Don’t Be Afraid of Going Digital
Be adaptable. Be flexible. Go digital. These are three phrases that we’ve heard ad nauseam throughout the past seven months. At Element Premium Finance Alliance, going digital has allowed us to stay connected as a team while our employees feel safe in the comfort of their homes. Working from home will be a reality for a while and for some companies it may even become a permanent fixture. Therefore, it will remain critical to put in place proper software and protocols to allow your employees to maintain the same productivity as in the office. Going digital provides companies with the ability to scale easily and let multiple locations remain connected to one another. Our company has adapted a streamlined digital process – so as we grow and add new branches, we can adapt our digital platform and maintain this technology “language” as an agency.
This may be overwhelming, but don’t be afraid! We’re all in this together and we’re sharing the best tips and tricks we’ve learned so far.
When preparing to go digital, there are a few important points to keep in mind. First, we have found that it’s not wise to assume that younger people are savvy with technology while older people aren’t. Some of the best technology users in our agency are older employees who may have been wary at first, but have since easily adapted to the new processes. Regardless of age, training is key. Create training manuals and walk your team through important steps they’ll need to take to use the technology effectively. Second, going “paperless” as an agency doesn’t mean you don’t have any paper trails left in the office. While all employees must commit to being on the same page technology-wise, it’s okay to let some employees adapt to how they work best. If that includes some paper trail, then so be it.
Clients are expecting agencies to be up-to-date with technology. With people either working from home, staying home, or trying to teach their children from home, it is more efficient, faster and easier to be able to effectively communicate via e-mail, chat, or text. More so, it is crucial that your agency is able to adapt their means of communication in the way that is best suited for each particular client. Having a client center or a mobile app can allow clients the freedom to do certain things with their policy, check their rates, or find information quickly. Technology provides yet another way for a client to communicate within the timeframes that work best for them. Technology can be super helpful, but it’s important to remember that it’s a tool that is used to enhance the relationship building with a client – not replace it.
Your agency needs to really take the time and energy to figure out what’s best for your company. Picture yourself as a cook in the kitchen and technology is the ingredients. Figure out the recipe for your team, your company, and your clients. More often than not, this may will be different mix for different agencies rather than a one-sized fits all approach.
Once you find the technology that works best for your company, commit to learning and growing with it. Just as a hammer sitting in a toolbox doesn’t do anything, technology that you don’t commit to using is a complete waste of money. Either use the tool or get rid of it and bring in something new.
Our next two blogs will explore our best practices when it comes to going digital by highlighting certain companies and tools that has helped our company in our journey to becoming digital and the importance of having social proof.