What are the biggest opportunities of AI for insurance agents?

Author: Dale Steinke, Liberty Mutual Agent for the Future Team │NetVU Gold Partner

AI-backed technologies are changing the way we work and do business. Agents who strategically embrace AI will have a strong foundation for the future, while those who ignore or avoid AI risk falling further behind competitors. Liberty Mutual has gathered resources, practical advice and examples to help insurance agents harness the power of AI.Agent for the Future™ is an informational resource powered by Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance dedicated to helping independent insurance agents thrive.

Crafting effective AI prompts: A quick-start guide

Good prompts are the key to getting useful results from generative AI tools such as ChatGPT or Copilot. Use these tips to write better prompts.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions and services are evolving from initial excitement and industry buzz to an essential tool for modern insurance professionals. In fact, our research found that more than half of independent insurance agents are interested in using AI.

One of the most common paths into using AI is leveraging generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft Copilot. Generative AI refers to tools that create text, images, video and other content based on the “prompt” entered by the user. A “prompt” refers to the question or instructions provided to the AI tool to generate a response.

Despite how it may seem, GenAI tools aren’t magic. They work best as part of ongoing dialogue with you, the user. Crafting effective prompts is key to getting useful results from generative AI tools.

To help you get started as you experiment with generative AI, here are some tips for crafting effective prompts:

Be specific and provide context

Try starting small with your instructions, then layer in additional context and detail. For example: Clarify style. “Make it conversational but authoritative.” Or, better yet, upload a copy of your agency’s brand style or voice guidelines and instruct the tool to use them when crafting responses.

Specify the audience. 

“Write this for first-time homeowners in Orlando, Florida.”

Share length and format requirements

“Keep it under 300 words.” “Provide 3-5 bullet points summarizing key takeaways.”

Make it a conversation

A single question or prompt rarely delivers perfect results out of the box. AI functions best interactively. Think of AI tools as a collaborative partner – interact with it by offering feedback to the initial output as well as providing more details.

Tone down complexity

“Rewrite this for an audience with limited insurance knowledge.” “Explain this like I’m new.”

Change the format

“Make this shorter so I can use it as a voicemail script.”

Add new data points

“Consider XYZ with your next version.”

Ask follow-up questions

“What gaps do you see in this?” “What else would make this FAQ better?” “What other information do you need to answer my prompt?”

Simplify requests with prompt chaining

Prompt chaining, or creating a series of requests for the generative AI tool in a specific sequence, pays off by making sure the initial output is correct before moving on to the next step. Doing so reduces subsequent errors, helping to enhance overall AI-supported output.

For instance, a prompt chain could follow these steps to take you from A to Z with a project:

• Step 1: Write an article

• Step 2: Summarize it into talking points

• Step 3: From the talking points, create a phone script a customer service member could use to easily explain this concept to a customer

As another example, you can ask GenAI tools to:

• Step 1: Take information and generate FAQs

• Step 2: Turn the FAQs into troubleshooting checklists

• Step 3: Create training slides built off the checklist topics

Take the next steps

Make using AI a daily habit

Start small by asking for help with a simple task and let your comfort with AI solutions grow. Then, transition into more complex requests.

Always check the output

 AI tools can fabricate information, so be sure to double-check the output. When using AI to generate content for marketing or communications, always include human review and approval as part of the process.

Craft and save your prompts

Make note of which prompts you are using consistently and create your own list for leveraging each day. Make yourself a cheat sheet by topic. By tailoring how you communicate with AI tools through the right prompts, and according to your unique goals, you’ll unlock faster workflows, clearer client touchpoints, and free up time to focus on more human-centric work throughout your agency.

Dale Steinke, AFTF Advisor and Director of Independent Insurance Agency Growth Strategy

Dale Steinke leads the Agent for the Future Advisors team for Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance. Under his guidance, this crack team of small business consultants helps independent insurance agencies attract and retain more business. A skilled public speaker and a former journalist who enjoys discovering and sharing what works, Dale has more than 20 years of experience with digital-first marketing, sales enablement and other technology capabilities relevant to the independent agent channel. A self-described usability geek, he enjoys advising and training agents on using the best digital tools to attract and convert prospects into customers for life. When he’s not helping IAs thrive, you’ll likely find Dale on a long-distance bicycle trip or cooking something tasty for family and friends.