All aboard for group onboarding!

We all know the value of the first impression, and clients know it, too. But, what about after that, when you’re getting into the nitty gritty with the client? Their experience after the ink dries on their new contract sets the stage for the rest of your relationship. Not only that, but happy customers refer your business to their friends and family. Let’s follow Onya, a benefits coordinator for her employer, as she and her agent work together to onboard a group to a new health plan. 

Intro to intros    

Before coverage even begins, Onya and her group, whether they know it or not, need you to reinforce the value of their plan, the great fit the plan is for the group, and the value you provide as an agent. Here’s how:

Have a plan regarding what you want to address, but make sure that plan is flexible enough to meet the needs of the clients. Take Onya’s brand new group for example. Her agent should act as the tour guide; walking her—and her group if possible--through each and every step of the way, staying at the ready for questions. If it was a more mature group, such as one being taken over from a retiring colleague, the approach might be different. Maybe the agent meets the benefits contact, highlights some of the ways he plans to serve that group, and stays ready for questions. 
If the group is large enough, you probably won’t be able to sit down and walk each and every employee through the enrollment process. This is where choosing the best self-service model is a game changer. Enrollment software with an easy-to-use interface, such as CoverageforCompanies®, can serve as a tour guide in your stead whenever you can’t physically be there. 

Welcome wagon? Maybe stick with a welcome packet

This brings us to the next must-have in the onboarding process: Something to structure the time clients will spend with their coverage while you aren’t there. Even the most attentive, helpful agent cannot spend 24/7 with his clients. A great way to do this is to create some sort of welcome packet, whether that be a one-pager with the answers to all their questions written in one place, a video demonstrating the process behind enrolling, flyers detailing the benefits of their chosen products --or all of those things. Keep in mind that some of these same materials can be sourced in CoverageforCompanies®.

How can agents make these resources look professional and eye-catching? Well, something created in word processing software would probably do the trick. However, if you want to make something with a little more pizzazz, try a free web-based graphic design tool. With these, you can create things like logos, smart-looking documents, and posters. 

These documents should be in addition to those provided by the carrier, not just the Summary of Benefits. For Onya, the agent could leave the group with the CoverageforCompanies video demo, a physical copy of the answers to the questions she asked at the start of her enrollment process, and contact information for any roadblocks that might stand in the way. 

Touch base

Within the first 30 days of the coverage’s effective date, set a time to circle back to that client to see how they are holding up. Just like before, take an assessment of the group’s needs and meet them at their level. This touch base might be a simple email reminding them of some ways to make the process easier for the group, a phone call to the benefits contact to chat about how open enrollment is going so far, or another drop-in to collect wet signatures.

Maybe with Onya, our agent discovers that while CoverageforCompanies allows agents to add dependents and spouses before the enrollment process begins, it did not happen. It is becoming pretty hairy for Onya’s employees to add all that information themselves. He calls Onya and suggests that she frontloads the renewal process with dependents and spouses before opening it up to the employees, easing the process for them. While this suggestion might not be an immediate fix, it does show Onya that her agent is knowledgeable and interested in making the process as smooth as possible for years to come.  

Keeping the focus positive—while important every step of the way— is particularly important here. This will be the time to resolve any discord before it becomes an actual issue, and the success you have with this will set the tone for how your clients feel every time they need you. So make that first contact a good one! 

Celebrate success

Speaking of good firsts, the first client success should be your last contact in the onboarding process. Again, this might be different from client to client: Maybe, like in Onya’s case, the first success comes from the first completed enrollment in the group’s plan.

Once that moment occurs, celebrate with them! Even if it is just a quick email or phone call, make sure you put yourself in the client’s mind surrounding that first positive experience. The more clients feel that you are invested in them, the more they are willing to invest back into you. 

Keep the communication lines open

This doesn’t mean just communication between you and the client, though. This is just as important for you to do on the back end, too. It is always an option to make one person in your office the onboarding specialist, creating one familiar person for your client to interact with. But, that doesn’t eliminate the need for shared, centralized notes.

Even with an onboarding specialist, it is likely that more than one person within your office will interact with that client. Create a workflow for storing notes detailing client interactions. Make sure they’re accessible for all client-facing employees to reference before they speak to that client. This can help frontload any point of contact with that client while keeping the focus positive and on their individual needs. For example: “Hey Onya no more error messages when you log in I take it, since someone has enrolled since yesterday. Glad to see we are back on track!” This demonstrates you’re attentive, keeps the focus on the positive result, and helps the client recognize that you are on their team.

Final thoughts

There are many moving parts working together to get clients from onboarding to full-on customers. But with a proper plan and positive vibe from the start, clients will easily see the value in your products, and in you. With that trust and value established, you can walk away knowing your clients can speak positively about you and your business. The more positive interactions, the more likely they will stay on your train—and recommend others hop on, too.