Protect Your Investment

On-demand printing means distributors must hustle to hold on to insurance accounts.

Not so long ago, selling forms to the insurance industry was an oasis of repeat business in an industry built on an ocean of paper. Today, however, this market may seem drier than a temperance society meeting during the Prohibition. The culprit—high-speed digital printing.

Though high-speed digital printing—and on-demand printing—have been heralded as both the savior and bane of the forms industry's existence, the truth is they're neither.

Sure, on-demand printing and e-forms have put the pinch on distributors to come up with new ways to serve their clients. But even as one industry heavyweight predicts a reduction in the use of paper-based communication, another one is busy predicting its growth. Make no mistake, digital printing is the wave of the future, but what changes do you need to make in your insurance accounts in order to stay afloat?

The answer for Ramon O. Nieves, president, IBF Business Products, San Juan, Puerto Rico was changing his focus—and seeing an opportunity to create new relationships. As a result, when he noticed IBF's forms sales were slipping, he didn't panic, he just tried to suss out other products his clients would find valuable.

"You just have to find out what your client needs and provide it," said Nieves. "Insurance companies don't want to compare services and look for lower prices. They want good service, on time, always."

Brad R. Dorsen, CEO, F.I.A. Corporation, Atlanta, agreed. Perhaps the best way to hang on to that business, Dorsen explained, is to anticipate your customers needs.

For instance, before the e-commerce revolution was even a twinkle in Bill Gates' eye, F.I.A. began using the electronic form, Jetform. Though Dorsen said he's never bought into the rhetoric concerning the "dawning of a paperless society", at the time, he said, he knew it would eventually be the way to go.