7 Keys to Successful Agency
March 17th, 2020
In this month’s edition of “Sean From the Field” I wanted to talk about good selling habits, bad selling habits and realistic expectations in your insurance business. There is no doubt that being involved in insurance sales is an amazing career and for those who have the “right stuff,” it can be very lucrative. So, you might be thinking, “what’s the right stuff, and how can I get it?” There is no clear answer to what the “right stuff” is, it different for every agent. What is clear, without striving to succeed, this business will leave you empty-handed.
I have always felt that to be successful in life you need education with dedication. This same philosophy holds true in insurance sales. Top producing agents spend a great deal of time learning products and sales ideas and then dedicate their knowledge to the general public. Those
Sean McBride
Field Marketing
800.541.6705
agents who are willing to diversify their product offerings and hit the pavement running are the most successful. What else does an agent need to be successful besides knowledge and drive, consider the following:
1.) People Over Profit
Insurance is a “people business” and to be good at it requires you to like people. It doesn’t mean you have to be an extrovert, there are a lot of introvert personalities who succeed in this business. It simply means you can hold a conversation to the point that you can uncover a client need and introduce a solution to this need. If you are not a people person, probably ought to look at another line of work.
2.) Listen to Hear
Agents need to listen. Often, we get so caught up in what we want to say that we lose sight of the clients need entirely and the sale with it. Stop talking, except to ask questions. What your client has to say is what is important.
4.) Go for the Goals
Set goals, then prioritize meeting your goals. I have a mentor who periodically tells me the same thing; “Know the score, keep track of the score, and the score will change”. This might not make sense, but the message is merely highlighting how goals take effort and sometimes we need to change our approach to meet our goals to be successful.
6.) An Agent & a Marketer
Good agents actively market themselves and, in this business, that’s a must. I promise you will fail if you think people will just come to you for your services. Sitting on your hands is a bad idea. Look for unique ways to put yourself in front of prospects and if you need help, ask. We are committed to helping you grow your business and are happy to help you market yourself and your services.
3.) Go the Distance
Be willing to go the extra mile for the client. If they cannot come to you, go to them. If they are only available to meet in the evening or the weekend, make it happen. You are an agent, and this is a service industry, and this requires extra effort. If you are not willing to work overtime, then you must be willing to be underpaid.
5.) Manage Expectations
Everyone wants to start in a sprint and make the big dollars early, but this race is for the distance. The reality is that it takes time to build this business. Prepare yourself to grow your business knowledge in the big picture it will be worth your time and effort. Many agents who are very successful today struggled financially in their first two years in the business. Work hard and never give up.
7.) Education is a Service
As I mentioned before, you are in the service industry and a large part of your job is to educate your clients. A lot of agents are not great at this because they do not know how to simplify a product or concept. The result is the client can become intimidated and put off. Know how to speak at any level and recognize when a client is struggling to understand.
In closing, these are just a few obvious tips from good agents. Are you doing these things, are struggling for other reasons? Good/bad, right/wrong, or other, I encourage you to reach out to your friendly Producers XL staff. If you need help, we can do that. If you have an idea of how to stand out from the crowd, let us know. Either way, we appreciate your business and look forward to our continued partnership with you.
Be Kind, Make a difference.
Sean From the Field