At first, this still might sound crazy, but you just have to be obsessed with highlighting the people who send you business.
Instead of waiting to be offered as an accessory to another sale, you control more of the conversation to define the context.
When you put those people in front of the right audience there's a good chance you won't have to ask for the business, it's willingly given to you.
That's what I talk to Brandon Straza, of American Option Insurance, about how he walked away from steady leads.
He’s been an agent for over 18 years and no longer writes accounts less than $50k.
He shares some of the mistakes he’s made over the past decade plus.
So you don’t make ’em too.
This is a back-to-the-basics-you-shouldn’t-get-wrong episode you don’t want to miss!
When that happens you realized the limitless potential you're provided to scale your outreach efforts.
It's only then will you start to realize the importance of knowing exactly what needs to be said to make it all happen.
If not, you could find yourself on a dangerous journey across bumpy content terrain that never leads to your desired destination.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson Insurance, about as he starts to map his adventure.
Things get more interesting if your established agency has the vision to empower that growth beyond what is traditionally expected.
If and when those conditions develop, there's a good chance your book of business could scale to staggering levels.
The hardest part of the whole process might be developing a passion for something (niche) that might not be apparently obvious.
That's what I talk to Patrick Muscenti, of McGowan Insurance, about as he tries to test his threshold limits.
On the other hand, just because an idea originated a safe distance away from the industry doesn't mean it's automatically validated.
There's certainly a fine line somewhere when it comes to adopting new ideas that can be framed inside a traditional an old box.
Of course, the simple act of trying something different at all deserves its own reward and generally leads to people noticing what makes you different.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby & Merril Insurance, about just how far she willing to go to be different.
You'll also give yourself another giant headstart if your able to start your agency from scratch with this focus in mind.
Not being saddled with legacy systems and decisions enables nimbleness necessary to navigate unexpected terrain.
It's that agility and focus that will allow you to beat the established competition to the end consumer.
That's what I talk to Zach Mefferd and Ryan Swalve, of Coverage Direct, about what they're trying to build.
There's also another chance that you're not following those leads a close enough and as long as you should.
Those two simple adjustments to your overall sales process could be all you need to close more accounts and write better business.
Like it or not, your sales efficiency is going to play a huge part in your agency's effectiveness in the future.
That's what I talk to Archie Heinl, CEO of DoubleA Solutions, about how good your automatic follow-up skills can be.
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It's during this amplification process that you'll want to make sure you provide consistent reminders to the people who already know you.
In addition to that, you'll also want to quell any fear you might have at letting completely new people hear what you're all about.
Because as important as retention and referrals are, there's nothing better than when a highly qualified lead contacts your agency.
That's what I talk to Sean Halpin, of MJH Insurance, about how he's maximizing his opportunity.
Getting in front of the camera for the first time is awkward, uncomfortable and generally results in noticing undiscovered things about yourself.
However, it certainly gets easier when results start to come in and people see what a powerful relationship building machine it can be.
Once it's become part of your agency's culture there's no telling how many people it can help know more about who you are and what you do.
That's what Sydney Roe talks to Dani Kimble, of The O'Neil Group, about how she got all that buy-in.
There is no right or wrong answer and is really up to you to decide what feels most natural to you.
However, it's never a bad idea to have 100 percent insurance talk in the right place and start subtracting from there.
Because quickly eliminating questions and doubts about the thing you're supposed to be best at makes every other conversation easier.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, as he tried to find his perfect mix.
At least those are two of the biggest secrets to starting and sticking with a podcast that's going to bring attention to your agency.
It's hard to be awesome at talking to people right away, but with a little practice you'll be developing relationships and bringing value to your ideal client every week.
When that starts to happen your agency becomes front and center for an eventual insurance conversation.
That's what I talk to Jeremy Goodrich, of Shine Insurance, about all the attention he's been able to attract for his agency.
That's the beginning, middle and end of the story on how your agency can compete in the approaching artificially intelligent landscape.
It's still early days for widespread adoption, however, we can't delay acceptance of it's pending arrival much longer.
The faster you get in front of it the sooner you can start finding more focus for higher value clients.
That's what I talk to Joseph D'Souza, CEO of Pronavigator, about how they're making it possible sooner than later.
Don't miss Joseph at Elevate 19, grab your ticket now.
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This is certainly a common challenge we face in the industry that is somehow rarely discussed.
It's also amazing how rare it feels to consider specifically defining the value we need to provide.
It's that definition that will lay the groundwork for creating repeatable capabilities that are profitable.
That's what I talk to Jared Bellmund, of All Choice Insurance, about as he shares his level of acceptance.
It's the quality of those personal relationships inside and out of your agency that create a giant separation between you and the competition.
It's this simple act that helps ignite a world-class insurance customer experience and establish an immeasurable internal culture.
It's that experience and culture that produce raving fans on both sides of the agency.
That's what Sydney Roe talks to Una Roy, of Excalibur Insurance, about how they built a completely unique insurance world.
It never stops regardless of how long you've been in the business, the only thing that can change is the people you find to help figure it out.
That is by far one of the most powerful things that can happen to your insurance career.
You just can't be afraid to take a chance to get out of your comfort zone and physically find those people.
That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Callahan & Rice Insurance, about how fired up he is to give it one hundred percent.
Things aren't always perfect in your agency or for your clients, accepting that makes both a lot easier.
It's in your ability to accept the responsibility of those expectations that offers an opportunity to truly stand out.
Offering today's insurance consumers an advanced dose of refreshing honestly creates a level of preparation and trust never experienced.
That's what I talk to Erin Nutting, of Integrity Insurance, about how she handled an unattractive year.
It's in serving these vastly different expectations you'll realize how much power and functionality is needed at the center of your agency.
Of course, just because you need it or have it doesn't mean you can get the most out of it.
Focusing on maximizing that power will make it easier to do your part in pushing the industry forward.
That's what I talk to Reid French, CEO of Applied Systems, about how they want to help make you and your agency better.
Don't miss Reid talking all things insurance technology at Elevate 19. Grab your ticker right here.
Connect with Reid here:
Because it's the one thing that's hard to quantify and even harder to control.
Yet, it's the first thing you demand of someone or something when approaching them about your agency.
Expecting a front line vendor or entry-level employee to expertly apply it to the most important parts of your business.
That's what I talk to Michele Linca, of Linca Insurance, about how she can put a value on hers.
That's certainly one of the first and most important sales habits and insurance professional needs to master.
It doesn't matter if it's in person or a compelling piece of content, that valuable introduction should open to door for continued education.
The best part, if you're successful people will relax and possibly even enjoy the insurance buying process you're going to provide.
That's what Sydney Roe talks to Kelly Donahue-Piro, of Agency Performance Partners, about the five vital sales habits you need to close more business.
Don't miss Kelly returning the stage for Elevate 19, grab your ticket now.
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Because no matter what the internet can do, you still remember and feel different about the people you meet in person.
It's also become such a tough thing to successfully pull off, anyone who does will certainly stand out to the people looking.
At the end of the day, that's all everyone is trying to do, it's just a matter of finding the right thing.
That's what I talk to James Castell, of Castell Insurance, about the number of people he meets.
Creating that separation requires time and planning that will make the entire mission more successful.
However, regardless of the amount you invest in the journey, it is still going to take much longer than most are prepared for.
If you can endure the time it takes to reach that destination you'll find a new world of insurance opportunities.
That's what I talk to Adam Czerwinski Sis, of Sidebar Insurance Solutions, about how he got his career off the ground.
It's hard to see most of the time because it requires a level of dedication that's normally accessed.
But if you can find it along with a healthy amount of patience, you'll be around a lot longer.
The next wave of challenges standing between success will require an entirely different level.
That's what Gary Vee talks about in his closing keynote from Agent 2021.
That's certainly a very common occurrence when agents are getting started with digital marketing.
Of course, you want everything to be perfect because things live forever on the internet.
But, you'll never have all the answers or be able to predict how your marketing conversation can change.
That's what I talk to Ryan Anderson, of Alliance Insurance, about a few areas he might be thinking too much about.
The opportunity that comes from distributing information consistently on the internet is amazing.
That opportunity is equally rewarded everytime you provide it with more dedication and resources.
Which culminates in a joyful marketing celebration of activities and skills only you are uniquely qualified to do.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo & Associates, about his journey and how he plans to get there.
It's long been the secret currency a select few have learned how to spend after organizing and sharing conversations other people can benefit from.
It also allows you the opportunity to hone your communication ability in a razor-sharp environment that demands improvement.
You never know what method or medium you'll find your message most effective and why you should try as many as you can.
That's what Sydney Roe talks to Bradley Flowers and Scott Howell, of The Insurance Guys Podcast, about what podcasting has done for their insurance career.