Assisted Sales
/23
Challenge
When digital transformation clashes with human needs, something has to give. At Sanlam Indie, we discovered that our digital-first insurance model was creating unexpected friction. Our call center agents, despite their expertise in human connection, were trapped in a digital maze designed for self-service - not sales support.
The impact was measurable and concerning:
40% increase in call duration
30% decline in conversion rates
Mounting customer complaints
Rising agent turnover
Research Deep Dive
Our research journey revealed layers of complexity beneath the surface problems. Through immersive observation and detailed analysis, we built a comprehensive understanding of both agent and customer needs.
Discovery Process:
We spent six weeks deeply embedded in the call centre environment, gathering insights through:
40+ hours of agent shadowing
200+ call recordings analysed
8 stakeholder interviews
Journey mapping workshops
The patterns we uncovered told a clear story: our digital tools were interrupting natural sales conversations. Agents weren't just struggling with software - they were struggling to maintain human connections while fighting with their screens.
Key Insights:
Our analysis revealed critical friction points:
Agents spent 65% of calls navigating systems instead of engaging customers
Customer verification processes added 40% more time than industry standard
System-switching caused frequent data loss and customer frustration
Experienced agents had created elaborate workarounds to maintain efficiency
Solution: The Agent-First Dashboard
Understanding that every second spent fighting with software was a second lost building customer trust, we developed an intelligent dashboard that prioritised conversation flow over data entry.
Our solution was built around three core principles:
Support natural conversation patterns
Minimise system interaction during customer engagement
Anticipate agent needs based on conversation stage
Key Features:
Each feature was designed to remove specific friction points:
Smart Quote Generator
Created to mirror natural conversation flow, reducing quote creation from 15 to 4 minutes while maintaining compliance requirements
Unified Customer View
By bringing verification and history into one view, we cut system switching by 60% and enabled more confident customer interactions.
Contextual Navigation
Designed around actual conversation patterns, helping agents maintain natural dialogue while completing necessary tasks.
Impact & Evolution
The transformation was immediate and measurable. Early testing showed:
70% reduction in quote completion time
45% increase in agent satisfaction scores
90% positive feedback from test group
Selected for company-wide implementation
More importantly, we observed agents returning to what they do best: building relationships and closing sales, rather than fighting with technology.