give you a return on investment
in your lead channels.
Allow for communication between managers and
eld agents, as well as of ce or administrative staff.
Keep records of the Agency’s book of business and
prospecting efforts.
Have all the functions of a CRM to foster client
relationships.
Provide for quick answers to common questions
producers or employees may have in the form of
guides, training, and resources.
Keeping track of all of this on paper can be an
overwhelming task that may require hiring additional
staff to maintain. When you’re a business owner,
though, you need to watch the bottom line and put your
money where it will give you the greatest return. The
AMS, while it can be an expense, will ultimately save
you big in the long run.
CSM
A CSM is a Customer Service Manager. This system
shares many of the same functions of a CRM, and is very
similar. However, a CSM is more for service than it is for
managing relationships. Think of all the times you’ve
had to contact a company for help with something.
Whether it was an insurance company, or to get help for
a product you purchased, chances are the company was
using some kind of CSM system.
The CSM provides tools to help your employees with
customer service, such as providing support for products
or services you offer. This can be something as simple as
quick references on how to pay a monthly premium, or
what number to contact to get account information from
a particular insurance company. It can also provide
resources for more complex questions, such as guides
for potential clients about choosing the right Medicare
plan or Life Insurance policy. In short, it’s designed to
help your customers get the information they need as
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4. quickly and ef ciently as possible, whether it’s by
speaking to a representative, or with a self-help tool.
Choosing the right system
There are all kinds of systems out there that meet a
variety of needs. Some are exible, allowing for various
customization to suit a variety of business types. Others
may be more rigid, lling a particular business niche.
Choosing the right system can seem like a daunting task,
with so many to choose from. Another hurdle, you may
think, is that once you’ve chosen one and invested the
time into learning it and putting data into it, how do you
know it will work for you as your business grows and
changes? When we started our own agency, we had the
same dif culties. It was one reason we decided to build
the ARC System, in the rst place. Here is some general
guidance that can help you in choosing a system.
What does your business need right now? Basic
client management? A means for tracking your sales
funnel? Somewhere to keep records of your written
policies, and maybe digital copies for easy access?
Communication with your clients?
Where do you want your business to be in a few
years? Do you intend to function as a sole producer
for your entire career, or do you have ambitions of
opening an agency, bringing in more producers for a
downline, or opening multiple of ces? If you’re
expecting to expand in the future, consider a system
that may offer multiple tiers of features that you
can unlock and use as you scale. After all, if you’re
going to take the time to learn and use a system,
chances are you’ll need to train others to use it, and
that you’ll invest considerable time into the data
that you put into it over the years. Having a system
that’s exible enough to scale with your business
may be a crucial decision.
How easy is it to get your data out of it?
Throughout your career, you may nd that one
system no longer meets the needs of your business.
Most of them make it pretty easy to put data into
the system. If you have to leave, though, how easy
is it to take your data somewhere else? Is it as
simple as downloading a le, or does it require
intervention from a customer service rep at the
company to help?
How easy is it to put data in? On the reverse of the
last question, you may be moving from one system
to another. If you have data from a previous system,
can the new system accept an import of that data?
Do they provide support to make this process
simple? Is there a template that you’ll need to use
to upload this data, so that it’s formatted correctly
for the new system?
Is it easy enough to use? Let’s face it, we’re busy.
The life of an agent is an on the go lifestyle. Using a
system is all well and good, but how steep is the
learning curve? If it requires an extensive training
program, it might be a great system, but if you don’t
have the time to learn it, then what use will it really
be?
If you had the perfect system, what would it be?
Shoot for the stars rst. Make a list of everything
you wish your dream system could do for you. Find
me prospects while I watch Net ix should not be on
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5. this list. Let’s not shoot that high. Rather, think of
the tedious tasks you have to perform, and which of
those could be automated or condensed into one
place to make things easier. This might be things
like having multiple accounts to manage different
aspects of your business, such email accounts,
spreadsheets, word documents, social media
accounts, or your website. If you could put some of
the things you do the most often in one place, how
much more ef cient would it make your business?
Once you have your ideal system in mind, go out
and compare features from different providers. See
who most closely matches your wish list. Then,
work back to nd what’s affordable, as well.
Look for free trials or free to use systems. Many
systems use the SaaS model, which is Software as a
Service. They provide the platform and host data,
and you pay the monthly fee for the tier of service
you require. Many systems offer a free trial of the
software, while others may even have a tier of
usage that gives access to basic features at no cost,
in the hopes that you will upgrade at some point to
a higher tier of service. In general, it’s a good rule of
thumb to stay away from companies that don’t
show their pricing, or want you to call for a
customized quote. Based on personal experience,
we can say that these are often the more expensive
systems, and that they seem more interested in
making sales as opposed to providing more useful
features. You can make your own determination.
Watch out for contracts. There are all kinds of great
services out there that do not require a contract
term. If you can stay month-to-month, with the
option to cancel any time, this is usually the best
bet.
You have a system. Now, what?
So, you’ve settled on a new system. It’s got the features
you want, is affordable, and it’s not too dif cult to use.
Now, what do you do with it? Only you know your
business model. How you work is different from anyone
else, and you’ll need to make your system work the way
you do. The rst step is, of course, to really use it. You
committed to it, after all. Don’t fall back on old habits of
writing sticky notes and keeping binders full of paper. If
you still prefer to take notes on paper during your
meetings, make sure that you’re able to transfer your
notes (in some form) to the system later.
Make it a habit to use. Like anything else, as you do it, it
becomes routine. Your system will provide the most
productivity for you if you dedicate yourself to using it.
The more data you put in, the more useful it will
become. This point really can’t be stressed enough. Any
system is worthless if you don’t use it. The more you use
it, the greater return you’ll see.
Utilize the CRM features. Learn what your CRM offers
to communicate and build relationships with your
clients and prospects. When you begin to use those
features, you’ll see how powerful a CRM can be. In fact,
just getting the system is a reason to interact with your
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6. clients. If your CRM offers a mass email feature, you can
start by sending an email to your clients notifying them
that your company is “going digital to provide faster,
more accurate service and support,” or something along
those lines. Maybe ask for a response back just to see if
anything important has changed in their lives, like a list
of updated prescriptions for AEP, or if they’ve had any
new children or grandchildren. These are prospecting
opportunities that allow you to begin utilizing the
features of your system.
If your system has a click-to-call feature, set aside a call
day and dial each client that you haven’t spoken with
recently. Let them know that you’re just con rming that
you have the most recent phone number on le for them.
Oh, and by the way, you hope that everything is still
going smoothly with the policies you’ve written for
them. If they have any updates to their prescription list,
you’d really appreciate it so that you can run them
through for changes during AEP. Provide a little service
while you learn your system, and you’ll up your
retention. You may also discover new opportunities for
business, or nd issues that your clients have that you
might not have been aware of.
System recommendations
In no particular order, here are some of the systems we
have actually used and can recommend.
ARC: arc-ware.com
Naturally, we recommend our system on this list. It’s
free to use, and was designed by front-line advisors.
We’re on a mission to provide every possible resource
any agent or advisor would need.
Pipedrive: pipedrive.com
Pipedrive starts with low-price plans, and while it’s not
speci c to nancial services, it can be customized to t
almost any business type.
AgencyBloc: agencybloc.com
AgencyBloc is a well known name in the AMS business.
The system has a bit of a learning curve, and is most
useful for mid to large-size commercial or health
agencies. Pricing structure seems to vary frequently.
Salesforce: salesforce.com
Perhaps the most widely known name in the CRM
business, Salesforce is customizable for just about any
type of business. With a wide variety of plugins and
apps for various functions, Salesforce can be adapted to
do a lot of different things. They are more enterprise-
focused, and can become very expensive.
Bitrix24: bitrix24.com
Bitrix is a “social CRM” with team workspaces that
allow for project and task management. Dialer
functionality can be added for additional cost.
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7. Hawksoft: hawksoft.com
Hawksoft ts into the AMS arena for property and
casualty agents. This AMS has a nice feature that allows
for automated download of policy data from the carriers
that connect to it. Hawksoft customizes pricing, so
you’ll have to call for a quote or to request a demo.
Zoho CRM: zoho.com
Zoho is a multi-channel CRM and marketing platform
that allows for customer contact through email, phone,
live chat, and social media. They provide a 15 day free
trial, and the system can be customized for most
business types.
Have more questions on how to choose or work with a
CRM? Contact us or join the site and leave us comments.
If you’ve found this content useful, please share it for
the bene t of others. Find more helpful content at arc-
ware.com/blog.
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