This blog post is based on an interview with Cristin Hopkin-Bishop (opens in a new window), COO of The Brokerage Inc (opens in a new window). It has been posted with her approval and permission.
Note: AB denotes AgencyBloc and CHB denotes Cristin Hopkin-Bishop
Continuing with our Expert Series blogs, I had the opportunity to ask Cristin Hopkin-Bishop, COO of The Brokerage Inc., about the necessity of finding a partner when looking for a new software vendor. Thank you, Cristin, for your time and contribution!
AgencyBloc: What is the biggest benefit agencies will find from using technology in their business?
Cristin Hopkin-Bishop: If you’re trying to grow an insurance agency, you need to streamline as many processes as possible. Let technology do what it does best so that your people can do what they do best. We can also offer better and faster support to our downline agencies because the information we need is only a click away. This allows us to support our downlines, provide a better service, and ultimately grow our business.
AB: What is the importance of having a partnership with your technology vendor?
CHB: The insurance industry is all about relationships, and it’s important to partner with a technology vendor whose success correlates with your success. AgencyBloc has walked side-by-side with us from the beginning, and their software has evolved as our needs have evolved.
AB: How do you leverage the partnerships you've created to build your agency?
CHB: With AgencyBloc, we’re able to take care of our clients as soon as they need anything. We can run the reports they need with data they can rely on. This improved service model allows us to better support our clients (our downlines) and improve our processes. All this works together to help us reach our goals.
AB: What are the things you looked for most when looking for a new agency management system?
CHB: We looked for a partner who could provide efficient commissions processing and an effective way to track our different payment hierarchies. Likewise, we needed a system that would support the needs of our downline agencies. Our downlines are our agency partners, and we wanted to ensure we could fully support their needs while also streamlining our processes.
AB: Where do you suggest agencies looking for a new AMS start?
CHB: Start by asking your upline what tools they recommend and see if they can give you access to an exclusive discount. If that’s not an option, start your search. Ask the questions that are important to you and ensure you’re choosing a vendor that can become your partner and be a part of your evolution.
AB: What is your #1 question you would ask a technology vendor?
CHB: How can your technology be integrated with our existing programs/workflow?
What is AgencyBloc?
AgencyBloc is an agency management system that helps life and health insurance agencies grow their business with an industry-specific CRM, commissions processing, and integrated business and marketing automation.
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Posted
by Kelsey Rosauer
on Thursday, January 20, 2022
in
Insurance Agency Management System
- vendor vetting
About The Author
Kelsey is the Director of Marketing at AgencyBloc. She helps lead a team of talented marketers in their efforts towards serving and educating life and health insurance agencies. Favorite quote: "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." —Maya Angelou... read more