Insurance CRM software, or customer relationship management software, can help businesses in the insurance industry handle contact with customers. An insurance CRM software program can organize and store information on current customers, as well as prospective customers. Employees can use this software for customer service applications, training programs, marketing and sales.

Insurance CRM software is one of the best ways to improve services a company provides. The pricing and costs of CRM software for the insurance industry will depend on a few factors, some of which include:

1. Whether you can customize the program to the needs of your business.

2. The accessibility of the software, either over a private network or online.

3. Which features are included in insurance customer relationship management software.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose insurance CRM software providers that offer scalable programs

The best way to save money when you purchase insurance CRM software is to find a program that best fits the size of your company. There are many software providers that offer a wide selection of CRM software programs for small and large businesses. Or, you can find a provider that offers one type of program, scalable to the size of your business. These scalable programs cost $600 to $1000.

I recommend: Infor offers a scalable CRM software program that provides solutions for communicating with customers in marketing, sales and service issues. AllBusiness provides information on the benefits of implementing CRM software.

Find an online insurance CRM software solution to save money

Online CRM solutions are becoming more and more popular because they offer a great deal of convenience. Online CRM programs are accessible from any computer that has Internet access. You will also find software costs for CRM solutions online are relatively low, about $300 to $600 per year. Monthly payment options are even smaller.

I recommend: Sage Software offers an on demand CRM solution for the insurance industry that provides low risk for little cost. Leadmaster is another company that can provide online CRM solutions for your business.

Implement training programs as part of your insurance CRM software solution

Insurance CRM software programs should be relatively easy to navigate. But to get the most out of the program, consider some type of training session or program for your employees. Training sessions can be a quick, one time lesson, or it could be an ongoing learning experience. For a typical half day in-person training session, prices can range from $150 to $200. Web training or online webinars can be less expensive, around $40 per hour (per user).

I recommend: ACT! Software Training provides a single four to five hour course designed to teach you the basics of most types of CRM software. Avidian Technologies offers Prophet, an easy-to-use web training course, for its CRM products.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Most suppliers of insurance CRM software can provide you with a demo or free trial of the CRM software program your are interested in, so take advantage of it when making your decision.

Customer relationship management software for the insurance industry is a relatively new field, but suppliers of insurance CRM software have developed several tools designed to help insurance providers better relate to, and retain, their customers.

No matter how relevant your services are to potential customers, your relationship with them is what often attracts them to your company, and ultimately, makes them want to stay. Insurance CRM software simplifies this process, so you can market your services with greater precision.

Using CRM software for the insurance industry can help you:

1. Analyze customers and identify their specific needs.
2. Develop programs to retain customers based on these needs.
3. Implement and market these programs.
4. Enhance relationships with customers, agents and brokers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose an integrated insurance CRM software program

Before you can build a customer base that calls for the use of CRM software for the insurance industry, you need a team of agents and brokers to enhance your distribution methods. The same insurance customer relationship management software that improves your relationship with your clients can also improve your relationship with these important team of professionals.

I recommend: Salesforce features an agency portal designed to streamline interactions between carriers and their agents, and its reporting process includes both direct and indirect sales, offering a big picture view of your company's sales.

Consider web-based CRM software for the insurance industry

Several insurance CRM software providers offer web-based, or on-demand, insurance CRM software applications. This form of insurance customer relationship management software is designed to be affordable and easy to implement.

I recommend: Salesboom incorporates insurance-business best practices, and offers a free 30-day trial of its enterprise edition. OnlineDatabaseSolutions provides a policy administration and sales management CRM software solution for insurance agencies. Other suppliers of web-based CRM software for the insurance industry include VAM dB, which offers a free version of their CRM database solution for insurance agents.

Look into insurance CRM software providers that incorporate marketing automation into their programs

While you're enhancing your relationship with your customers, use the data you collect to also enhance your marketing efforts. By using a single insurance CRM software application for both tasks, you'll save time and money, and some suppliers of insurance CRM software recognize the value of this method.

I recommend: The LeadOrganizer from BimSym includes marketing campaign management, allowing you to develop, implement and track marketing campaigns for optimal sales results. It also facilitates personalized email marketing campaigns designed to improve response rates. NetSuite CRM+ is a high-end CRM application that includes marketing automation.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The success of insurance CRM software lies in its ability to retain current customers, not in acquiring new clients. Before you integrate it into your targeting strategies for potential customers, make sure it helps you strengthen your relationships with your existing customers.
• •  The successful implementation of insurance CRM software programs requires equal focus on the technology involved, and on the people key to using this technology. Make sure you and your staff both understand their role in adopting your chosen insurance CRM software solution.

Many insurance companies use CRM software for the insurance industry education and training to help their employees help customers more efficiently. This training allows you to teach employees how to best utilize each software application. Insurance companies that use CRM Software increase productivity thanks to CRM software for the insurance industry education and training.

There are three ways to train employees with insurance CRM software. End-user training is available for companies that want to train one or two employees from the convenience of their own computers. Seminars are available for companies that want to train employees in a classroom setting, or that want to train many employees at one time.

1. Find end-user training for insurance CRM software solutions.

2. Locate seminars for your insurance CRM software.

3. Contact a training insurance CRM software provider for on-site training.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate end-user training for insurance CRM software solutions

End-user training is available on CD or DVD, on the Internet or via correspondence courses. End-user training is available for a variety of insurance CRM software applications. These training options allow you to train employees for any insurance CRM software application when and where you choose.

I recommend: PC Poweruser provides end-user courses for beginners and advanced users of ACT! insurance customer relationship management software. Find ACT!, SalesLogix and Sage CRM training, consulting and software at The CRM Connection.

Attend a seminar for your insurance CRM software solution

Seminars allow you to learn the ins and outs of the insurance customer relationship management software you use. The seminars are conducted by industry professionals and often provide training guides and manuals you can take home with you. If the seminars are not located in your area, you will need to pay travel expenses for those attending the training.

I recommend: View the list of CRM software for the insurance industry seminars available at Harvest Solutions. Qiem offers Saleslogic seminars in various locations across the United States. Saleslogic is one of the leading suppliers of insurance CRM software.

Find on-site training from a training insurance CRM software provider

These companies send trained professionals to your place of business to conduct CRM software training sessions. This allows you to train all members of your staff at once without for paying travel expenses. If you plan an on-site training, be sure the training is geared toward the knowledge level of your employees. Sending a new CRM software user to an advanced training course is a waste of everyone's time and money.

I recommend: RightNow provides on-site training for a variety of insurance CRM software providers. Visit First Plan for customizable on-site training for insurance CRM software programs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  All CRM software for the insurance industry education and training lasts between one and three days, depending on the type of software and the comprehensiveness of the training.