Brokers reveal their preferred ways to communicate with clients

Getting back to prospective customers quickly is key to converting them into clients, say 88% of respondents to Canadian Underwriter’s 2025 National Broker Survey. Both men and women answering this year’s survey post the same 88% response.

This year’s total is up slightly from 87% in 2024 but still down from 93% in 2023.

“Service your existing clients and respond to requests at the earliest,” one broker at a smaller firm says in a verbatim response. “Even if you cannot resolve the issue immediately, clients know you are on top of it. Response time from insurers during claims has become longer. Clients need to see you provide value.”

Brokers in the business between 16 and 30 years have the highest propensity to respond to prospects quickly (91%). And 92% of brokers at mid-sized firms [between 20 and 99 employees] feel the same way.

One broker at a large firm advises her peers to “maintain contact after [the] initial quote, without being overbearing or applying too much pressure.”

And a newer broker at a smaller firm says she “follows the sundown rule, which means that I will communicate with them by the end of the day [to say] whether…I have the answers or just to let them know that I haven’t forgotten about them and will be getting back to them as soon as possible.”

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Related: What helps brokers turn prospects into customers?

Forty-nine percent of respondents are somewhat less enthused with the idea of getting back to clients outside of normal business hours (which can be before or after 9-to-5). Men are more inclined to speak with prospects (58%) outside standard hours than women (42%). Brokers at mid-sized firms (57%), and those in mid-career (58%), are most likely to respond outside normal working hours.  

One broker at a smaller firm says quick responses are to competing with online platforms.

“Work with[in] the hours of your client (after-hours response does not mean you work 24/7) and not the hours of [your firm] i.e., 9-to-5!” he says. “Platforms like text messaging — WhatsApp, etc. — help a lot. To beat the AI channel, response time should be swift but with a real human touch! They will buy from you, not the online platform for sure. Most enquiries are very similar, and prepared and ready information helps a lot to impress your prospect…”

A more specific question about contacting prospects after closing time gets the thumbs up from just 30% of respondents in 2025, down form 33% in the three prior survey years.

Again, men and women are split on the tactic: 37% of men say they’ll call back late, compared to 24% of women. Again, brokers in mid-career (40%) and those at mid-sized firms (33%) are more inclined to make themselves available after office hours.  

Related: What brokers need most from insurers to handle claims crises

What kinds of tech do brokers use to communicate with clients?

Twenty-five percent of brokers say they use video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or other web apps to confer with clients. That’s consistent with the last couple of years, but below the 30-plus percent response rate during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Talking via web platforms is most popular among those at mid-sized firms (42%), and lowest among smaller brokerages (10%).

Whichever way brokers go about it, communication is critical, notes a verbatim response from a woman at a smaller firm.

“[Have] conversations that take the time to explain the aspects of the policy to them,” the newer broker writes. “Countless times I have been told: ‘No one ever explained that to me before.’

“Other times, I have been told that although they had received a more competitive quote, they chose to go with us because they felt like they could talk to me [about] any of their concerns and they trusted that I truly cared about them and what is best for them.”

Phil Porado

Phil, an award-winning journalist with over 30 years of experience in financial topics, has been managing editor of Canadian Underwriter for more than three years.