Insurance in your Words: Recent Episodes
Joey Giangola
Agency Nation is the leading digital publication helping insurance professionals dominate marketing, sales and technology in the modern marketplace.
It just means you have more time to make sure you eventually do. It's also possible your job could get a lot easier if you delegate that initial ownership to someone else.
Of course, that's likely a risky proposition you might be unwilling to take.
If you are, then it might be time to get serious about helping your employees get better at what they're doing.
That's what I talk to Sean Mooney, of Mooney Insurance Brokers, about how he wants to start segmenting his staff.
If you have then you know how powerful it can be to see something done first. Then you know exactly what to do to get started and how to follow the path to success.
Of course, this path will not only show you where to go it will have people to help along the way.
That's when you'll have a chance to figure out exactly what your strengths are and how to take advantage of them.
That's what I talk to Brian Blakely, of Stonebridge Insurance, about how he's been following that community all along.
It's easy to dismiss the idea of constantly capturing your expertise for future distribution. However, if you can find the dedication, you'll create a process that produces endless authentic interactions.
If applied and distributed properly should allow you the opportunity to reach people far beyond your previous or traditional methods.
Because it's far more efficient to capture what is already happening than trying to recreate it from scratch.
That's what I talk to Alex Salmon, of The Salmon Agency, about as he struggles with the concept potentially diminishing creativity.
There's definitely an argument to be made for constantly trying to stabilize every big change you make. If you don't, you could end up moving on to the next thing before your first big change was strong enough to stand on its own.
But make no mistake about it, finding that first shift is hard to do and should be the only thing you're focused on if it hasn't happened yet.
Because when it does, the changes will feel like they are coming fast and possibly furious but will still take longer than you think.
That's what I talk to James Castell, of Castell Insurance, about how far he's come in such little time.
Starts by committing to something on a level that most would consider too risky or downright impossible. However, that's what it takes most of the time to get people's attention and motivate them to participate in real-world activities.
Event marketing has far more to offer than free pens and stress balls to really show people what your agency is all about.
Sometimes all it takes is looking around to see what's possible right next door.
That's what I talk to Shannon Strobel, of Shermann Insurance, about the untapped potential that sharing a parking lot.
It definitely should if you can figure out a way to make sure everyone has a chance to see it before they talk to you. That might seem like the craziest homework assignment you've ever heard of, but it's certainly one of the most effective ways to scale your information.
Think about all the time you would save if you stopped having the same conversation over and over again.
Even if you were able to cut those conversations in half you'd take your family flexibility to a whole new level.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo & Associates, about how he's looking to hack time.
Might start with a conversation about expectations and how far your agency is willing to go to match them. Outside of that, there are a ton of challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining good young insurance talent.
Even when you do find someone interested in the industry, there's a good chance their initial expectations are misaligned with reality.
If that happens you certainly won't have to worry about them leaving for a bigger better company.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson Insurance, about as he reflects on a few times his new producers didn't work out.
If you're committed to playing the long game sometimes you need to wait a few years before something will work. It's possible that in those early days it barely scratches the surface of generating any useful business.
However, if you're able to stay the course and keep your head above water the whole time, things could take off in a big way.
That becomes substantially easier if you're able to find a place that doesn't make you feel crazy for wanting to try something different.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby and Merrill Insurance, about the confidence she's found to build her long term process.
Because at the end of the day that might be the only thing you need for people to find you. Until you start creating playlists on your YouTube channel it's hard to see what your real focus has been.
At that point, the numbers don't lie and there's no hiding from your real video marketing passion.
The only question you need to ask then is if it's something you should continue doing.
That's what I talk to Allen Drew, of Allen Drew Insurance Agency, about the videos he's made the most.
That depends on what's included in the total package. If it's not a highly useful set of tools that's when things get questionable.
Because simply paying for the possibility of future updates is a tough ask.
It's even harder when you realize going with a local option rarely offers the latest and greatest.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about his overall approach.
It doesn't matter how many you have, every single one represents a massive achievement. That's hard to fully appreciate on a small scale when the weight of each one feels too light to notice.
However, when you approach your agency with the mentality of a master builder, you'll probably know where everything needs to go.
The problems start when you refuse to think beyond what you can do (or sell) by yourself.
That's what I talk to Sean Mooney, of Mooney Insurance Brokers, about the assembly he's looking forward to.
It certainly improves your chances the more intentional you are about the people close to your agency. Because it's great to be able to toss a wide insurance net, but it's also just as effective to shoot one that's specific.
No matter how long you've been in the insurance game, it's always interesting to talk about the best place your business could go.
Not to mention what could happen if you expand your mind and consider creating more serious partnerships with complementary people.
That's what I talk to Brian Blakely, of Stonebridge Insurance, about how he went about his agency is currently set up.
Things get really interesting when you realize you had it the whole time. It was just up to you to do something about it in a consistent and effective way.
That can start by simply putting existing components together in a unique way to create something new.
It's during that assembly process that you'll discover a new idea people can't stop talking about.
That's what I talk to Alex Salmon, of The Salmon Agency, about how he creating things in his agency.
Because you should spend most of your time and effort on other things. Things like crafting a compelling message that makes people take action on what you want.
That is something that can easily happen when you're able to create pages for their specific needs.
It also helps if you can ask for the information you need to decide how serious they are and do something about it.
That's what I talk to James Castle, of Castle Insurance, about the changes his agency is making.
You're able to start a conversation based on something much more than just insurance. If approached with enough dedication, it has the potential to resonate for an extended period of time.
The biggest challenge beyond that dedication will be your proficiency to execute it effectively.
Because it has to come from a pretty deep place of authenticity to actually work.
That's what I talk to John Stuart, of Bill Quickel's Insurance Plus Agencies, about the revolution they're starting.
If not, you could miss a solid opportunity to put your competition out of business. Regardless of how aggressive you get, there's something to be said for knowing your numbers.
It's this information that makes sure you're making the most of every policy you sell.
It's also the best way to know if and when you're wasting your time on that new policy.
That's what I talk Alex Dopazo, of Dapozo Insurance, about how his agency knows theirs.
Might need to become something you do no matter what for it to really take hold in your agency. The most interesting part about the whole thing is it will only be the start of the one-off pieces of content you create.
That means you should get comfortable with the idea because it's an easy way to do something people don't expect.
If you really want to go all in on the idea, it might have be a skill you hire for out of the gate.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson insurance, about the dramatic steps he's taking.
The Truth About Video Proposals (Part I)
The Truth About Video Proposals (Part II)
The Truth About Video Proposals (Part III)
If it does, then you make it a lot easier for people who want to do business with you. Because no matter what, they will Google your agency and will find what you've decided to provide them.
It's also important to have the right mindset and understand the reality of your current situation.
There's no way you'll instantly start generating hundreds of leads a month (without paying), instead it will slowly build over time.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby & Merrill Insurance, about how she's trying to focus their impress to get the process started.
It all depends on where you want to go and how long of a trip you're willing to take to get there? There's nothing wrong with living in that wheelhouse, in fact, most agents have a hard time staying long enough.
It's important to talk about what you know really well, but there are no rules about what you need to know before you talk about something else.
It's starting as simple as you can and taking everyone on the journey with you.
That's what I talk to Allen Drew, of Allen Drew Insurance Agency, about how he found the exit he was looking for.
That opportunity comes in the form of allowing clients to self-serve as much of the insurance experience as they want. Those experiences could be as simple as ID card requests, or simply getting started with the quoting process.
The biggest challenge usually comes in deciding what parts of the process will be mandatory.
Because there's an infinite see of time waiting to be saved when you stop doing everything for them.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinatus Insurance, about the process he wants for his clients.
It starts by figuring out a way to bring consistent value to them in a way that makes their life easier. Of course, that can happen in many different ways, but you'd be surprised at how a little education can go a long way.
Most of the time your referral partners are savvy enough insurance consumers to know which policy provides the best value.
All you need to do is help them understand that in the easiest way possible, hopefully in an automated fashion.
That's what I talk to Sean Mooney, of Mooney Insurance Brokers, about how he's looking to find more consistency.
The real answer is going to depend if you're interested enough to find one that will. Because it's easy to get restless with the thing you're good at and get distracted by something you're not.
That something is twice as dangerous when there isn't enough premium to go around.
The scariest liability is allowing it significantly distract from the business you know how to sell.
That's what I talk to Brian Blakely, of Stonebridge Insurance, about the niche he's eyeballing.
Because insurance isn't always the first thing someone wants to come and talk to you about. That's why it's insanely beneficial if/when you can provide them countless conversation entry points.
Not only will it be much easier to start those conversations, but it will also give you more stable (common) ground to stand on.
Most of the time, the more you know about someone the more comfortable you end up feeling around them.
That's what I talk to Alex Salmon, of The Salmon Agency, about how he recently figured out how easy it is to start his.
There are certainly different opinions on what works best, the trick is figuring it out for your agency. What might be more important than building that consistent relationship is properly setting communication expectations.
That's what really has a good chance to destroy any relationship your agency has regardless of how long you've had it.
The same is also true cross-selling other lines and properly managing the possibilities and limitations each offer.
That's what I talk to James Castell, of Castell Insurance, about how long his agency holds on to their relationships.
Because if it doesn't, there's a good chance you just got lucky and haven't taken full advantage of its power. That luck generally leads to an endless stream of wasted opportunities that never received proper consideration.
Of course, there are a couple of easy things you can do to prevent it from happening.
However, they generally involve a few tough decisions most agencies don't want to make.
That's what I talk to John Stuart, of Bill Quickel's Insurance Plus, about the ones he's facing.
There's a good chance it will be very obvious from the start because things will be more difficult than nessacary. At least that's ussually what happens when we run into clients we should run the other way from.
Because somewhere along the way we'll talk ourselves into the idea of wanting to do business with them.
In reality, we should have listened to our instinct by drawing a line in the sand.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo & Associates, about a few of the things he looks for.
You might have to lead by example at first for the rest of the agency to see how impactful they can be. That means providing a solid example of what a good one looks like and help encourage and coach the rest of the staff to give it a try.
Of course, sometimes there aren't enough examples or encouraging words in the english language to compel some people to get in front of the camera.
Then you might be faced with the difficult choice of leaving the individual agent behind to push the agency forward.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson Insurance, about how he's making video proposals happen in his agency.
The Truth About Video Proposals (Part I)
The Truth About Video Proposals (Part II)
That depends if you want to stick with your bread and butter or try to find something new. This is as good of a time as any to take a chance and try to sell insurance in a way you never have before.
When you do that it's important to remember it's not a race to what generates more leads, but instead more revenue.
That's really when you know if your promoting the right thing on your website, even if it's different than what you've always done.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby & Merrill Insurance, about her potential promotion choices.
You introduce a level of frustration into the buying process that could and should be easily avoided. The only thing you have to do is take the time to explain the number of ways the answer depends.
In reality, you now have the opportunity to describe what your perfect client looks like to maximize profitability.
You just have to be dedicated to figuring out the way to provide the most impactful answers to the most important questions.
That's what I talk to Allen Drew, of Allen Drew Insurance Agency, about what he's learning from each one.
Sometimes it's easy to get sucked into the hype and overlook the two areas your website needs to excel. Because if you refuse to focus on these people, you'll make it much harder on your digital marketing efforts.
That's when you really need to decide if you know enough to be dangerous, or if your limited knowledge can become a hazard.
What has the potential to cause the most harm is thinking your knowledge is more dangerous than it is.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about the areas his website struggles with.
You'll dramatically increase your chance of making substantial progress to match your recent motivation. It might sound easier said than done, but sometimes things don't need to be overcomplicated.
Coming home with pages of notes and lengthy lists from any conference or event is great.
However, almost always you're going to try to bite off more than you can chew and end up not finishing anything.
That's what I talk to Sean Mooney, of Mooney Insurance Brokers, about how he's only locked in on one thing.
It's vital to realize how strong you need to be to reach your desired destination. Maybe you never looked far enough ahead to give yourself adequate time at each stop.
Either way, your dramatically increasing your chances of sidetracking your efforts or canceling the trip altogether.
The easiest way to avoid all of it is to work your way backward from where you're trying to go.
That's what I talk to Brian Blakely, of Stonebridge Insurance, about a recent detore he unexpectedly took.
It all depends on how able and willing your agency is to do different things. Because if you can do something most people can't that will be easy for people to see.
The biggest challenge is realizing that thing is likely not as difficult as you thought it would be.
It just becomes a matter of if you enjoy it the most out of all your insurance options.
That's what I talk to James Castle, of Castle Insurance, about as he explains what makes his agency different.
The only thing you have to do is lower your expectations and take a chance on being somewhere important. It might sound easier said than done, but if you do you'll increase your chances for a successful introduction to inspiration.
Which will allow you the opportunity to execute on ideas that have the potential for people you've never meet to feel like they know you.
That makes your job a lot easier when you actually have the opportunity to get to know them for real.
That's what I talk to Alex Salmon, of The Salmon Agency, about exactly where his inspiration came from.
There's nothing worse than when you sell something short of what it can ultimately become. The part that's really not fun is it's pretty easy to do and really hard to recognize.
However, if you're willing to commit to the process and make sure you know where you're going, the results could be surprising.
The biggest challenge will be finding enough dedication to last long enough to find out.
That's what I talk to John Stuart, of Bill Quickel's Insurance Plus, about where his attention should be going.
If you haven't then there's no stopping the number of times your clients will try to cross it. Sometimes it's impossible to avoid unnecessarily or excessively going back to a client to deliver different information.
It's these repeated deliveries that over time slightly splinter their confidence in your insurance ability.
We should know what to expect, but often we're dealt the unexpected, it's just a question of how often a client should see it.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo and Associates, about how he tries to stop the madness.
It's definitely hard to learn how to be really good at more than one thing at a time. However, that's exactully what happens to a lot of new young producers trying to master digital marketing and general insurance skills.
It takes a long time to learn each on their own, that's why it's so important to take advantage of every little bit of help you can get.
That way you start to take the tiny tasks off your plate in order to make room for the things you should have access to accomplish.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson Insurance, about as he tries to handle both himself.
First, things get interesting when you realize one has a limit and the other doesn't. Second, It gets even crazy if/when you admit you've always pushed the limit on the wrong end.
The only type of information that's too much is what you ask prospects for.
However, it's going to take much longer for them to get tired of hearing you say smart things about insurance.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby & Merril Insurance, about as tries to balance hers.
It starts with your interest in attracting more business in the states you can actually sell a policy. That seems crazy, but otherwise, you're putting your content at a much greater risk to waste more leads then you can use.
While it might be a "flashy" success story it will actually end up being your greatest marketing failure if you're unable to adjust.
The easiest way to make sure none of it happens in the first place is to always make sure Google knows your location.
That's what I talk to Allen Drew, of Allen Drew Insurance, about some of the adjustments he needs to make.
It's easy to underrate the outcome of congregating in the right place even for short periods of time. This dismissive attitude is usually a result of underwhelming expectations based on disappointing previous encounters.
However, every now and then your curiosity is rewarded and you find yourself surrounded by a group of people in the industry you didn't think existed.
It's those moments when your insurance sword gets sharpened to dangerous levels and provide a newfound level of confidence.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cinncinnatus Insurance, about as he debated the value his chance had.
It all starts by making sure you give them something to easily recognize and offer them a seat at your new kitchen table. This is probably the simplest video marketing tip that you can follow to liberate yourself from paralyzing overcomplication.
That liberation starts by establishing the most important character of your videos, besides you, which is your one goto camera angle.
That simple angle allows you to properly invite people into your office on a consistent basis with zero hesitation.
That's what I talked to Jared Bellmund, of AllChoice Insurance, about his ability to focus on only the important things.
Because sometimes specifically organized brass tacks are hard to find just laying around. Sometimes it takes a little extra work and creativity to connect the dots to the most useful and relevant information.
On the other hand, there's plenty of sound bite spouting, headline readers who struggle to dive below the surface.
Then it becomes a matter of making sure you surround yourself with enough of the right thing to keep your head above water.
That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Callahan & Rice Insurance, about how many floatation devices he could use.
It usually starts with letting your passion and personality lead the way out into the real world. Because it's out there where people are looking for it the most and can't wait to pay attention when they find it.
Real life event marketing has limitless potential beyond free pens and brochures to captivate and inspire what your agency is all about.
If not, everything else is just a wasted opportunity to stand out against everyone else too afraid to bring something interesting to the table.
That's what I talk to Michele Linca, of Linca Insurance, about as she tries to put her agency out into the real world.
It's hard to think of an industry that has the best and worst compensation model all at the same time. The power and beauty of renewal income is a huge draw for plenty of journeyman sales professionals to the insurance industry.
It's this same payment structure that has gotten the best of plenty of agents who couldn't figure out a way to play the game on a bigger scale.
As nice as that renewal income is, having zero authority determining the value we bring is challenging at best.
That's what I talk to James Castell, of Castell Insurance, about how his agency addressed this problem in his agency.
Starts simply with your ability to find your absolute best clients a lot easier. If you try and talk to everyone, you'll end up talking to no one.
Of course, that's the last thing you want to happen in your agency and why it's nessacary to get more specific.
It doesn't matter if it's when the policy needs to be purchased, how old the person buying it is or even where it's all happening.
That's what I talk to John Stuart, of Bill Quickel's Insurance Plus Agencies, about the specific direction they're heading.
If you don't then you'll make it a lot harder to find the holes in your insurance game. Of course, you want to do everything you can to improve your chances to close a sale.
However, sometimes encouraging competition forces you to get a lot stronger much faster.
It's developing this confidence that builds your insurance strength both internally and externally in your agency.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo and Associates, about as he shares what it's done for him.
It just needs to be long enough to solve the whole problem so people can decide if they want you to help them. Of course, that might be an oversimplification of a slightly more complex problem, however, remains the majority of the solution.
The length of your content isn't worth obsessing and over thinking, because the only thing that will come from that is not doing anything.
That's why you have permission to start hitting publish anytime and build up to whatever number you're currently not hitting.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson Insurance, about his word count concerns.
It starts by making sure it can afford the most current table stakes customers set. Even then, most of the time we find ourselves struggling to pay an overdue with more piling up every day.
It could be something as simple of understanding what SEO work actually needs to be done and how valuable it is.
Then it becomes a matter of making one small bet after another and the next thing you know you're pushing the limits of the site instead.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby & Merril Insurance, about as she works on paying hers.
Starts and stops with the titles of your content, because without good ones there's very little chance anyone will be able to find you. It's always the first and easiest thing to mess up when starting your content journey.
There needs to be the same if not more attention paid to that handful of words as is to the entire piece.
Almost always it starts by dramatically underestimating just how specific you need to get for people to find you.
That's what I talk to Allen Drew, of the Allen Drew Agency, about he's trying to find his right spot.
The truth is, it doesn't really matter, the hardest part is pulling the trigger on how it's going to get done. Because if it's truly important to the success of the agency and you're not getting it done, it's your job to find someone who will.
Of course, most of that is easier said than done, but no matter what your first step should be to break the minimum knowledge threshold.
That simply means learning enough to know if you're the guy for the job or what you need to expect from someone else if you aren't.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer of Cincinnatus Insurance, about as identifies where he wants to improve.
It's easy to do if you don't think about the type of business you need to write to be somewhere else. Growing your book to reach a different destination takes a level on intentionality rarely discussed.
Sure, there is certainly a time and a place for selling anything you can, however, the sooner you don't the faster you'll get there.
The ultimate test is what happens when you have more business than you know what to do with.
That's what I talk to Jared Bellmund, of AllChoice Insurance, about as he works on getting where he wants to go.
If you haven't heard by now, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Just imagine how high that average would be if you dedicated a disproportionate amount of time to the people closest to you, physically and philosophically?
That's quite possibly one of the most dangerous combinations for personal growth that exist in the known universe.
If you don't believe me, try it. It's nearly impossible to not find those people pushing you to reach achievements far beyond anything thing you thought was possible.
That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Callahan & Rice Insurance, about exactly how many people he could easily be surrounding himself with.
When they are it allows you to humanize insurance in a way no one else can. Because it's that intimate knowledge that will give you the advantage of communicating in the most effective way.
The best part is you don't need a fancy InsurTech solution, instead, you might just need to pick up the thing that's been there from the start.
When you do, you'll be surprised at how much there was still left to learn and the headstart it gives to make people think you're the only insurance game in town.
That's what I talk to Michele Linca, of Linca Insurance, about her desire to make sure everyone knows she the place to be.
When you do you're able to more completely take advantage of what really works for you instead of what everyone else thinks should. It's in this realization that leads to uncovering opportunities that are commonly ignored.
Occasionally they're dismissed for good reason, however, without the proper examination you'll never know for sure.
It's this localized testing that creates the most unique and possibly unexpected results others didn't have the patience to wait for.
That's what I talk to James Castell, of Castell Insurance, about how closely he listens to the people that keep sending him business.
Starts by making sure the main goal is to drive new business by attracting people unfamiliar with your agency. If you can do that then you need to make sure you're providing just the right amount of necessary friction along the way.
That's an unstoppable combination of highly qualified lead bliss that can dramatically change the agency's complexion.
If you lose sight of those objectives along the way allowing your focus to drift beyond its scope you could be preparing its ineffectiveness instead.
That's what I talk to John Stuart, of Bill Quickel's Insurance Plus Agency, about his recent trip rebuilding his website.
Simply starts by not overthinking all the things you think you should be doing that actually never get done. Recreating your creative process every time will leave the most important aspects of your content unattended
The truth is a simple template would do the job better and deliver more results.
Not only because it lets people know what to expect, but because it makes it easier for you to publish your way to success.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo & Associates, about the importance of his process.
Starts by accepting the reality of the most powerfully efficient prospecting tools available today. 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.
There's a good chance you'll be able to approach things with a fresh perspective few are looking for. 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.
Starts by realizing the marketing freedom your legacy agency has granted you to significantly amplify your message. 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.
Really starts by figuring out how the percentage of insurance talk you think they need from you. 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.
If you don't, there's a good chance everyone is going to walk away disappointed in the outcome. 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.
No matter what anyone says, we're all still trying to figure out this insurance thing together. 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.
It really depends on the level of importance you allow it to occupy in your agency. 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.
It's possible you've put yourself closer to the sale and increase the chance they'll stick around. 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.
There's a good chance you won't end up doing anything because even the simple things will feel hard. 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.
Honestly, it should be as important as you can afford and maybe even a little more. 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 not as tricky as you might think, but it will probably take longer than you want and shouldn't be where you start. Because people are always going to care about their problem first and how you can help them solve it.
Once you've demonstrated your ability to that multiple times then it becomes more important for them to hold on to something other than insurance.
It's this combination that allows you to create an attachment point so strong they won't want to do business with anyone else.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson Insurance, about how it happened to him.
It usually starts when you notice you're not getting chances you never had to worry about before. When that happens it normally means you forgot to refill that clients value bucket at some point.
Because the fuller you keep the less you have to worry about anything going wrong.
The easiest way to keep if full is by constantly being proactive and maintaining the relationship in the most convenient way possible.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby & Merril Insurance, about her new mission to stay ahead of everything.
Just takes being crazy enough to hit the right speed and smart enough to find the right angle, the rest will take care of itself. Of course, every word in that sentence is easier said than done and ends of getting the best of most insurance marketing efforts.
That's not to say it's impossible, rather help set the proper expectations for the vast array of skills needed to pull off a successful launch.
Because even the slightest miscalculation can send your intentions spiraling down to earth no matter how close it gets.
That's what I talk to Sean Halpin, of MJH Insurance, about how he managed to do and what could have made it better.
It might not be bad at all as long as you know exactly what you're getting your agency into. That could be true for literally almost anything in life, but especially true when deciding on/if your agency needs to cluster up some companies.
The interesting part about the whole thing is how the insurance companies themselves are the ones giving all the power to
That is of course instead of loosening their grip on the appointment process and reduced their accumulated leverage.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about the details of his deal.
The only way to know is to try and find enough people who also care about it as much as you do. Then you'll truly be able to gauge the level of impact you can have and if that will translate to the bottom line.
If both of those things don't become true statements then that's a good indication your not thinking big enough.
Because it's okay to think big as long as you've done the work to fulfill it.
That's what I talk to Jared Bellmund, of AllChoice Insurance, about as he gets serious about finding his.
There's a good chance you have plenty, it's the other people involved in the process that could use a little more. It might seem obvious, but it's certainly one of the easiest things to overlook and potentially be unaware of.
Because without the proper incentive the only thing you're doing is piling on work that doesn't matter.
If you're hoping to scale your agency to the next level that work needs to come with a reason to accomplish it.
That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Calahan & Rice Insurance, about who and how he wants it done.
That depends on how often it happens and how much you need them to do something. It's never easy bringing in a new human being into your agency, sometimes it works great, sometimes not so much.
A more interesting question to ask might be if they need work on-site or remote?
Because it all really comes down to what you need done and understanding the value of their proximity.
That's what I talk to Michele Linca, of Linca Insurance, about her need for someone new.
P.S. You can definitely meet a ton of new agents at Elevate 2019 that can change your agency.
If you want to get better faster you're going to want to ask for as much qualified feedback as you can get. When you become fearless of people's opinions of your work, an endless sea of possibilities become available to you.
There will also come a point where not every piece of feedback you get will be worth listening to.
That will be the first sign you're getting good and are starting to really know your stuff.
That's what I talk to Avery Moore, of ECI Insurance, about how her positive her desire for criticism will become.
P.S. Did you know Elevate 2019 is going to over 48 hours of the best feedback you'll ever get.
If it sounds like you've heard this before, it's because there's a very good chance you have. That doesn't stop it from being true and one of the most difficult things to overcome when getting starting with content.
It's very natural to want to chase perfection when putting your thoughts, ideas and information on the internet for anyone to see.
Because sharing those thoughts creates a level of vulnerability most insurance agents aren't automatically conditioned for.
That's what I talk to Ryan Anderson, of Alliance Insurance, about as he practices being comfortable with imperfection.
P.S. You can practice implementing imperfection here.
There's a good chance other things in your agency still get in the way of consistently creating content. Don't worry, it happens to everyone, the bigger question is how do you respond to it and make it harder to happen again?
That's the most important lesson to learn from any content disruption by allowing it to identify weaknesses in your process.
The stronger it gets the more consistent opportunities you'll provide your agency with to attract the right clients online.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo and Associates, about the machine he's trying to build.
P.S. Elevate 19 is the perfect place to learn how to make your process unstoppable.
They'll never last forever, but there are a few key things you can do now to give them a chance. Because the truth is there's nothing worse than watching a video continue to rack up views and look terrible doing it.
Especially when a majority of that frustration can be avoided by paying a little attention to the details.
It's those details that will make your video setup feel like overkill now but still performing at a high level years from now.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson Insurance, about as he steps up his long-term video game.
Gear mention in the episode:
Canon 80D
Canon 10-18mm lens
Canon 16-35mm L Series lens (f/ 2.8)
Canon 16-35mm L Series lens (f/ 4)
Rhode Video Micro
P.S. You never know when a good video gear conversation is going to break out here.
It will forever be a debate what you should say to clients when you don't need to talk about insurance. It's a debate that will never have a right or wrong answer, rather results of many different successful outcomes.
The common thread that will likely string them all together is consistency and confidence in the messages that you share.
The simple fact of owning the stories you tell instead of feeling obligated to share them will set you apart.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby & Merrill Insurance, about her experience trying to get remembered.
P.S. Some people have said coming to Elevate has instantly made them more memorable. You should try it.
This is actually the best way to understand the difference between an effective Facebook or YouTube video strategy. If you don’t take the time to think about how, when and why someone is coming across your video and what they might want to do when they’re done, now would be a good time to start.
It’s those intentions that will help you craft the perfect message to be found at the perfect time for someone to take the perfect action.
That’s what I talk to Ryan Sautman, of Just4You Insurance, about as he retells tales of making people miss him.
P.S. This is a really good place to learn how to make people miss you.
It’s going to take longer than you think and be riskier than want. Because there's something that got you to where you are right now that's uniquely different than everyone else.
If you’re lucky enough to figure it out you’ll have an advantage most won't be able to overcome.
However, the hardest part is being patient enough and realize that it's something you won't be able to assemble overnight.
That’s what I talked to Jessica Burch, of Bryce Point Insurance, about as she recalls her path to building her own insurance secret weapon.
P.S. Get weekly instructions on building that weapon here.
All you’re doing is showing people how little you care about what’s really important. Instead, educate your client to a better experience so they don’t have to worry about taking every last dollar on the table.
Understanding the value as it relates to the savings is a service that can be hard to come by.
It's also an experience that agents are sometimes strangely afraid to provide.
That’s what I talk to Billy Van Jura, of Stissing Insurance, about his discipline to explain value.
P.S. Learn what else you can sell on instead of savings here.
It all starts by going far beyond the first box or two you tried to check selling it. Instead needs to become a deeper, more specific, understanding of who they are and why they need to buy insurance.
That's when you truly start to make decisions based on the group of people you will finally be able to call your niche.
Otherwise, you'll end up assuming a sale that might not be coming from a person who only values the one thing you do really well.
That's what I talk to Sean Halpin, of MJH Insurance, about his realization of just how far he had to go.
P.S. This is one place we consistently dive deep enough to make sure you have nothing to worry about.
Starts with having the ability to potentially own your book of business and encourage long-term success. It's a shortsighted problem we bring on ourselves by overvaluing and misjudging the real owner of the relationship.
If we're all operating with enough confidence, it shouldn't matter because there'll be enough to go around and send the best possible message.
Instead of creating a culture that deters success and scarcely hordes business in spite of abundance.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about what it meant to him not losing everything.
P.S. There's a lot of abundance getting passed around in here.
The most important thing you can do is identify as quickly as possible what works best for you. The reason that's so important is that if it's not something specifically tailored to your needs the hard it'll be to achieve.
It almost doesn't matter what it is, as long as you can mathematically sell enough of it, to ultimately reach your sales goals.
The longer you delay making that identification and commitment, the longer you delay your potential expertise.
That's what I talk to Jared Bellmund, of Carolina Living Insurance, about as he starts to zero in on what's worked for him.
P.S. This is a good place to help figure out your success.
It's going to be a lot harder to do if you don't know what it will take to get there. Which might be an embarrassingly obvious statement, however, a larger number of agents still struggle with.
Just because there's a hand full of XYZ businesses around your area doesn't mean they will be the best bet moving forward.
Once you figure out who those people are, the faster you can move on to achieving those numbers.
That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Callahan & Rice Insurance, about his goals and how he can reach them.
P.S. Seriously, there's going to be a lot of reaching and growing at Elevate 19. You should come.
First, it all starts with realizing you can't do everything and that you don't need to hire the people you think. Getting someone else to handle the majority of the marketing duties is a huge step in the right direction.
The more important question should be focused on where they need to be handling them from?
Because the more things you need one person to do, the harder it is to find them.
That's what I talk to Michele Linca, of Linca Insurance, about her quest in finding such a valuable resource.
P.S. You shouldn't also risk missing Elevate 19, some have called it the greatest conference in the industry.
You'll notice that you've just made it a lot easier for people to learn how much you know about insurance. It's definitely a difficult place to get to because just the idea of producing video consistently sounds daunting.
However, once you realize that all the power lies in starting instead of perfecting will have you never looking back.
The more efficient your process is the more you'll notice getting done, which will ultimately make the phone ring.
That's what I talk to Avery Moore, of ECI Insurance, about as she finally took her first step off the video ledge.
P.S. This is a good place to learn what to do next.
You have to know who you're meeting first way before you plan anything else. Sure, there's basic tactical knowledge required to properly execute proper marketing communication.
However, what makes picking a time and place dramatically easier is having a detailed understanding of the person that should be there.
When you do it makes everything else about the message ten times more effective.
That's what I talk to Ryan Anderson, of Alliance Insurance Group, about as he starts to figure out where he needs to be.
P.S. This might certainly be the right place you should find time to be.
People will find you, trust you and ultimately want to do business with you over everyone else who isn't. If there is one marketing strategy that is the easiest to deploy and generates the best results, it's this.
Constantly and consistently answering questions relative to the type of insurance you want to sell can change the game for your agency.
The only thing you have to make sure you do is tell people where you want (can) help them buy said insurance.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo and Associates, about as he shares how simply he started out.
P.S. There will be a lot of questions answered at Elevate 19, get your ticket here.
Your insurance life can be hard if you don't have the right people to talk to. Not because you don't respect their experience and wisdom in the industry, but because they can't see where things are going.
Your ability to geek out on camera gear or latest automated workflow will severely limited.
It's in these cycles of loneliness that you ambition gets destroyed and ideas
That all can change if you find the right community that understands who you are and what you're trying to achieve.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson and Jackon Insurance, about how relieved he finally found his.
P.S. Check out the newly announced agenda for Elevate 2019.
The truth is they probably don't need to be as strong as you think they need to be at the start. Of course, in a perfect world having the most powerful tools and resources at your fingertips would dramatically improve your ability to deliver results.
However, that simply isn't reality and you will almost always have to prove yourself with lesser tools than others might have.
With that being said, there will come a time when you will need to invest in a tool that might seem out of control at the time.
That's exactly where Kim Wood, of Tobey & Merrill Insurance, is at as she tries to navigate using what she has effectively.
P.S. Elevate 19 is going to make everything you do more effective, even putting your socks on.
I doubt it, but it might not be up to us to decide anymore because today's consumer expects to find it. Deciding not to give it to them, has and will continue to lead to other, less qualified, sources providing it.
That's not a great spot to be in because not only are we missing out on a chance for good business, it also puts more people at risk of making bad decisions.
That's not even mentioning the idea of possibly discussing other companies you currently don't have in your agency.
I talked with my good buddy Sean Halpin, of MJH Insurance, about how he's ready to compare on demand.
P.S. You can compare a lot of different agents with each other at Elevate 19.
Sometimes you need to follow the recipe exactly the way it's written for it to work. There are plenty of tried and true strategies and tactics that have worked for a long time in the industry.
Did you ever stop to think why that might be and how strategies and tactics translate for today?
It doesn't matter if it's a welcome kit, referral program or the time you spent in the community, they all can work.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinatus Insurance, about his recent encounter trying to
P.S. There might be New Growth Secrets in here every week.
First starts by knowing who that client is and everything that might make them need you. Once you know that, then you know the game that you'll need to play to get them.
Not only will you need to know that, but you'll also need to know where to play it.
if you're always focused on that ideal client give you more room to work with everything else that falls short.
That's what I talk to Jared Bellmund, of Carolina Living Insurance, about as he lays out a few of his and what he needs to get them.
P.S. This is a good place to learn how to play a bigger game.
It's hard to say, but there's a good chance that's not the only thing causing problems. Just because you say you have a niche doesn't mean all your insurance troubles decide to go elsewhere.
In fact, it actually just enhances them and exposes all the glaring weakness currently present in your operation.
The change will be anything but sudden, however, if committed to can have the potential to change your insurance game forever.
That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Callahan and Rice Insurance, about as he tries to figure out his.
P.S. We talk about a lot about niches and solving problems here.
The only thing you have to do is figure out a way to help them first without being there. If you're worried about getting stuck where you're at these clients will also make sure that doesn't happen.
Because the level of appreciation they develop for you and your agency even before talking to is overwhelming.
The better question is how many do you want to find and what do you want to sell.
The answer to the questions will go a long way to determine how fast you can get somewhere else.
That's what I talk to Avery Moore, of ECI Insurance, about how those lifetime clients are finding her.
P.S. You can easily find your way to purchasing a ticket to Elevate 19 right here.
It's easy to always be waiting for the next best thing to solve all your insurance problems. Who wouldn't want to blame the current state of their agency on the features of their tools and services?
Maybe instead, taking an extra long look at what's in front of you and how it might make the long run easier.
The hardest thing to do always waiting for more is voting with your wallet.
That's what I talk to Bogus Handzel, of Handzel and Associates, about what makes his life easier.
P.S. There's plenty more for you to do here.
You'll realize those imaginary benchmarks only mean something if you get started. Getting started is one of the most important things you can do and usually the hardest thing holding you back.
But stopping every time you don't think your doing something right is when everything started to chance.
That's what I talk to Ryan Anderson, from Alliance Insurance, as he tried to figure out what's going on.
P.S. Get Your Elevate 2019 ticket today.
Is as simple as continuing to educate them all the way through the entire sales process. It might sound obvious and simple, however, the secret is in the execution and distribution of that message.
When you create content that compels people to reach out to you, they expect that process to continue in person.
What they don't want to happen is getting strongarmed into a policy that might not be best.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo & Associates, about his process handling the people that call him.
P.S. We think more people will call you if you attend Elevate 19.
It doesn't matter how long you haven't, it can happen anywhere anytime. Really what it comes down to is letting the thing that doesn't matter impact your ability to take action.
It's this fabricated inaction that kills good intentions before they even had a chance.
The thing you can do today is normally better than what you think you can do tomorrow.
That's what I talk to Woody Brown, of The Rhoads Group, about as he takes an honest look at what's happening.
P.S. We've got plenty of execution help for you over here.
Continues to rage on much longer than necessary and delay an entire industry in the process. The good news is that it looks like there might finally be light at the end of the integration tunnel.
Technology partners and carriers are finally starting to see the possibilities of operating in a truly integrated world.
That world would finally include unduplicated work and streamlined efficiencies we've never seen before.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Tobey & Merrill Insurance, about as she struggles with a simple address change.
LISTEN: The Problem No One Can Solve (Part I)
P.S. We're still solving a lot of problems here.
Should not be taken lightly and approached with caution. That's how serious things get when you start to focus on personal lines home and auto with your digital marketing.
Forget about insurance, that's one of the most competitive categories in all of business.
So you're going to want to make sure you have a solid strategy that's actually about to cut through the noise.
That's what I talk to Sean Halpin, of MJH Insurance, about as he tried to figure out his plan.
P.S. This should help regardless of the type of business you want to sell.
It starts by letting someone else do your job better than you can. When that happens, you're able to find more valuable tasks you couldn't reach before.
It's a place a lot of agencies are afraid to reach right now and could be a huge advantage moving forward.
Because you haven't lived until you've walked into your office and a month's worth of renewals are waiting.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about how he might be able to make it easier.
P.S. Did you know you can buy a ticket for Elevate 19?
If you're already doing it, why not try and get the most out of it. You're probably leaving a lot of value and exposure on the table if you're not creating content around your connections in the community.
Instead of getting the attention of the 15-20 people that are also highly dedicated, the right piece of content 150-200.
The only trick is creating something with enough value those select few want to share and others want to consume.
That's what I talk to Jared Bellmund, of Carolina Living Insurance, about as he breaks down his current involvement.
P.S. You should get involved with this awesome community.
Early in your insurance career, you're faced with a difficult challenge. There's usually an opportunity you want to pursue and another that seems to be working faster.
In those lean moments of desperation, it's hard to walk away from business that's moving faster.
Of course, this decision is not mutually exclusive, instead, it's a challenge of finding the right balance.
That's what I talk to Landon Benthem, of Callahan and Rice Insurance, about as he tried to figure out his.
P.S. There's only one opportunity worth taking here.
You just have to find a few people who remind you to think outside the box. This is actually one of the easiest things you can do to help drive change and results in your agency.
If you are constantly surrounded by people who hold you accountable and push ideas forward, you'll have no choice but to keep up.
The biggest challenge is consistently finding time to connect with these people because there's a good chance they won't be in your agency.
That's what I talk to Avery Moore, of ECI Insurance, about as she tries to find more of those people.
P.S. There's a lot of people in here waiting for you.
Just because you think they should buy from you doesn't mean they feel the same way. That's the danger of assuming any sale is in the bag because that's exactly the time it isn't.
However, the good news is there's a lot that can be done with this assumption to make people think differently.
The challenge is upping your game for the people that see it every day.
That's what I talked to Bogus Handzel, of Handzel & Associates, about exactly how hard he thinks they should work.
P.S. There's a lot hard working going on here all the time.
It's up to you to find them, but once you do then it's time to take action. That's really the hard part of discovering information that drives change.
Allowing it to fully take hold and be implemented instead of falling in love with learning.
Because once you do it sometimes creates a false reality of the adoption level certain ideas have in the industry.
That's what I talk to Ryan Anderson, of Alliance Insurance, about as he shares his learning epiphany.
P.S. This is one of the best resources in the industry.
This is really where the art and science of marketing collide as you try to figure out what works. There are no guarantees you will rank for keywords that drive business.
However, there are a few key pillars to lean on when getting started to ensure the most success possible.
Those pillars, however, might look and feel different to each agent depending on your current position.
That's what I talk with Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo & Associates, about as he talks himself into the work he's doing.
P.S. Any and all keywords are welcomed here.
It's challenging to break out of traditional agency dynamics and create an insurance rockstar mindset. There are very few agencies that feel like they are the cool kids of the industries and can aggressively do things differently.
However, embracing the power and freedom that's possible when you face your creative fear is staggering.
That creativity allows you to start relationships in the place people are looking for them the most.
That's what I talk to Woody Brown, of The Rhoads Group, about how his agency approaches their opportunity.
P.S. Unlock your creative potential by joining the Agency Nation newsletter.
When the solution probably should have happened 10 years ago. You’d think that with all the advances we’ve experienced in technology, that we’d at least be able to pull a client email list together.
But that’s not the case for our industry.
The dreaded thought of exporting and importing updated client lists, and then scrubbing them for accuracy just to send a simple marketing email out, makes us avoid the task altogether.
Agency Management Systems struggle to find the motivation to change. And it’s preventing us from achieving our true insurance potential.
That’s what I talk to Kim Woods, of Tobey Merrill Insurance about what she said to do to try to solve her problems.
P.S. We solve a lot of problems in here.
Or maybe the better question is, do you have enough content to cluster? This might be one of the easiest marketing tactics to follow that can ultimately dictate your strategy.
If you focus on topic clusters, it makes it really easy to understand how deep you can go on a topic to let Google know you're an expert.
If you don't have enough content to fill your clusters, that's a good indication your topic isn't big enough or you need to write more.
That's what I talk to Sean Halpin, of MJH Insurance, about as he tries to make sense of what he needs in his clusters.
P.S. A lot of topics get clustered inside the newsletter, you should come see for yourself.
There's a good chance they're not if their still doing basic service work. With back office support companies becoming more reliable and relevant traditional service roles can do non traditional tasks.
If you crunch the numbers, you'll almost always be able to walk away with a chance to make more money.
That's the leap that most agents find so frustrating, is the ability to find more time to do high value tasks.
That's what I talked with Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about as he starts to seriously consider getting more value out of his people.
P.S. There's a ton of valuable people that hangout here.
If not, you could be spending a lot of time on something you're trying not to do. Maybe that's important. Maybe it builds character. Maybe that's why we're still doing it.
Or maybe we don't need to waste that much time and there might be a more focused way to do it?
It's possible the "liberal arts" insurance education may have run it's course. If all it does is produced "Insurance Generalist" we might find ourselves in trouble.
That's what I talk to Jared Bellmund, of Carolina Living Insurance, about as he tries to make sure his feel are planted in the right place.
P.S. Joining the Agency Nation Newsletter is a good way to avoid it.
Sometimes it's good to know if you're keeping up with the best of the best. But, just because you are now doesn't mean it's going to stay that way forever.
Because there comes a time during every agency's growth where the potential is challenged.
It's how that potential is handled and transitioned that has a good chance to separate you from the pack.
That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Callahan and Rice Insurance, about as he questions the longevity of his growth.
P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter can certainly extend the growth you're looking for.
It's real easy to talk yourself into thinking you talk too much about insurance. The truth is, it's what you do best and it's really hard to give people too many facts about it.
However, one thing that usually goes dramatically overlooked is your ability to tell an emotional story all the way to the sale.
It's always dangerous to play with emotions, but highly rewarding if executed properly.
That's what I talked to Avery Moore, of ECI Insurance, about as she starts to questions her factual approach.
P.S. Things get a little emotion from time to time on the Agency Nation newsletter, you should come hug it out with us.
You really have to set the right expectations before you can find out. Because if you haven't taken the time to figure it out, there's a good chance you'll never know.
Once that question has been answered you can figure out where the help should come from.
That help should be properly positioned to grow the agency where the expectations are currently sitting.
That's what I talked to Bogus Handzel, of Handzel and Associates, about as he tried to figure out where to get his from.
P.S. People have said there's a lot of successful help happening here.
Can be excruciating or possibly the greatest thing you've ever done. Honestly, the choice is yours initially. However, as you start to see what's involved it should become painfully obvious.
When you rise to the Insurance Mindset Challenge, you're requiring that business goes where it goes, you're able to extensively "speak the language" of the industry you're trying to serve and finally have to try and make something of your next company rep marketing meeting.
That's what I talked to Ryan Anderson, of Alliance Insurance Group, about as he starts to build his.
P.S. You should really see what going on in this newsletter.
If you're going to do something dramatic, you minds well go all in. It doesn't matter if it means moving office locations, encouraging people not to show up there or deciding once and for all who your best client is.
Taking that decision to the the next level is something that has a ridiculously good chance of helping.
Once you decide who and what are involved it because a lot easier to support them.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo and Associates about, as he explains the support he gets.
P.S. There's plenty of support here if you're interested.
Not many agencies are brave enough to fix what isn't broken to build something better. It's during that construction process that you'll truly be tested on the strength of your structure.
But that's exactly what will happen if you want to try and reach your creative potential.
One of the only ways to do it is to have the proper support around.
That's what I talk to Woody Brown, of The Rhodes Group, about as he attempts to embrace his.
P.S. There plenty of support inside the Agency Nation Newsletter.
Companies spend a lot of money to make sure people know who they are. The only thing you have to do is tell them what they want to know.
That's the hard part and only something a valued "objective" third party can do.
You're that third party, some might even call you an advisor.
That's a resposability you take very seriously, however there's a good chance your getting serious about way too late.
The sooner (see earlier) you start the advising process the easier it will be for them to find you.
That's what I talk to Ed Monson, of Monson Insurance, about as he starts to connect the dots after it happened to him.
P.S. We don't have a billion dollars for ads, but we do have a billion ways to help your agency.
You might have no clue just how easy it is to make sure that never happens. All you have to be willing to do is say something (anything) about them before they do about you.
That shouldn't be that hard because it's certainly an idea that 99 percent of businesses are uncomfortable with.
However, once you realize just how powerful it is and how little you have to say, there's a good chance you accept it.
That's what I talked to Sean Halpin, of MJH Insurance, about as he tries to iron out the wrinkles in his competition grabbing strategy.
P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter will help you stay far away from your competition, you should try it.
There comes a point in every agency where the things you have to do prevent you from doing what needs to be done. It's this disproportionate balance of activities that usually leads to burnout and despair.
Let's be honest, there's a reason you made it this far in this industry and rarely does it have anything to do with those nagging tasks.
Now you're faced with the challenge of making sure they get done consistently every month but still leave you time to do what you want.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about as he contemplates the work he might not have to do anymore.
P.S. There's plenty of efficiency and growth happening inside the Agency Nation newsletter, come see for yourself.
It's hard to bring value that rarely has a chance to return. Even if you believe in "giving without the expectation of reciprocation" at some point someone has to give if back.
Sometimes, if you're stretched too thin, you won't be able to put them in the right place.
That's what a talk to Jared Bellmund, of Carolina Living Insurance, about as he tries to see what fits.
P.S. Did you know the Agency Nation newsletter fits everytime, Join right here.
It's easy to get caught up with what you think an agency your size should be doing. When in reality, there's very few limits you can/should put on it from a marketing position.
You'll never be able to identify the growth opportunities you currently have.
That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Callaghan and Rice Insurance got things moving just enough.
P.S. There's plenty of growth happening on the Agency Nation newsletter.
At some point you're going to need to figure out what someone needs to hear from you to get their attention. It doesn't matter if you're new to content creation or have been doing it for years, everyone runs out of ideas.
But that can't slow you down, momentum is the only thing that will bring them back.
It's even better anytime the idea making is built into the content creation process.
That makes it so much easier to ensure you'll always have something to talk about when you need it.
That's what to talk Avery Moore, of ECI Insurance, about as she tries to figure out the best way to pull them to the surface.
P.S. We can't even count all the ideas on the Agency Nation newsletter.
Cost of client acquisition is a big time stat that when you track it, separates your agency from the pack. It's also just one of many advanced business and marketing metrics you should consider discovering.
Because too often agencies get stuck accepting the things that have always been done at face value.
Those things are rarely restructured and even less frequently reevaluated.
That's what I talk to Bogus Handzel, of Handzel and Associates, about as he puts everything on the table to figure out the cost.
P.S. There's a lot of stuff on the table inside Agency Nation University, have you seen it all?
Most of the time, it's going to be much longer than we think. However, that shouldn't stop us from identifying the vulnerabilities a niche or segment of the industry faces.
That forces you to drill down into a type of business and understand what might make it standout over others.
If you can figure out what that thing is you'll be able to exploit it's rarity to find more like it and hold off the computers even longer.
That's what I talked to Ryan Anderson, of Alliance Insurance Group, to see if one of his new accounts might be the key.
P.S. If you join the Agency Nation newsletter you'll definitely be the first to know when the computers get here.
Believe it or not, the average American spends two hours a day looking at social media on their smart phone. The number one job of your marketing is to get attention when it matters most?
Winning those moments that matter will constantly give your agency the push to get over that hill.
Luckily you don't have to do it alone because trying to understand the world of mobile advertising isn't something that every agency needs.
Ryan sat down with Gregory Bailey, CEO and Founder of Denim, about exactly how timely his message deliveries are.
Connect With Gregory:
- Denim
P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter delivers more moments that matter than anyone else.
If you're not, the good news is it's never too late to do something about it. Not only is it about how you're getting it, but who's showing up as a result.
You dramatically increase the enjoyment of your insurance life if those people genuinely want to buy what you're selling.
Because, let's be honest, we've all had more than a few clients who never valued their insurance policy.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dapazo & Associates, about how he found happiness.
P.S. Jumping on the Agency Nation newsletter would be the happiest thing you did for your inbox in a long time.
If you don't it's going to be a lot hard to figure out where they're hiding. When you know exactly who they are and what they do you'll know what comes next.
It becomes so much easier to keep track of everyone that might mean something to your agency.
You can spend more time focusing on them and what they need.
That's what I talk with Woody Brown, or The Rhoads Groups, about as he figures out his.
P.S. You're one of our people if you sign up for the newsletter.
All you have to do is help someone get from point A to point B as easy and enjoyable as possible. Once you do that it's just a matter of making sure they know, without a doubt, you're that person and how to do it.
Because it doesn't matter how much forward moment you help someone create to completing their insurance journey.
If they ultimately don't make it to that final destination, all of your help directions and information will still leave them stranded.
That's what I talk to Ed Monson, of Monson Insurance, about as he tried to figure out the best way for people to reach him.
P.S. Newsletters are still a thing and we've got one of the best in the industry, you should try it.
If you're focusing on things that don't get results, there's a good chance you are. When you're getting started marketing your agency, there's a lot of decisions to make about what you're going to do and where you're going to focus your time.
Of course, it's in these decisions that may lead you to the breakout idea that takes your agency to the next level.
However, you're going to want to make sure you avoid the mistakes others in the industry have already made.
That's what I talk to Sean Halpin, of MJH Insurance, about how much he might be wasting.
P.S. Seriously, this newsletter is written for you. I mean who else would we write it for?
If you let someone do it full time, it can get as loud as you want. However, if you constantly try to piece it together with extra time and occasional interest, there's a good chance you'll barely hear it.
A big part of the reason your marketing isn't making a sound is because you haven't been able to hire someone (with or without insurance experience) to fill it.
Much like everything else we do in the industry, we think anyone who hasn't "done the time" is no good for our business.
That's what I talk to Dani Kimble, of the O'Neil Group, about the volume she's current dealing with.
P.S. This newsletter needs you on it before anything else can happen.
If it's not, then it's missing the entire purpose of what it's suppose to do. One thing is for sure if at first you don't succeed, try again.
There's no limit on the amount of tries you get to get it right.
No matter how much you read, watch and listen too when it comes to content marking. that means you can try as many cool things as I say so.
That's what I talk to Jared Bullmend, of Carolina Living Insurance. about as he tried to get his two together.
p.S. This is finally your chance get the most dynamic newsletter in the industry.
Is all about constantly absorbing information and finding the right people to do something with it. Being a better agent can be as easy as reading a book, listening to a podcast or spending more time with the right people.
Those items aren't hard to do on their own, it's the action behind them that's tough.
That's where building the right core right core group of agent agents to make that a reality.
That's what Mike Crowley, of Crowley Insurance, tried to constantly do.
P.S. Subscribing to our newsletter is how you'll constantly be able to keep up with all the awesome.
It triggers a ripple effect far beyond just your immediate pain. Either they don't know, or they don't care. I'm not sure which one is worse.
But that's the feeling you get when you realize your one of your insurance companies is only looking out for themselves.
It's certainly an experience your clients should never be apart of, however are still very much at risk.
That's what I talk to Nancy Nicklow, at Huff Insurance, about her unfortunate underwriting snafu.
P.S. Signing up for the Agency Nation newsletter could be the best decision you'll ever make. #FriendsForLife
This mentality is rarely confused with a legacy independent insurance agency. Mostly because good is better than expected most of the time, forget anything else.
To be fair, that's not to say all agents and/or agencies start out that way.
The bigger question instead is, was that mentality ability to survive until something could be done about it?
That's what I talk to Bogus Handzel, of Handzel and Associates, about as he figures out what IS good enough.
P.S. Some people are calling it (maybe Ryan Hanley) the most dynamic newsletter in the industry, that means you should be a part of it.
There's just a few question you need to answer before you jump head first into a new commercial niche. The first one is figuring out if you speak their language well enough to sell insurance the way they understand.
The next one is if the average annual premium will generate enough commission to make sure you keep the lights on.
Finally, you've got to have enough insurance companies who actually want to take the business you bring to them.
These are the questions Ryan Anderson, of Alliance Insurance Group, is asking himself about his new niche.
P.S. If you really want to know what's going with insurance, Agency Nation and life in general our newsletter can help.
If you don't stick to your guns, you'll just end up complaining about how many bad ones you have. You constantly have to be prepared to break it off with a client or not get involved with a new one if things aren't right.
Not only will this help you from complaining, it might even keep you happy in your business.
That's one thing Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo and Associates, isn't afraid to do.
P.S. Don't be afraid to subscribe to the Agency Nation newsletter.
If you don't, it will never get done. Lie to yourself all you want, a highly effective piece of content that gets found in search is almost impossible to beat.
Because when it starts working its hard to stop. That means a constant new stream of business finding you.
The only thing you have to be careful of is making sure you go deep enough.
That's what I talk to Woody Brown, of The Rhoads Group, about how he can start to give it more.
P.S. Agency Nation University sole purpose is to help you find that respect. Check it out now.
It really depends on what and how you do it. Because there's a very good chance you might be missing an important piece.
That piece might technology, it might access to the right company or the thing you want to do just doesn't like it.
No matter what, you'll need to overcome them all if you truly want to scale all the way.
That's what I talk to Ed Munson, of Munson Insurance, about as he tries to figure out if he can.
P.S. Did you know Sydney just released a new 42 video workshop inside Agency Nation University?
Is the lack of trust and respect you have for making sure people know you're an expert. If there's one thing you should be doing on the internet for your agency, it's distributing your insurance brain to as many people in as many places as you can.
When you're done with that you should feel good about it because too many of us are worried insurance isn't "cool" enough.
Just stop it, it is and so are you so let's all do something about.
That's what I talk to Becky Taylor, Marketing Manger at Ohio Insurance Agents (OIA), as she delivers a much needed pep talk.
P.S. Becky's going to be wandering around Elevate 18 this year, because let's be honest #TeamOhio, you should come too.
Is by making sure you always know who needs to do what, when. Because when you do, you'll limit the amount on enthusiasm you kill delaying progress.
The longer you make something take, the less that will get done.
This is also true if you're always trying to do more than you can handle.
That's what I talk to Dani Kimble, at The O'Neill Group, about as she tries to figure out how fast her process can work.
P.S. If you're not subscribed, I'm going to take a guess and say you have no idea what you're missing from the Agency Nation newsletter. That's unacceptable.
Is so out of control if you realized what's possible you'd spend threes times more. The problem is the mindset you approach the purchase with. That is it's something that isn't really necessary and ineffective.
That mindset is easy to have not knowing or seeing the full potential effective video marketing can have on your agency.
If you could you would have wished you made that investment years ago and even think it's a bargain for the business it delivers.
That's what I talk to Jared Bellmund, of Carolina Living Insurance, about as he dreams of the gear he's missing.
P.S. Did you know I write a Sunday morning email for the Agency Nation newsletter that's the best thing you'll read all week?
The better question is, what should they actually be doing? Because if you think you need a person, there's a good chance that you actually need a person.
What isn't so obvious is the type of work this person will be doing and seeing if it can be found elsewhere, cheaper.
If you don't figure out the answer to those questions before brining someone new into your agency, that might be a problem.
That's what I talked to long time guest Mike Crowley, of Crowley Insurance, about as he tried to learn when to pull the trigger.
P.S. Did you know I write something extra special directly to you every Sunday in my newsletter? You should subscribe.
If we all work together this is something we won't have to worry about anymore. Alright fine, yes you'll obviously still be able to lose a big account to another agent.
However, if we all get our act together it won't happen because someone didn't do their job right or people hate insurance.
I know it sounds a little far fetched already, but I'm pretty sure if everyone comes together from all sides of the industry we can make it happen.
That's what I talk to Nancy Nicklow, of Huff Insurance, about the account she couldn't believe she was losing.
P.S. You can learn from us and agents like Nancy inside of Agency Nation University, I mean only if you want to be awesome.
Do you go after a veteran that's been around the league and knows how to win now or build for the future? Figuring out this simple question alone, is one insurance agents have been struggling to answer for at least a decade.
Most of the time what ends up happening is experience is over-valued and everyone discounts what the game looks like through new eyes.
That's why I talked to Bogus Handzle, of Handzle and Associates, to figure out what's best for his agency.
P.S. Did you know we have only like 34 tickets left, you should come for a few building lessons.
Unless you want to buy a really big door that knows how to handle it. It's never easy finding the right people for your agency.
It's even harder when they will never care about your business as much as you do.
It's impossible and expecting anything else is just asking for trouble.
That's what I talked with Nick Ayers, at i80 Insurance and IAOA, about as he shares his struggles.
P.S. Nick is going to be speaking at Elevate if you want to experience the real deal.
Are you making sure the people that want to talk to you can do it without thinking twice about it? The easier it is for people to talk to you and you talk to them, the better you'll be.
If every interaction is a struggle of epic proportions for you and them you'll have wasted a lot of everyone's time.
Having the proper systems and segmentation in place is vital to making sure that doesn't happen in your agency.
That's what I talk to Ryan Anderson, or Columbia Insurance, about as he tries to make sense of his.
P.S. There are a lot of people in the private Agency Nation University Facebook group that can help make your communication easier.
If you do, you stand a much better chance when some needs to remember your name. In order to do that, you have to have a solid process in place that believe in blindly to success.
It's that level of dedication most agents lack and ultimately why they never see results.
That what I talk to Woody Brown, of The Rhoads Group, as he tries to figure out his.
P.S. Woody is going to be speaking at Elevate 18, that means you should definitely be there.
It's pretty simple actually, it gains trust faster so you can spend more time selling. Why wouldn't you want prospects to be able to hear, see and know you before you do?
Video give you the ability to reach into organizations and audiences you never would expect to be watching.
The secret is, everyone is and not many people (see agencies) are giving them anything to watch.
That's what Ryan talks to Marcus Sheridan, Owner at IMPACT, about his belief in the power of video.
If you want to see Marcus live for a four hour video marketing workshop, get your ticket to Elevate 18 today before it sells out!
Connect with Marcus:
IMPACT
P.S. Seriously, that workshop will change your life longer than you can handle.
It's very possible you might have no idea, even if you do, it will still be fun. This is by far one of the most popular questions I get from people who are just getting to know our company.
Which is fine, it's a completely fair question and it's possible we don't make the answer as obvious as it should be (we're working on that).
At the end of the day if we can help you find your insurance flag and plant it somewhere worthwhile we'll consider that a job well done.
That's what I talk to Ed Munson, of Munson Insurance, about as he tries to put the pieces together himself.
P.S. You can really get up close and personal with us (Agency Nation) if you come to Elevate 18!
What really ends up happening is there's a lot that doesn't get done. We've finally made it to a place where "not getting it done" is an option.
Someone in your agency needs to be doing something to make sure people know who you are when you are not around.
If not, someone else will diffidently be there for them and tell them everything they need to know.
That's what I talk to Becky Taylor, Marketing Manager at Ohio Insurance Agents Association, about the thing agents tell her they do.
P.S. Agency Nation University is a great place to let someone else in your agency learn how to do it.
I definitely don't see enough of either across the board in the industry. Your ability to find a way around any challenge or obstacle is something that will set you miles a part.
Combine that with an ability to make decisions on purpose about how your agency does things and most people won't know how to act.
That's how crazy important both are and the power you'll possess if you combine them.
I talked to my good friend Dani Kimble, at The O'Neill Group, how she found a way within their culture.
P.S. You should definitely find a way to click here and check out Agency Nation University, there's lots of culture agents in there.
This is the not so dirty little secret holding a lot of us back. If you agency struggles with this basic form of communication, you're fighting a steep uphill battle.
We have to be better at answering the phone, because it doesn't just impact your agency, it effects all independent insurance agents.
That's what you'll hear first hand from calls that went wrong. I was simply looking for an interesting agent to talk to and found something entirely else instead.
P.S. Don't forget to get your ticket to Elevate 18 today!
It seems like a lot of "next-gen" agents feel that way. Maybe the problem is the term has changed and we haven't aliened ourselves with what it actually means today?
Just because you aren't attracting and closing business the way the previous generation did, doesn't mean you lack natural sales skills.
It could just mean you've figured out a way to connect and communicate with prospects that make sense for today's business entertainment.
That's what I talk to my buddy Mike Crowley, of Crowley Insurance, about as he confronts his lack of natural sales ability.
P.S. A ton of agents a learning how find they're natural sales ability in Agency Nation University, you should check it out.
It's always the right thing to do the right thing. Even though it's really hard at the time, your ability to do it will set you apart from more people than you think.
Sadly, too often people in the insurance industry act like they've never heard of such a thing.
If we can all stop trying to talk our way out of doing it,
That's what I talk to Nancy Nicklow, of Huff Insurance, about as she knows what happens when you do.
P.S. There's a lot of people doing the right thing in Agency Nation University, go do it with them.
Don't worry, you're not the only agency having a hard time finding it. This is a question that has haunted the industry for probably more than a decade now.
Why are more young people choosing to sell insurance? What has the world come to?
These are all fair questions that mostly feature unfair answers.
That's what I talk to Bogus Handzel, of Handzel and Associates, about as he try's to figure out where his is going to come from.
P.S. Did you know there's going to be a lot of "young blood" running around at Elevate 18 this year? You should come.
Just because someone never sold a policy, doesn't mean they can't say something really smart to change your agency. We have to get over this ridiculousness overvaluing other agents and agency owners opinions.
Do they have a better chance of being more specifically applicable to your business? You bet.
But is it the only source of wisdom you should adhere to when trying something new? Absolutely not.
That's what I talk to Becky Schroeder, SVP of ITC, about how she is constantly pushing herself outside the industry.
P.S. It would be a little hypocritical of me to suggest Agency Nation University after all that.
One thing's for sure, it's probably not enough. There's definitely nothing wrong with obsessing over finding new clients, but it's also alright to want to get rid of some.
Sometimes it just doesn't workout, it's no ones fault, there's just a better insurance business relationship out.
Having a set of standards to look for in a client is a pretty easy way to make sure you're not getting taken advantage of in the relationship.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo and Associates, about what he looks for in the perfect client.
P.S. Agency Nation University is a pretty good place to learn the laws of insurance attraction.
No matter who you are or what you do, this question will always try to get the best of you. The secret is, it never is.
Getting yourself to a place where good enough gets out the door is the only way to win.
The judgement you're afraid of rarely happens and is never worth avoiding.
That's what I talk to Woody Brown, of the Rhoads Group, about as he struggles with his effort.
P.S. Agency Nation University can help you be good enough.
Is really a lot more specific than you think. Delivering more information to a potential client is great.
Letting them see your face, when it's convenient for them is even better.
But, reaching a nirvana like state with video marketing and video proposals is something entirely different.
That's what I talk to my buddy Ryan Sautman, of Just4You Insurance, about as he breaks down is process.
P.S. Want to know about what videos should be where? Agency Nation University is your ticket.
Listen to Part I here.
If you're not sure then you've got a big problem. Because the worst thing you can do is nothing and refuse to decide who should be listening.
The crazy thing is that it's not always who you think it is.
But taking the time to figure it out how to relate to that person will make them want to do what you say.
That's what I talk to Becky Taylor, Marketing Manager at Ohio Insurance Agents Association, about as she figures out who should listen to them.
P.S. Agency Nation University can teach you how to talk really good.
They don't want to read your insurance blog post, they need to read it. Once you realize that, creating the things your agency needs to organically attract clients gets a whole lot easier.
It's the subtle and simple shift in mindset that will free your desire to create things to help people find you.
It's with this freedom you'll be able to figure out who really wants to talk with you.
That's what I talk to Terry Grier, of Strive Insurance, about as he comes close to doing it.
P.S. There's a whole lot of talking into things Agency Nation University can do.
It should be at the same point every time. If we're getting even crazier, it should be as close to the bottom of the sale as possible.
That is if you've provided your prospects with the ability to educate themselves to that point before they reach for the phone.
That on demand education will help increase your efficiency and identify the hottest leads.
That's what I talk with Eli Gillespie, of Gillespie Insurance Services, about as he tried to figure out his.
P.S. Agency Nation University can help get your leads all the way to the bottom.
If no one is raising their hand you'll probably have to duke it out. These are the moments when it's not a whole lot of fun to work in a family business.
The family part gets in the way of the business that needs to be done.
Because it's not easy to pull your agency out of coast mode, but if you do you'll really enjoy the ride.
That's what I talk to Mike Crowley, of Crowley Insurance, about how he took control.
P.S. You can be the first one in your agency to go to Elevate 18 this year.
Before you say anything, it might not be that great after all. Because that better deal could come at a cost of your clients well being.
What do you have to do to keep that person loyal during the toughest of times and should they even have to be?
That’s what I talk with Nancy Nicklow, of Huff Insurance, about the severity of the better deal she often faces.
P.S. Did you know the Agency Nation newsletter is amazing?
That’s a tough question that really depends on what you’re selling to who. There’s a lot to be said about not needing/wanting to know something.
It’s liberating on a level you probably can’t imagine, but how practical is it?
Does your ear need to be all the way to the ground or can you listen a few feet up?
That’s what I talk to Bogus Handzel, of Handzel and Associates, about as he figures out how sharp it should be.
P.S. Agency Nation University can sharpen all kinds of swords for you.
Just when you think it’s over, you realize it never ends. It’s a constant grind that is unforgiving and relentless in it’s consistency to be completed.
Knowing what to do and where to start is going to depend on what you have at your disposal.
Because you have to create something that goes far beyond the surface and includes something with a lot of depth and complexity.
That’s what I talk about with Becky Schroeder, of Senior Vice President of Marketing for ITC, about the never-ending journey.
P.S. If you need help to constantly keep going, Agency Nation University can help.
Even if you are, do you have enough people staying there? It’s a question many agency owners struggle and rarely want to face.
It’s hard to do more when you have to do it all yourself.
Figuring out how to find the right people becomes a critical thinking problem with no answer.
That’s what I talk with Alex Dopazo, of D&A Insurance, about as he comes to grips with doing more of what he should.
P.S. Learn with people like Alex how to do those things in Agency Nation University.
Because you'll never be able to catch up if you do. Realizing it's going to suck no matter when you start is your first major challenge.
Owing that embarrassment is the best thing you can to eventually make it turn out the way you want.
That's when you'll get good enough to attract the business you weren't sure you could.
That's what I talk to Woody Brown about, of The Rhoads Group, as he starts to put all the pieces together.
P.S. Agency Nation emails might help limit how much embarrassment you face.
Is that they shouldn't be used inappropriately to be something they're not. It also shouldn't be the only type of video you do.
Not to mention, the easier you make the more it will get done and the more that get done the more business you'll close.
If you try to make it your only video strategy, you'll be spending way too much time making the same thing over and over again.
That's what I talk to Ryan Sautman, of Just4You Insurance, as he shares his early adoption of proposing on video.
P.S. Listen to the end to hear about the secret deal Sydney and I are offering at Innovation 18.
Is to create an experience that changes their perception of space and time as they know it. That's probably more than slightly exaggerated, however should not be understated in its importance.
Yes, there's a lot of information available to help reinforce a logical decision about your marketing efforts.
However, that logic sometimes isn't powerful enough to motivate action.
Instead, it's a demonstration of the consistent experiences possible through your marketing efforts.
That's what I talk with Becky Taylor, of Ohio Insurance Agents Association, about as she contemplates her marketing possibilities.
P.S. If you need help using your newly bought tools and tasks, Agency Nation University is the place to do it.
You might want to think twice before you answer, because it's hard to do if you're not ready. Once you've allowed yourself to believe this idea can work, then it's up to you to make it happen.
Creating the habits and identifying the times to consistently create it help that belief grow.
But you can't always listen to everyone else, because what worked for them might not work for you.
That's what I talk to Terry Grier, of Strive Insurance, about as his content faith gets tested.
P.S. There's going to be a lot of believing going on at Elevate 18, you should come.
Because they know what's going to happen if they do. It's the previous mediocrity that has created an immunity to the thing you want them to do the most.
You probably haven't done enough work to earn the request, because the requirement increases every year.
If you take the time to build a detailed process that fulfills that requirement and walks them closer to the sale, everyone wins.
You have to change the language, expectation and experience people receive to make a quote more request-able.
That's what I talk about with Eli Gillespie, of Gillespie Insurance Services, as he tries to figure out his.
P.S. Agency Nation University is the best place to learn how to full those requirements.
Sometimes you can't see it until it's too late. But seeing it at all is the only thing that will keep you from finding more.
Just because your agency can do something, doesn't mean it always should.
That might be the hardest part resisting a niche regardless how right or wrong it ends up being.
That's what I talk with Mike Crowley, of Crowley Insurance, about as he comes to grips with his.
P.S. Learn how to attract the right niche in Agency Nation University.
There's a pretty good chance that you are because you don't realize how long it takes. Believe it or not, your ability to show up and do the things you're supposed to is a very powerful differentiator.
It's that simple difference that separates average agencies from great ones, because they can routinely do what others can't.
Primary among those things is lengthy, consistent follow-up with unsold and lost customers.
It's this segment of prospects that could deliver your best results if given enough attention.
That's what I talk with Nancy Nicklow, of Huff Insurance, about as she breaks down how long it takes form them to give up.
P.S. Did you Elevate 18 is going to be one of the crazy good places to be this summer?
Because the longer you wait the more opportunity you pass up that goes to someone else. It might sound a little crazy and potentially hyperbolic, but your ability to move faster than everyone else matters.
It matters because they don't have the same fears and concerns as you do and aren't carefully surveilling your agencies every move.
They are curious at best and indifferent at worst. Seeing someone new isn't going to sound as many alarm bells as you might think.
That's what I talk with Bogus Handzel, of Handzel and Associates, about as he contemplates when are where they new faces should appear.
P.S. Did you know Agency Nation University can help people find those new faces?
I don't know, maybe. Someone's got to do it though. If there was every a more appropriate chicken and egg occurrence it's this.
Do you need to have the business to justify the marketing person or do you need the marketing person to justify the business?
It's probably a little of both and no matter which side you fall on you'll have to take more of a risk making it happen then you want.
At the very least you should know what tasks to take off your plate first to make your life easier and take your marketing to the next level.
That's what I talk about with Becky Schroeder, SVP of Marketing for ITC, as she shares her suggestions on how to make it happen.
P.S. Did you know we have deals on Agency Nation University and Elevate 18 happening now until the end of the year?
If you wait to find out, you'll probably never know. Because you'll never be ready to go after that sale or client you don't think you can handle.
It's only when you act in uncertainty that you truly offer yourself a chance to grow.
The worst that will happen is you wont get the business. The best is that you'll get the business and shoot your confidence through the roof because you just proved you can.
That's what I talk with Jessica Burch, of Bryce Point Insurance, about after she figured how amazing it is.
P.S. Let people know what you think about the podcast.
There's a good chance it took you a lot longer to figure out what it was and that you actually do. Because growing up around insurance allows you to unfairly take advantage of an industry that's long been exiled to irrelevance.
It's this perception of irrelevance that stops people from really understanding what it is and why you do it.
It's what makes talented, ambitious people pass it up for more glamours industries with half the substance.
The work is meaningful beyond what most understand it to be, which creates a gap of appreciation you're constantly trying to close.
That's what I talk to Woody Brown, of The Rhodes Group, about as he discovers his.
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If you don't, it might not be as intimidating as you think to start. Constantly being in front of a large number of the people you want to do business with can never be a bad thing.
Figuring out a way to get there can lead to some questionably misinformed decisions.
However, if you slow your pulse down long enough, you'll realize the only thing you need to do is bring the people together and ask the right questions.
That's what I talk with Ryan Sautman, of Just4You Insurance, about as he considers what power he wants to hold in his hand.
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If not, you'll probably spend a lot of time alone because you're not giving people what they need. It's your ability to fill this need, better, faster and easier than anyone else that will ultimately win the business.
If you keep your ears open long enough, it will become painfully obvious what it is that you need to deliver.
The hardest part will be staying focused on it long enough from start to finish to figure out what you need to do next.
That's what I talk with Becky Taylor, of Ohio Insurance Agents Association, about as she worries about being irrelevant.
P.S. If you think nice words about the podcast, we wouldn't mind you writing them down.
How many reasons do you let get in the way of hitting the button that could change your business forever? I'll let you in on a little secret, there are very few that are actually worth paying attention too.
Because it's your ability to hit publish and keep doing it that will separate you and show everyone why they should work with you.
It might seem like a dramatic overstatement, but if you have the right information in the right places your competition doesn't stand a chance.
The reason they won't stand a chance is because you were smart enough to realize that most of those fears reasons were irrational.
That's what I talk with Terry Grier, of Strive Insurance, about as he tries to move past all of his.
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Hopefully it's pretty fast, right away. If it is, then you'll find out how much fun it is to enter the sales process at exactly the perfect time.
If you can provide your leads and prospects with that opportunity, that's what your new insurance world will look like.
You'll only be working the most important, high leverage innings of the game and your performance can scale at a level you didn't think possible.
The only thing preventing it from happening is investing the time upfront to put the ball in their hands when you're not there to give it to them.
That's what I talk to Eli Gillespie, of Gillespie Insurance Services, about as he contemplates what ball he wants to roll where.
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By doing the things only one percent of agents in the industry are willing and able to do. It's a sobering reality, but there's a good chance you might be one of the agents who will only listen to what makes business come in faster and never do it.
It all centers around making tough decisions about what you want to sell and who you want to sell it to.
Then you need to be disciplined enough to consistently sell it to them in a way that they want it sold.
If you're able to do that over and over again, without losing focus, you'll easily find yourself in the one percent.
The hardest part is to keep doing it when you're not sure if it's going to work.
That's what I talk with Mike Crowley, of Crowley Insurance, about as you listen to him gain one percent status.
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If you haven't taken the time to automate a few key communication sequences in your agency, then it's probably a lot. Don't worry, you're not alone. But it's definitely time that this type of behavior becomes common place in our industry.
Because when you do, you free up so much time, effort and energy to focus on tasks that can't be done automatically.
It those tasks that will propel your agency to an entirely different level, because almost none of your competition has.
That's what I talk with Nancy Nicklow, of Huff Insurance, about as she breaks down all the stuff she doesn't have to think about.
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Probably not, but there's something to be said for hitting the reset button on your mindset. Just because your agency has been around for a long time doesn't mean it needs to act its age.
In fact, one your greatest strengths/advantages would be to sprinkle in a little immaturity when making a few key decisions.
It's the constant rationalization against "the way it's always been done" that prevents real progress from happening.
If you can move faster than everyone else they'll still be planning the thing you stopped doing six months ago.
That's what I talk to Bogus Handzel, of Handzel and Associates, about as he continues to push his agency forward without starting over.
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It should be a lot more than you can eat for weeks, months and even years. If you don't think it's possible, then you haven't dedicated yourself to the process long enough to see results.
Yes, it's really hard to pass up a meal that's right in front of you.
However if you can curb your hunger long enough, you'll have meals showing up on your table for a long time.
That's what I talk with Becky Schroder, SVP of Marketing at ITC, about as she describes the challenges you face finding food.
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It really depends on how much of what they're doing for you and what their getting paid.
It's always a questionable decision to let another broker mingle with your business.
Even if they start out with the best intentions in mind, they're only human and eventually that mingling will lead to a drunken night of infidelity.
But what are you supposed to do if you need help managing those accounts? Do you bring in your own team or just cross your fingers everyone involved keeps their word?
That what I talk about with Jessica Burch, of Bryce Point Insurance, about as she tried to decide how risky it is for her to hand-off her clients.
P.S. This is where most of the cool kids hangout.
It has nothing to do with word counts or video length, it’s all about connection. If you can’t create something that allows someone to connect with you or your agency, you’ve just wasted a lot of opportunity.
It’s this connection that allows people to look past every alternative and only see you.
How easy would your life be if you completely removed the “consideration process” when someone is shopping for insurance.
What if you didn’t have to worry about if you should to give free quotes or not.
What if you had people eager to talk with you and share an experience they had with information you provided.
That’s the first test you give yourself when your content starts to make the phone ring.
That’s what I talk about with Woody Brown, of The Rhodes Group, as he starts to figure out his.
P.S. Ryan writes an exclusive news letter every week, you should read it.
If not, then you’re making your insurance life much harder than it needs to be. They crazy part is how many agents want to feel the pain with you.
When you target a niche online, it dramatically improves your ability to see who you’re looking for.
You’re also going to allow your agency to easily stand tall over everyone else chasing that business.
If you can make their life easier and deliver value when it’s most convenient form them, you’re probably already tickling their fancy.
Those are the moments most agents refused to catch and the ones that waiting for you.
That’s what I talk about with Ryan Sautman, of Just4You Insurance, as he tries to figure out where to be found.
P.S. Don’t forget, you can always subscribe to the newsletter for exclusive content every Thursday(ish) here.
Because there's a lot more possibility out there than you think.
Sooner or later cars will drive themselves and that means a big shift for personal auto insurance.
The one thing we can't do is to wait and see what happens.
It's easy to do if you let your doubt tell you how much you know about something.
Chances are you know more than you think and certainly more than most people.
It's that knowledge that will separate you from everyone else and make it easy for people to pick you.
That's what Tracy Cotton of Marrow Insurance is currently struggling within her agency.
All time isn’t created equal, if you keep treating it like it is then you’ll always be out of control.
You have to be able to react, but not nearly as much as we’ve been taught.
Reacting to the wrong things will lead to an unpleasant cycle of order-taking.
The only thing stopping you is your ability to let go of it.
Originally Published on 4/26/16
Because even if you win, it will only be for a brief moment in time.
Then the convincing process starts all over again.
Before you know it, your running on a hamster wheel that leads to nowhere.
That's what Sarah Nelson, of Intego Insruance, is trying to not do in her agency.
If you're trying to be everywhere all the time, you might.
Because that's really hard to do, almost impossible even.
That's what Tracy Cotton, of Marrow Insurance, talks about her struggles in the agency.
It's as simple as letting your clients schedule their own appointments with you.
No you can retire for the endless game of phone tag and be ready to talk insurance when they are.
That's what I talk to Sarah Nelson, of Intego Insurance, about he newfound scheduling freedom.
If not, then you might have a hard time getting the business you deserve.
Things really get interesting when you push that fear so far away you can't even see it anymore.
That's what Kyle Burnett, of Instant Insurance, talks about how he plans to do just that.
I hope not, because even if you get what you want it might not deliver what you need.
That's what Tracy Cotton of Marrow Insurance is dealing with in her agency.
Originally released on 04/12/2016
Because having the same conversation over and over again is rarely an exciting thought.
However, there's a lot to be said for specialization an expertise on a level few can match.
That's the dilemma Ryan Hasties of Pardees Insurance is faced with in his young career.
If not, it's possible there won't be anyone waiting around for you.
Because the only expectations that matter are the one's prospects have for you.
That's what Kyle Burnett of Instant Insurance talks about as he struggles with finding the right balance.
Because then takes so much longer to get anyway where.
That's what gives someone else a chance to do our job the way people expect it to be done.
That's what Tracy Cotton of Marrow Insurance is experiencing on a daily basis.
Because sometimes you don't know enough to give a qualified opinion.
The worst thing you could do is get in the way of something new and possibly exciting.
Sometimes it sounds easier than it is because cameras are scary.
Kyle Burnett of Instant Insurance is looking to overcome his fear and finally do it.