Why Does No One Want to Pick up the Phone? Interruption or Reason
Is it just us, or have you noticed that it seems that nobody wants to pick up the phone these days? Definitely in our personal lives, people are much more likely to send off a quick text before they pick up the phone, and that may be fine. But in our insurance agencies, this is a real thing, and it can lead to some real issues.
“Think about it, if that phone doesn’t ring, then we’re not in business, you know? The phone rings, that’s the reason why we exist. We answer that phone and we make an impression. We impress the heck out of those people. We answer that phone, that’s our time to shine.”
It’s especially true with inbound calls in insurance agencies, when the phone is ringing and ringing, and no one seems to want to answer it.
You all definitely know this scenario: the phone is ringing in your insurance agency, and no one jumps up to answer it.
That’s probably because everyone is thinking the same thing.
“I’m just gonna wait and see if someone else will answer it.”
“I’m way too busy, I can’t get to it, someone else will.”
So, what do we do when no one wants to answer the phone, and if we think of phone calls as interruptions? Let’s dive in.
Are Phone Calls Interruptions?
If you feel like you’re too busy in your insurance agency, and you feel like phone calls are interrupting what you really need to get done, we might need to change our thinking about these ideas.
That’s because these phone calls aren’t only huge opportunities. They’re basically the reason we exist in insurance agencies in the first place.
To start, we are not big fans of the word busy. Busy is not a solution or a plan, and instead, we should focus on being productive. Being productive is great, while being busy is not.
So let’s say you’re having a super productive moment. You’re knocking things off of your to-do list, you’re getting things done, and suddenly the phone rings. Your first thought is that it’s an interruption, and you don’t want to stop your workflow for that interruption.
Is that really the case? Is it really an interruption to the work you truly should be doing?
Or is that phone call the reason insurance agencies exist in the first place?
Think about it: if that phone doesn’t ring, then we’re not in business. When the phone rings, we get to answer that phone, make an impression, and impress the heck out of those people on the other end of the line.
When we answer the phone, it’s really our time to shine. We get to speak to someone at the other end of the phone, give them a quote, and close a deal. We can pay their claim, take care of their issue, add a vehicle, take away a vehicle. That’s where we get to shine, to showcase our services, to win new clients, and to fulfill the needs of our current clients.
And that’s why we as insurance agencies really exist.
So, are phone calls interruptions? We think the answer is definitely no.
Creating a System
If you feel like phone calls pull you away from your work, and make you feel more busy than productive, what this means is that you need a plan around this issue.
Specifically, you really need a system for answering your phone calls.
And that’s what we’re going to dive into this week: creating a process around answering the phone. Maybe that first ring is the receptionist, the second ring is a backup, and then there’s another tier from there.
By the time it gets to the fourth or fifth ring, maybe leadership should be answering the phone. And of course, if leadership is answering the phone, there’s probably an issue going on. This is the opportunity to ask “Okay, why?” and to look back at our plans, to figure out what’s going wrong.
Whatever your solution is, processes around your phone calls can help make things run smoothly.
And to help figure out what exactly is happening with your phone process, you can take a look at your phone records to track information.
Phone Records are in Your Corner
We all know how helpful metrics can be in insurance agencies. Phone records are no different. These records can provide you with valuable information, which can be incredibly helpful in figuring out exactly what’s going on with your phone processes.
Whether you use Lightspeed Voice or another similar phone system, you can use that to track what’s going on. Take a look at the numbers, and use them as metrics, to see what’s really going on around your phone process.
Ultimately, those metrics can be incredibly helpful in getting people back to answering that phone, and taking advantage of those opportunities that are on the other end of the line.
Because yes, every time the phone rings, it’s a huge opportunity. It’s an opportunity for an upsell, cross-sell, answering an ad, or answering a lead. It’s an opportunity to provide a service to your client who needs you.
It’s even just an opportunity to connect. Maybe you gave that person the 30-day check in call to say “Thanks for your business,” and they’re calling you back. Maybe you called someone to say “Happy Birthday” and they’re expressing their gratitude.
Even those phone calls can provide incredible value, and can showcase to your client exactly why you’re the best insurance agent for the job.
Just remember: whatever reason that phone is ringing, that’s why you exist in your insurance agency.
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