What’s going to be big in chatbots for 2019

Published on Jan 7, 2019

Updated on Oct 16, 2019

The chatbot market is predicted to reach a whopping 1.25 billion US dollars by 2025. These figures are not just mind-boggling, but they are proof that shows the relevance of chatbots today. Also, 45% of end users have already got comfortable with chatbots, and they prefer chatbots over other media for communication.

So, we can expect that by 2019 chatbots will reach another level of accuracy and efficiency. Here are the trends to watch out for chatbots in 2019:

1. Intelligent systems:

Chatbots are the future of impeccable customer service. But to make it at par with human customer support it needs to be super interactive and smart. Companies deploying chatbots are continually working on optimizing their bots so they could be an equal replacement for a human counterpart. It is predicted that in the next few years conversational AI-first” user experience, or CUX, will become mainstream in most organizations. CUX is an advanced version of UI which is designed to help and improve the user experience so that they can reach their end goals faster.

2. The rise of website chatbots:

By the next year, one can expect that several small, as well as medium-sized businesses who have not yet implemented chatbots, will look forward to adopting it. The emergence of third-party companies that help the organization to develop and build the industry-specific chatbots at affordable prices has made the adoption of bot technology easier. Chatbots are a great source to enhance the user experience and provides a 24*7 customer support as such all businesses need it.

3. Stricter guidelines:

The crux of chatbots is DATA and more data. The introduction of GDPR guidelines this year has made the usage of data restricted. Even with stricter guidelines, the importance of data will not plummet, and it will only increase. The companies will need to find responsible methods of data processing so that they adhere to the new guidelines and develop GDPR-compliant solutions.

4. Chatbots beyond customer support:

The coming year will witness the use of chatbots for several more processes such as the B2B and B2E business workflows. Some existing examples include the chatbots for CRM, Intranet and IT help desks. As cited by a leading company Juniper Networks that chatbots can reduce the business costs by $8bn by 2022 and 2019 will witness some fantastic advancements in that direction.

5. Mobile app saturation:

The mobile app market is saturating, and in the coming years, it is said that 50% of companies will focus their resources and finances on chatbots rather than mobile apps.

Reasons why chatbots are more preferred than mobile apps:

• Chatbots are more efficient and intelligent and are a better way to reach customers.

• Smartphone users do not want to exhaust their limited memory space with unlimited applications.

• 75% of Smartphone users use some messaging app.

• The UI elements of an application or a website is a collection of information. If all of this can be packaged together and provided in a messaging app, it will be much easier for the users. Wouldn’t it be great if you can manage everything from booking a movie ticket to buying groceries through a single interface?

• Also, chatbots do not need a download you need to message them through a messaging app and ask them to perform a function.

We cannot ignore the immense benefits that chatbots have to offer. The exploration around chatbots is unlimited, and we will see them unravelling one at a time. The experience that chatbots provide whether it is finding a travelling location or getting information is super smooth and comfortable. The personal touch that chatbots offer is another plus point that makes chatbots a perfect fit for businesses.

The insurance industry thrives on relationships—but it can only scale through efficiency, precision, and timely distribution. While much of the digital transformation buzz has focused on customer-facing portals, the real transformation is happening in the field, where modern sales apps are quietly driving a smarter, faster, and more empowered agent network.

Let’s explore how mobile-first sales enablement platforms are reshaping insurance sales across prospecting, onboarding, servicing, renewals, and growth.

The Insurance Agent Needs More Than a CRM

Today’s insurance agent is not just a policy seller—they’re also a financial advisor, data gatherer, service representative, and the face of the brand. Yet many still rely on paper forms, disconnected tools, and manual processes.

That’s where intelligent sales apps come in—not just to digitize, but to optimize, personalize, and future-proof the entire agent journey.

Real-World Use Cases: What Smart Sales Apps Are Solving

Across the insurance value chain, sales agent apps have evolved into full-service platforms—streamlining operations, boosting conversions, and empowering agents in the field. These tools aren’t optional anymore, they’re critical to how modern insurers perform. Here’s how leading insurers are empowering their agents through technology:

1. Intelligent Prospecting & Lead Management

Sales apps now empower agents to:

Prioritize leads using filters like policy type, value, or geography
Schedule follow-ups with integrated agent calendars
Utilize locators to look for nearby branch offices or partner physicians
Register and service new leads directly from mobile devices

Agents spend significantly less time navigating through disjointed systems or chasing down information. With quick access to prioritized leads, appointment scheduling, and location tools—all in one app—they can focus more on meaningful customer interactions and closing sales, rather than administrative overhead.

2. Seamless Policy Servicing, Renewals & Claims

Sales apps centralize post-sale activities such as:

Tracking policy status, premium due date, and claims progress
Sending renewal reminders, greetings, and policy alerts in real-time
Accessing digital sales journeys and pre-filled forms.
Policy comparison, calculating premiums, and submitting documents digitally
Registering and monitoring customer complaints through the app itself

Customers receive a consistent and seamless experience across touchpoints—whether online, in-person, or via mobile. With digital forms, real-time policy updates, and instant access to servicing tools, agents can handle post-sale tasks like renewals and claims faster, without paperwork delays—leading to improved satisfaction and higher retention.

3. Remote Sales using Assisted Tools

Using smart tools, agents can:

Securely co-browse documents with customers through proposals
Share product visualizations in real time
Complete eKYC and onboarding remotely.

Agents can conduct secure, interactive consultations from anywhere—sharing proposals, visual aids, and completing eKYC remotely. This not only expands their reach to customers in digital-first or geographically dispersed markets, but also builds greater trust through real-time engagement, clear communication, and a personalized advisory experience—all without needing a physical presence.

4. Real-Time Training, Performance & Compliance Monitoring

Modern insurance apps provide:

On-demand access to training material
Commission dashboards and incentive monitoring
Performance reporting with actionable insights

Field agents gain access to real-time performance insights, training modules, and incentive tracking—directly within the app. This empowers them to upskill on the go, stay motivated through transparent goal-setting, and make informed decisions that align with overall business KPIs. The result is a more agile, knowledgeable, and performance-driven sales force.

5. End-to-End Sales Execution—Even Offline

Advanced insurance apps support:

Full application submission, from prospect to payment
Offline functionality in low-connectivity zones
Real-time needs analysis, quote generation, and e-signatures
Multi-login access with secure OTP-based authentication

Even in low-connectivity or remote Tier 2 and 3 markets, agents can operate at full capacity—thanks to offline capabilities, secure authentication, and end-to-end sales execution tools. This ensures uninterrupted productivity, faster policy issuance, and adherence to compliance standards, regardless of location or network availability.

6. AI-Powered Personalization for Health-Linked Products

Some forward-thinking insurers are combining AI with health platforms to:

Import real-time health data from fitness trackers or health apps
Offer hyper-personalized insurance suggestions based on lifestyle
Enable field agents to tailor recommendations with more context

By integrating real-time health data from fitness trackers and wellness apps, insurers can offer hyper-personalized, preventive insurance products tailored to individual lifestyles. This empowers agents to move beyond transactional selling—becoming trusted advisors who recommend coverage based on customers’ health habits, life stages, and future needs, ultimately deepening engagement and improving long-term retention.

The Mantra Labs Advantage: Turning Strategy into Scalable Execution

We help insurers go beyond surface-level digitization to build intelligent, mobile-first ecosystems that optimize agent efficiency and customer engagement—backed by real-world impact.

Seamless Sales Enablement for Travel Insurance

We partnered with a leading travel insurance provider to develop a high-performance agent workflow platform featuring:

Secure Logins: Instant credential-based access without sign-up friction
Real-Time Performance Dashboards: At-a-glance insights into daily/monthly targets, policy issuance, and collections
Frictionless Policy Issuance: Complete issuance post-payment and document verification
OCR Integration: Auto-filled customer details directly from passport scans, minimizing errors and speeding up onboarding

This mobile-first solution empowered agents to close policies faster with significantly reduced paperwork and data entry time—improving agent productivity by 2x and enabling sales at scale.

Engagement + Analytics Transformation for Health Insurance

For one of India’s leading health insurers, we helped implement a full-funnel engagement and analytics stack:

User Journey Intelligence: Replaced legacy systems to track granular app behavior—policy purchases, renewals, claims, discounts, and drop-offs. Enabled real-time behavioral segmentation and personalized push/email notifications.
Gamified Wellness with Fitness Tracking: Added gamified fitness engagement, with rewards based on step counts and interactive nutrition quizzes—driving repeat app visits and user loyalty.
Attribution Tracking: Trace the exact source of traffic—whether it’s a paid campaign, referral program, or organic source—adding a layer of precision to marketing ROI.
Analytics: Integrated analytics to identify user interest segments. This allowed for hyper-targeted email and in-app notifications that aligned perfectly with user intent, driving both relevance and response rates.

Whether you’re digitizing field sales, gamifying customer wellness, or fine-tuning your marketing engine, Mantra Labs brings the technology depth, insurance expertise, and user-first design to turn strategy into scalable execution.

If you’re ready to modernize your agent network – Get in touch with us to explore how we can build intelligent, mobile-first tools tailored to your distribution strategy. Just remember, the best sales apps aren’t just tools, they’re growth engines; and field sales success isn’t about more apps. It’s about the right workflows, in the right hands, at the right time.