Build Your Agency Strategic Plan: Insurance Business Planning Examples

Is Having No Agency Workflows Hurting Your Agency?

In this blog, we explore key insurance business planning examples that can elevate your company’s strategy and performance.

There are far too many agencies that wing their agency workflows. Either their insurance agency management system is too complicated, they aren’t aware of its capabilities, or they simply don’t know where to start.

Let’s be honest, detailing every step of a process can feel overwhelming! We’re here to remind you that we can tackle tough challenges and that there’s a cost to doing nothing.

In this blog, we will break down how not having agency workflows may be causing more headaches, inefficiencies, and friction for your agency and clients. We’ll also reveal the top 10 reasons your agency needs to have procedures, processes, and workflows. 

10 Reasons Having No Agency Workflows Is Hurting Your Agency 

If you need motivation to start building your agency’s workflows, you’re in the right place.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Don’t do it alone! Get a team of people in the agency together to work on the workflows
• Don’t start from scratch! We have our 10 Agency Process Templates that can help you get started (check out our New Business, Renewal, and Rewrite processes – they’re the most popular) 
• Select a beta tester before you roll the workflows out to your team
• Have a launch party and share the process with your team
• Give it a 30-day test period for the team to learn and iron out any issues
• After 30 days, audit the process and hold everyone accountable

Workflows are best done collaboratively and take some time to master, but they are definitely worth it!

Reason #1: Training Is Inconsistent

Does your agency have this problem? You hire a new team member, and their training involves shadowing existing staff. The new team member gets confused because everyone they shadow does things differently, and they end up creating their own way of doing things. A copy of a copy is never as good. 

When you have clear agency workflows, the great news is training is easier, and you can onboard new team members much faster. 

Reason #2: Reports Are a Mess

Have you ever run a report in your agency management system and immediately knew it was wrong? It’s frustrating, and you might even blame the system, calling it garbage. The reality is, that reports are often wrong because everyone is doing things their own way. If your agency doesn’t have written processes, you can bet your reports will be full of errors. 

You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Without the right workflows, you won’t have usable data to make business decisions. Without workflows, everyone uses the management system for themselves, not for the agency’s overall benefit.

Reason #3: Documentation Disasters

Have you ever looked at a client’s file in your management system and felt your eyes glaze over? Abbreviations, inconsistent file naming, and piles of documents are all over the place. You can’t make heads or tails of the file, so you have to ask a team member what’s going on. Uggghh. This causes issues when they’re off or even just at lunch.

If you can’t follow the file, no one can back up the team members, and we lose efficiency quickly. Imagine how much time could be saved if you didn’t have to ask people what’s happening.

Reason #4: The Pilot Method

I fly across the country every week. Every time I board a plane, the pilot does the same thing. They break out their process and check the plane. It doesn’t matter if the pilot has been flying for 3 years or 30, they all use the same workflow to check the plane. 

But in insurance, we let everyone do their own thing, even though we’re protecting what people work hard for.

To do things right in insurance, there are several steps and details. When it’s late or we’re in a hurry, steps can be missed. With a workflow, the next step comes to you automatically.

Reason #5: Changes to Procedure

Over time, every insurance agency process gets changed or updated, and change can be tough for team members. We get so used to doing things one way. Whether it’s a new technology, a change in roles, or an updated form – people are creatures of habit! 

When you put together an agency workflow, the system will share with the team members exactly what to do and how to do it. Building workflows makes retraining the team, reducing errors, and helping people adapt to changes much easier.

Reason #6: Customer Experience

It drives me nuts that one client can have a totally different experience from another, all because each person in the agency does things differently. This inconsistency leads to inconsistent results.

Your team will have different closing ratios, different retention rates, and different book growth metrics. When you can nail down a consistent experience, you can control and tweak the outcomes of the agency workflows. 

Reason #7: Wasting Resources

Have you ever wondered why some team members are always behind and others seem to be on top of their game? It’s even more puzzling how different people can handle different size books. By identifying the right processes, you can streamline efficiency across the team. Some team members follow up 18 times, some only use email, and some send email quotes.

By organizing your agency’s processes and workflows, you can ensure everyone is on the same page, making your agency more efficient and effective.

Reason #8: The Ability To Audit

If your agency is not auditing – what are you waiting for? 

Audits ensure accuracy, accountability, and provide teachable moments. Without a written procedure, auditing team members becomes very difficult. You’ll often encounter unclear areas or lose interest in auditing because it’s tough to do without written workflows.

Auditing is a great opportunity to confirm and clarify that everyone is doing the right thing at the right time. 

Reason #9: Use of Support Staff and Virtual Assistants

Does your team struggle with delegating tasks to support staff or virtual assistants? It’s often unclear if using these team members is a requirement or just a recommendation. Support staff are usually entry-level positions, and we can train them to grow within the company. By not giving them work, we’re being selfish and hindering their career development. Similarly, if we’re overwhelmed but not assigning tasks to virtual assistants, we’re not following the agency’s guidelines and being selfish.

However, when your agency takes the time to refine its workflows, it becomes clear who is responsible for what and how to delegate tasks effectively.

Reason #10: If Not Now, When

You might think building workflows can wait, but can it? You have 9 reasons staring at you, and workflows solve or immediately improve all of them! Delaying your agency’s processes and procedures will only push back your operational excellence. 

Insurance processes might seem like something you can put off, but should you?

Conclusion: The Cost of Inaction and the Promise of Transformation

It’s clear that a lack of structured workflows can hurt your agency’s efficiency, consistency, and overall success. Many agencies fall into the trap of winging their processes due to the perceived complexity of setting up workflows, a lack of awareness of their system’s capabilities, or simply not knowing where to start. 

But this approach can have serious downsides.

Creating comprehensive workflows isn’t just an administrative task; it’s a game-changer for how your agency operates. Without standardized processes, you may face issues, like:

• Inconsistent training
• Messy reports
• Disorganized documentation
• Inefficient procedures
• Resistance to change
• Uneven customer experiences
• Wasted resources
• Difficulties in auditing and delegation

Any of these problems can reduce productivity and client satisfaction; together, they can seriously damage your agency’s growth and reputation.

The Hidden Costs of Disorganized Workflows

• Inconsistent Training

  Without clear workflows, new hires often get inconsistent training, leading to varied practices and inefficiencies. Standardized workflows ensure that every new team member is onboarded effectively and consistently, reducing the learning curve and accelerating their contribution to the agency.

• Messy Reports

  Reliable data is crucial for making informed business decisions. Disorganized processes result in inaccurate reports, hindering your ability to manage and strategize effectively. By implementing standardized workflows, you ensure that everyone enters data correctly and uniformly, leading to cleaner, more accurate reports.

• Documentation Disasters

  Inconsistent documentation can cause significant delays and misunderstandings, particularly when a team member is unavailable. Clear workflows streamline documentation practices, making files easier to navigate and understand, which improves collaboration and efficiency.

• Pilot Method vs. Winging It

  Comparing pilots following a checklist is spot on. In insurance, like in aviation, precision and consistency are vital. Workflows act as a checklist, making sure every detail is handled correctly every time, reducing mistakes, and improving service quality.

• Adapting to Changes

  Change is inevitable in any industry, but it can be particularly challenging without clear processes. Workflows help smooth transitions by providing a structured approach to implementing new technologies, procedures, or policies, ensuring all team members are on the same page.

• Customer Experience

  Consistency in customer service is key to building trust and loyalty. If team members use different methods, it leads to varying customer experiences, which can hurt your agency’s reputation. Standardized workflows ensure a uniform, high-quality experience for every client, boosting satisfaction and retention.

• Resource Wastage

  Inefficiencies and inconsistencies in processes lead to wasted resources. With clear workflows, you can ensure that all team members are operating at peak efficiency, maximizing productivity and minimizing waste.

• Effective Auditing

  Audits are essential for maintaining quality and compliance. Without clear workflows, auditing becomes difficult and less effective. Standardized processes make it easier to conduct thorough audits, ensuring accuracy and accountability.

• Utilizing Support Staff and Virtual Assistants

  Proper delegation is vital for efficiency, but without clear workflows, it’s hard to effectively use support staff and virtual assistants. Defined processes clarify roles and responsibilities, making delegation and team utilization better.

• The Time to Act is Now

  It’s tempting to procrastinate on developing workflows, but the cost of inaction is high. The benefits of structured workflows are immediate and substantial, from better operational efficiency to enhanced client satisfaction.

The Path Forward: Taking Action

To start creating effective workflows, consider these actionable steps:

• Collaborative Approach: Gather a team to develop and refine workflows, making sure to get input and support from everyone in the organization.
• Leverage Templates: Use existing templates to save time and provide a solid foundation for your workflows.
• Pilot Testing: Select a beta tester to trial the workflows before a full rollout, allowing for adjustments based on real-world feedback.
• Team Engagement: Host a launch party to introduce the new workflows, generating excitement and ensuring everyone is informed.
• Testing and Adjustment: Implement a 30-day testing period to identify and resolve any issues, ensuring the workflows are practical and effective.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly audit and update workflows after implementation, holding team members accountable and continuously refining processes.

Workflows aren’t a one-time task but an ongoing commitment to doing things well. They need effort and teamwork, but the benefits are huge: better efficiency, consistency, and happy clients. Investing in workflows means investing in your agency’s future success and stability. 

Don’t let fear of the unknown or sticking to old ways hold you back. Start building your workflows today and see your agency turn into a smooth, high-performing operation.

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