How Insurance Agencies Use Texting

We set up a separate phone and text possible new prospects and current customers. People don’t answer the phone or email but they will answer a text. We don’t market insurance with texts though.

Absolutely YES!

Totally fine.

Yes, we do, but we make sure that we keep it professional and with the customer’s permission!

(Mind you this has its baggage as well.)

We text prospects, not suspects.

I do text message customers that prefer this communication but never for promotions, just communication.

We use of texting extensively in our agency, but it’s done after contacting or being contacted by our insureds or prospects. Most of the time it’s reminders of look at their emails or to call us if we need to speak with them and we also use it to send one-page documents.

Yes, we do use text messaging with clients.

I do some with my phone to a number of policyholders and potential policyholders.

Yes…especially with the younger crowd.

For text messaging, yes, our agency uses it. Primarily we are working with current clients or prospects for non-npi information, but occasionally we’ll touch base with a previously quoted household via text in coordination with voice/email. I feel like texting brings our agency and our people into a “they’re like me” place with our clients. Insurance can certainly have an old, stuffy feel. Even though texting is almost 20 years old, it’s fairly new and very relevant right now.

Yes, my clients (contractor heavy) use text often for things such as “please send a COI to this company (insert pic of name and address),” “please add this vehicle (pic of VIN),” etc. The pitfall of giving your cell phone for texting is when you are out of the office, out of the country, etc. To my knowledge, there isn’t a service that automatically replies that you are unavailable.

We text our clients all the time as well for all sorts of stuff. I, myself, was wondering about whether or not it would be OK to text prospects. I’m not sure if its legally OK to text random prospects that that don’t have any idea who we are until they receive our texts. I feel like at this point people still find that to be too intrusive. I know I don’t like to get texts from people/companies that I don’t know. I do feel that eventually this will be an accepted form of prospecting because people are becoming so accustomed to texting each other for everything. But who knows, maybe it will never be accepted from total strangers.

I use text messaging daily and often to communicate with current clients and prospects that I have been working with, and I think many of them like this. I do not with prospects who don’t know me. I am the exception with this in the office. I don’t believe others use texting at all, but one or two of them may occasionally surprise me.

I looked into Podium and found their services to be expensive and have decided to try to do it on our own. The update on this is we are receiving more likes on our facebook page and we are doing a campaign for increasing our likes. We have an initiative to increase our google reviews also, all this is in the beginning stage. I know you are familiar with Podium and one of their features is being able to text our customer by using their services. Our agency management system is AMS360 and they just made available to text customers from our system, we have our own number and just got it up and running yesterday. So that is the long version to yes I think being able to text is another good feature for communicating with prospects and customers. The AMS360 feature only cost us $37.50 a month versus $350 for Podium.

I text customers a lot, but not prospects.

Yes, some of my producers do use texting to communicate with clients and prospects.

Yes!

We only use text with existing customers and only for urgent messages, eg. renewal notices left unattended/ unacknowledged; this way we make sure the client gets the information we need then to get.

I do with clients I’m comfortable with and many times they initiate it by texting me first. It just depends. I like to use it, along with email.

I think text messaging has its positives and negatives. Many of clients like text messaging and I will text them as long as they opt in. I prefer to not give out my cell number so only a selected few have my number. Many of my commercial clients do have my cell phone number and like texting for convenience.

We rarely use text messages with vendors. We use it with current policyholders and active prospective policyholders, not leads. We find some clients prefer texting. We use a Google Voice product for texting. So, it is not from a mere cell phone. This integrated approach keeps a log and enables anyone in the agency to reply.

Honestly, I block the number when I get those types of text messages. I find them invasive. I don’t think I would use text to solicit prospects for insurance. On the other hand, when I get a text from FORGE3, I know there is purpose and I pay attention right away. You let me know when my domain name expired and we were at risk of losing our web site. We jumped on it (with your help) and got the situation resolved. So keep ‘em coming!

We do on occasion, but most of us here prefer email or, even better, phone or in person. We find it a less efficient means of communication, particularly with prospects as there are many times it is a “if this, then that” type of conversation. But, it can be a good tool early on in the sales process to arrange a call or appointment etc.

We only text occasionally with current clients – not prospects.

I don’t’ think anyone in our office uses text messaging to solicit new business. I agree it’s spammy and comes off unprofessional. But it’s a great tool when working on quotes for a potential new client. We’re in a small town and things are fairly old school around here for the most part. When a prospective customer calls for a quote and I let them know we can text the numbers to them, they often seem surprised. But if they are younger, and sometimes even the older customers, they often prefer to communicate by text. And the fact they’re surprised lets me know our competitors probably aren’t offering to communicate by text. I have no problem using my personal phone for this (work pays for it, so I feel like I should be using it for business), but maybe other agents don’t want prospective clients to have their personal cell number? I’ve written several policies where it’s all been done by text and email and it’s been more convenient for the insured and for me as the agent.

EXISTING clients okay, Spammy unless you know the potential client really well and maybe have already discussed and are just moving forward. Random texts, no!

I agree with your take that it can be effective for existing clients but spammy for prospects. Additionally so, as insurance products don’t have any sort of discount or “on sale” opportunity available.

We currently text existing clients and prospects that reach out to us for quotes. We do not text people that we don’t have some basic type of relationship with already.

I text existing clients, but I do not text prospects unless we have already had a prior conversation and the relationship is there.

I don’t use text messages to reach prospects. I do text anyone I am already engaged with occasionally to set dates or times or to get a quick answer to something.

It can work either way if the message isn’t too pushy.

Agree with your approach, Jeff. Texting an existing client when there’s an issue or quick question makes sense, but seems aggressive/spammy on prospects.

No, but then if I have a good relationship it might be acceptable. I agree it seems spammy/aggressive.

I use texting all the time to communicate with clients; never used it on prospects or campaigns.

Too spammy! We don’t use text messaging with prospects, only existing clients. I’ve also had other businesses solicit business via text and I definitely do not appreciate it!

I would never text prospects unless they ask. We don’t have texting capabilities right now but would like to if we need to text blast our clients with something important. I do not like the solicitation texts at all.

I do not text prospects unless I have met them and I am doing it directly from my cell phone. I agree most of the initial contact text messages are a little spammy.

Too spammy. Sounds like a scam.

Personally, we feel it’s too spammy.

Not often but some prospects actually text me which causes me to follow their lead but I would never initiate the first text to prospect.

Not supposed to without signed consent, but I’m sure some do!

It does feel spammy. And I think people feel it’s an intrusion into their “personal space,” which I can’t argue with. That said, I can text out of QQ Catalyst and have considered trying with a few prospects to see what the results might look like.