11 Jan Does Your Staff Know What Your Promotional Material States?
While this may sound like common sense, it is amazing how often agency staff have no idea what the website and the promotional material say about the agency. They sometimes advise that they have seen it but seem to discount the messaging as “marketing fluff.”
When the agency’s marketing message is developed (or updated), some may believe the primary goal is to convey that your agency is the best and that you will do everything to ensure the client is properly protected. Statements such as “we will make sure that you are properly protected” or “we will ensure there are no gaps in your coverage” are often made. While these types of statements are common and have good intentions, they are potentially very dangerous. In reality, the agency cannot guarantee that the client will be properly protected since the agency can only suggest the coverage. It is up to the client whether they decide to purchase the coverage.
If a problem arises, the agency’s promotional materials, website, etc., will be reviewed by the various attorneys to determine whether the agency has made any promises that they did not live up to. I was the expert witness in an E&O lawsuit (actually representing the plaintiff) for many years. The agency included a promise on its website to annually update the property values to ensure that the values were accurate and would meet any co-insurance requirements. When the risk (a manufacturer) suffered a fire loss, they were advised that they would be hit with an $800,000 co-insurance penalty because their values were significantly out of date. The unfulfilled promise of the website was not honored and resulted in a substantial judgment against the agency. In this matter, the producer admitted under oath that he was not aware of the commitment he was supposed to honor.
Some lessons to be learned:
1) Don’t over-promise. This is a tough standard to honor. It might be better to “under-promise and over-deliver.”
2) When the marketing message is developed, ensure the staff knows how the agency is marketing itself to the public. Develop procedures to ensure that the marketing message is fulfilled.
3) Review the marketing message (website/promotional material) at least annually. If it is no longer accurate, change it. If your agency has not reviewed your “message” in a while, now is a good time to do it.
Bottom line, your marketing message is more than just “marketing fluff.” It is the expectation that your customers will hold you to your word, so make sure the staff expected to fulfill that message know what the message is.