Even with the holiday season several weeks away, it is not too early to start getting your insurance agency ready for it. Now is the best time to start preparing for the holiday season if you haven’t already started doing so.
If you aren’t sure what actions to take to prepare for the holidays, we’ve outlined the most important ones below.
Get Your Holiday Marketing in Order
One of the first things to do is start working on your holiday marketing. This will prevent you from scrambling at the last minute to try to get everything in order. You want to have everything ready to go when the holidays get closer, so you can post or send out the materials.
On top of that, remember that it is up for debate when the holiday season officially starts. Some people will start making important plans in early November or even sooner. You may need to start some of your holiday marketing then.
As you create your holiday marketing, consider the following strategies.
Send Holiday Cards to Build Long-term Relationships
Part of running an insurance agency is building long-term relationships with clients. The holidays are a perfect opportunity to do so, thanks to the festive season. A simple method of doing this is to send holiday cards. They can feature a staff photo or something similar. Even something simple will show your clients that you care.
Create Personalized Marketing
Another way to build relationships is with personalized marketing. For example, create videos or a blog series that looks behind the scenes at your company. You can even make it holiday-themed, such as a compilation of staff sharing a simple holiday greeting.
Consider Service Packages Focused on Holiday Travel
You should also think about what type of services people will want from your agency this time of year. Holiday travel is the perfect opportunity. If you sell travel insurance, promote it. If you sell car insurance, promote the benefits of having a good plan before a road trip to visit family. Get creative to fit your products.
Emphasize Hectic Holiday Seasons and How Your Services Save Time
As you develop marketing materials, consider highlighting how hectic the holiday season is. From there, highlight how your insurance agency’s services save time and stress.
Buckle Down During Fall
The holiday season is busy for everyone, which means that after Thanksgiving, you may not have as many appointments. Prepare for this by buckling down in the fall to make sure hit your numbers. That way, if your holiday season is lackluster from a sales perspective, you are still covered.
Consider Staffing Ahead of Time
One of the most important aspects of getting ready for the holiday season is your staffing plan. Expect your team to want to take time off to be with family. So plan to figure out how to make this a reality.
Start thinking about how you will handle time-off requests early. This involves considering how many people you need to have in the office and who gets priority for requests. Be sure to create a fair system.
When thinking about holiday staffing, the key is to find a balance between family time and staffing. The good news is that, unlike retail, you likely won’t need to have everyone in your agency during the holidays. A skeleton team will likely be enough.
If you aren’t sure about your staffing needs, look back at past holiday seasons for guidance.
Find Ways to Give Back to the Community
The holiday season tends to be a time to give back to the community. Following suit will serve multiple purposes. You will get the satisfaction of helping others and also get to advertise that you give back and are part of the community.
Take Part in Charities
The most obvious way to give back is to participate in charities. This can be food drives, donations, or even hosting events where the proceeds go to charity. For the best results, consult your employees when choosing which charities to support and what to do. Employees are much more likely to join if you choose a charity that they are passionate about.
Provide Workshops and Handouts
Giving back to the community is not just about giving to charities. You also want to give back to your clients and the rest of the local community. A great way to do this is with a workshop or handout that provides education and information. You could offer general workshops that highlight one of your services and provide tips for choosing the right services. Or make it seasonal and go over something like winter safety. You can even tie these workshops back into your services.
Plan to Thank Your Staff
Don’t just give back to the community during the holiday season. This is also the perfect time to let your staff know that you appreciate them. At the very least, consider a small holiday gathering or bringing treats to the office as a thank you. Depending on your budget, consider holiday gifts or bonuses. The key here is to make the thank you message personalized. At the very least, hand sign each card and include a personalized and specific note of gratitude and encouragement.
