Welcome to the Direct Appointment Binding Process workflow, which can only be used by those who have direct contracts with companies. This is a step-by-step workflow to complete the task of binding a won policy or wrapping up when business is lost with carriers you have a direct appointment with. Check out our Binding Process with MAP Underwriter workflow article if you are looking for help with the binding process for companies whose access is shared with you by a Market Access Provider (MAP).


This workflow is for agencies with full management system access as we will use the Management System, Client Center, eSignature, and Sales Center products. If you aren't sure if you have all these products, check out our Glossary of Icons and their Meanings - Left Navigation Bar section for product icons.


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Check out our video if you'd rather watch and follow along!
EZLynx Term: Applicant is our term for customer, insured, or account and are used interchangeably.

Policy Sold


Complete and document the sale.

  1. Bind the policy with the insurance Carrier according to the Carrier / Agency guidelines.

  2. Either convert the Rating Application to a Policy, or if the quote was obtained outside of the system, create a policy manually.
    Not sure how? Click here!
    • Convert Rating Application to a Policy:
      1. On the customer's Overview tab, click Applications.
      2. For the LOB you are binding, click the Application Actions (three vertical dots) and choose Convert to policy. This will redirect you to the Add Policy page.
      3. The system will separate the Bundle application created for quoting into Package policies or Monoline policies as you would expect, retaining only the details for the selected LOB's. Confirm the LOB's are correct.
      4. Enter the policy number exactly including any spaces and hyphens. This will help with downloads and pay commissions since this is part of the matching criteria.
      5. It is especially important to include the Writing Company. This is the Insurance Carrier shown on Auto ID Cards, Binders, and Evidence of Insurance documents.
      6. Add & Edit Policy to add/ update all assets, coverages, limits, additional interest details (etc.) 
      7. Save and Close when finished to see the Summary Screen displayed.
    • Add a Policy manually:
      1. On the customer's Overview tab, click Actions > Add Policy. This will redirect you to the Add Policy page.
      2. Choose either Monoline or Package with the appropriate LOB's bound.
      3. Follow steps 4-7 from the above section.


  3. Create ACORD forms to obtain signatures for the policy if needed. Note for Commercial Only: If the ACORD forms are correct in the folder created for the Submission, you can use those. Otherwise, you will need to create them.
    Not sure how? Click here!
    • From the Policy Summary Screen:
      1. Select the Forms button. 
      2. Under the Applications section, choose ACORD Applications. This will open the Form Selection window.
      3. Select any additional documents / forms to add to the "selected" form that is pre-populated with the data from the entry screens. 
      4. Provide a Name for the document. 
      5. Preview the documents. Any changes made must be saved and updated in the policy for consistency. If no changes are made, X out of the window. You can find the generated ACORD Applications in the Documents tab of the customer's account or under the sub-Documents tab under the respective policy.
    • From the Overview tab:
      1. Select the Policies tab.
      2. On the respective policy, select the Forms icon (clipboard).
      3. Hover over Applications.
      4. Choose ACORD Applications. 
      5. Follow steps 3-5 from the above section. 


  4. Sharing the forms with the Client Center or sending them by way of eSignature is a convenient way to collect required signatures.
    Not sure how? Click here!
    • Sharing the form via Client Center: 
      1. Navigate to the Documents tab on the customer's account.
      2. Find the document in question and select Actions > Share. This will open the Send Shared Document Notification window.
      3. Use the dropdown to select a notification delivery method for your customer to be notified that the document is now accessible to them via Client Center.
      4. Select Send to send the notification to your customer and close the window.
    • Collecting required signatures via eSignature:
      1. Navigate to the Documents tab on the customer's account.
      2. Select Create eSignature Envelope near the bottom of the screen. This will open the Create eSignature envelope window.
      3. Check the boxes for the document(s) that you need signed and select Next to continue.
      4. By default the envelope will be sent as the agent that creates the envelope. Click the Change button to choose someone else if necessary.
      5. Give the envelope a Name and if you wish a reference # and/or password requirement. 
      6. Decide how many days the envelope should be available for.
      7. If multiple documents need to be signed, decide which order you want them to be signed in. 
      8. By default the primary applicant is added as a recipient. If you want to add more or add yourself as a recipient, select +Add new recipient or +Add me.
      9. Add any notes for the recipients such as instructions and click Next to continue.
      10. Use the Recipient dropdown to decide who you need to sign. Then, click on the type of signature you need.
      11. Place the box on the document where you need them to sign. You can resize the box using the corners. 
      12. Repeat steps 10-11 until you have added boxes for every recipient where they need to sign.
      13. Click Review and Send to review the document one last time.
      14. Click the Envelope button to finish sending the out the eSignature envelope. 


  5. Create a Note to document how the policy was bound (Emailed or Faxed request indicating what was sent along with the request or bound online). 
    1. Set a task reminder for receipt of the policy. (10 days for a Download policy, 30 days for a Manual policy) 
    2. Document how any money was received and handled, then invoice the policy according to Agency procedures (if applicable). 
    3. Upload all pertinent documents used for quoting / binding to find later if necessary.
    4. Add the proper checklist and label.
      Not sure how? Click here!
      1. On the top-right, select the Add Note (paper with a plus) icon. This will open the Agency Workspace pane.
      2. If you are on the customer's account, it will auto-fill their name in the top field. If you are not, then you will need to search for the customer's account.
      3. If this is a new discussion, input the Discussion Title. If this note needs to be added to an already started discussion, search for the previous discussion title. 
      4. Input your notes in the "Type your note here..." box. 
      5. Select the Add Attachments (paperclip) icon to attach any relevant documents needed for reference. 
      6. Select the Add Task (paper with a checkmark) icon to assign a task or checklist to someone at your agency.
      7. Select Add Reminder to add as many reminders (email, text, and/or notification) as needed for the task or checklist.
      8. Select the Add Labels (price tag) icon to add a label to the note for organization.
      9. Select Save to finish adding the note to the customer's account.


  6. Send proof of coverage (Refer to ID Cards, Binders, Evidence of Insurance, and Certificate Masters.)
    1. Generate Auto ID cards for personal/commercial auto policies. 
    2. Create a Binder, or Evidence of Insurance if needed. 
    3. Create a Master Certificate (commercial lines only) if necessary.

  7. Send a welcome email with Client Center instruction if not already automated through the Automation Center.
    Not sure how? Click here!
    1. On the customer pane under their name, select the Share icon (three dots connected by two lines).
    2. Choose either Client Center link via text or email. 
      • If you choose text, the Texting pane will open on the right side of the screen. 
      • If you choose email, a new browser window will open up and take you to the Compose Email page. 


Best Practices! - Use Automation Center to enable workflow Welcome Your New Customers. This pre-built automation sends out the first email to insured on day zero welcoming your customer, and the second email on day two guiding insureds to Client Center to have online policy access.  Check out our Recommended Workflow Templates article to learn more!

Business Lost

  1. Thank your Prospect and ask for the opportunity to win the business in the future.

  2. Confirm prospect's information in the system.

  3. Update the Sales Center with the proper status.
    Not sure how? Click here!
    1. Select the Sales Center (briefcase) icon under the customer's name on the Applicant pane This will open a new tab and take you to the Sales Center Opportunities page. Tip: If you can't see the customer's card, try resetting the filters and searching for them.
      1. Not seeing the Sales Center (briefcase) icon? Check with your Agency Admin if your agency has our Advanced or Standard EZLynx package. Sales Center is only included in our Advanced Packages.
    2. Click and drag the customer's card from the status column it's currently in to the new status column it should be in.

We hope this workflow article was helpful in learning how to bind policies with direct appointments or wrap up when business is lost. Please let us know if this article was helpful by answering the question below. Check out our related articles on the right-side of the page to learn more about EZLynx!