KNOW THIS FIRST
Most automation consultants won’t tell you this, but it is not in their best interest to provide you services, especially when you pay for them. They don’t make money by providing services. They make money by selling services by charging huge upfront fees, and then they profit from their ability to do as little as possible from that point on.
This business model is deeply flawed because you will need to make changes and you will need to evolve. Think about it. How can a consultant who charges a huge upfront fee really deliver for you? Just like your business, they would need ongoing income to survive financially. As soon as the new blood runs out, how will they survive? It’s impossible because automation is not a “set it and forget it” system and you will need to evolve and change your processes, change your communication, and change your strategies in order to keep your automation effective.
The real issue with consultants is that they are not in your business and don’t understand what you need or how to communicate with your clients, but they hold all the cards. They have the strategic expertise and the technical know-how, and you’re essentially at their mercy. You can only grow as fast as they can spare their resources to accommodate your needs.
That’s not to say that all consultants are bad and you should avoid them, however, just know what you’re really signing up for. Understand that you’re just getting some basic campaigns and usually flawed (shocking, but I see all the time when auditing campaigns) and it’s up to you to take it from there. They may offer you some customization, but they’ll charge you like an attorney by the hour. That’s ok, as long as you know this up front.
UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONS
If done correctly, implementing automation in your Agency will help you grow, improve your client experience and retention, and save you a lot of time and money. For me personally, it’s enabled me to do everything I’ve always wanted to do but never had the tools or time to implement and maintain consistency.
Your first option
Is to not use automation in your Agency. Just know that every day that passes that you don’t have automation serving your Agency, you are operating at a suboptimal level and leaving money on the table or wasting valuable time that you or your team don’t have.
Your second option
Is to do it yourself. In my opinion, doing it yourself is arguably the best approach. Just know that it will require you to be fully committed and dedicate a significant amount of time (I mean all of it and a lot more). In my opinion, there is no way you can learn, create, implement, and maintain effective automation in just an hour or two per day. However, if you are in this position and want to give it a go, there are more than enough resources and help for you to do it yourself.
Your third option
Is to work with a consultant who will get you set up and provide some basic campaigns. This will help you shorten your learning curve because you’ll be able to see their basic setup, understand how they put it together, and begin to learn and evolve from this point. If you chose this route don’t pay a bunch of money, know that it’s just a start. See our Elite Options, you won’t find a better deal to get started.
Your fourth option
Is to work with a consultant who knows automation and also knows what an insurance agency really needs. This way you’re working with a consultant who is also using the automation in their own agency. It’s developed, tested, and refined before you implement it. They should also provide ongoing training, automation audits, and offer you the option to upgrade or install new automation as they develop them. See our Premier Options.
If you’re just beginning the automation journey, see How We Help. If you think your marketing automation could be improved, schedule your free Infusionsoft audit.
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