Change Insurance

This might be the best advice you never received, but who says you can't start at the top? It's somewhat of a long held tradition that you need to work your way up in the insurance business.  Start small, learn the ropes and eventually, after years of seasoning and experience, you'll finally be ready to go after the "big accounts." But what if they were within your reach all along and all you had to do was set your sights a little higher? That's what Ryan Anderson, Broker at AssuredPartners, is learning as he continues to climb the large account ladder. 

Is it your mission to make sure everyone knows you're an insurance agent? Do you also make it a point to never be the first one to talk about insurance? Those two objectives might seem like they are at odds with each other.  However, if you think about it they actually form a very compelling combination. John Darr, Owner and CEO of Darr Schackow Insurance, talks about his secrets to mastering conversations that lead to business.   

When was the last time you addressed coverage concerns from every primary stakeholder? It's very easy to overlook, but will undoubtedly create an ultimate level of "buy-in" to close the sale.  Surprisingly, the easiest way to get it is to send everyone a short video discussing all their potential concerns.  That level of efficient consideration will certainly stand out from everyone else trying to get their foot in the door.  Joe Brunsban, President and Founder of The Brunsman Group, talks about how he streamlined his communication to open up multiple contacts for a potential client.   

You might not realize it, but it's pretty important to be aware of how many hats you wear in your agency.  If you're not, it becomes that much harder to eventually get someone else to wear it.  Then you find yourself stuck in an endless, lopsided cycle of work-life balance that leads nowhere.  Maybe all it takes is to remove one or two hats a little sooner than you think.  Michael Cruz, Ower of Foresight Insurance, talks about how he made sure to find help before he needed it. 

It's easy to worry about all the ways things might not work out. It's even easier to let those fears completely control all your major decisions. However, sometimes, if you just let go you might find a whole new level of freedom. You might find that freedom creating empowerment and ownership for everyone in your agency. Beth DeLaForest, Owner of Aspire Insurance Group, talks about how she constantly tries to free her agency from traditional insurance norms. 

What would it look like if your entire agency was just a little more focused on one thing? It's often discussed but rarely done with complete dedication and execution. Could that focus be repeated over and over again to any and all producers who wanted to participate? It's possible the entire staff could be reshaped and structured to support this new deep dive approach to sell insurance.  Chris Beardslee, Executive Vice President at Allied Insurance Managers, talks about how serious his agency finding specalties.     

Sometimes, it really is hard to see the forest through the trees. That couldn't be more true when evaluating your own insurance career and agency. However, there's often a strong reluctance to introduce an outside perspective. Regardless of how you achieve a higher level of awareness, there are a few key areas you should look at. Miles Merwin, President and Founder of Advisors Insurance Agency, talks about the evolution his agency has gone through to maximize its potential.

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times.  Insurance gets easier when you can speak the language better than the next guy.  But did you ever think that fluency was more important than insurance knowledge and experience? Well, that's where things get interesting, and you might be surprised at how important talking the talk is with truckers.  Jeffrey Gordon, President at The Bayou Agency, talks about why the insurance is the insurance and how he's taking his transportation clients to the next level. 

What would you do if your first interaction with the industry was less than welcoming? It certainly wouldn't do much to increase your chances of sticking around and figuring things out.  But, if you can push past that initial discomfort, there's plenty of room to explore and grow across the industry.  Certainly, after all that, finding your place and calling it your own with comfort doesn't seem all that difficult.  Patience Noah, Owner of Patience Noah Insurance, talks about how she did just that and rebelled her way to a fulfilling career.    

No matter what, there's a good chance it was far from your first choice.  However, it probably remains pretty high on the list of decisions you've made that had the greatest impact.  The reality is far fewer people know this potential life-altering decision is even available.  Then the real question is, how do we make sure more people have a chance to make it?  Jarrad "Rod" Powell, Principal at Encore Insurance Group, talks about his journey to the industry and why he thinks everyone needs to consider having a license. 

It's hard to start an insurance agency from scratch, but it could be easier with a bit of help.  Then the challenge becomes finding someone who is willing and able to take the leap with you. It's not always easy to put yourself out there to find that person, but there are a few key things to look for.  Ultimately, it comes down to complementary skills and not letting your feelings get in the way.  Richard Brown, Partner at Centennial Insurance Group, talks about how was able to close the deal with his partner and keep things successful. 

There are a lot of ways to be good at selling insurance.  There aren't many that are focused on high-quality onboarding spanning the entire first year of a policy.  That might sound excessive and possibly unheard of, but magical things happen the more comfortable people get with your business.  It's easy to get someone to trust you once, and the second, third and fourth times are easier to earn with that solid foundation.  Patrick McBride, Founder and Agency Owner at The McBride Agency talks about his secret sauce creating that process. 

It's easy for a conversation about insurance to go off the rails.  There aren't many opportunities to talk about it and even fewer people who understand it.  That's why it's all too common to find yourself on the wrong end of an insurance therapy session with a new client. It's in that exact moment you need to take control of the conversation and let them know who's in charge.  Niki Henley, Owner of Extra Mile Insurance Solutions, talks about how quickly she sets ground rules and commands respect.  

For the longest time, you might have thought those two ideas were mutually exclusive.  That's because a lot of good personal lines agencies struggle to capture the same magic insuring businesses.  It's also true commercially dominant shops discount the power a healthy personal lines book possesses.  Either way, someone is missing out on an opportunity to have their insurance cake and eat it too.  Ben Rathbun, President of Rathbun Insurance, talks about how his agency keeps stays adequately focused on both sides of the industry. 

There's a lot to be said for just telling it like it is.  Direct and informative conversations dramatically improve customer experience regardless of who or what you're talking about. It might seem like an oversimplified solution, but as rates rise, so does frustration.  The fastest relief you can provide comes in the form of clarity.  Brian Blakely, Owner of Stonebridge Insurance, talks about the ways he keeps his clients calm during a troubling storm. 

It's possible you've been trying to find a way into the world of trucking and transportation business for years.  What if everything finally made sense, and you saw a clear path to quoting and binding consistent business?  The only thing that you've been missing is confidence in your knowledge and ability to execute.  The best news is, now you should have everything you need to squash any and all excuses.  Jeffrey Marks, Transporation Expert, talks about the best type of business to get started with and how you can efficiently close solid accounts. 

It's a common story that always comes with unique challenges.  But at its core, there's a limit to how long you can underserve your clients.  Because even if they don't know better, you certainly do, and rate increases taste different with nowhere to go.  That's when your path to independence might start to illuminate and a new customer experience takes form.  Ivan Hudson, Owner of the Ivan Hudson Agency, talks about his journey finding a place to stand on his own. 

The reality is, it takes a while to learn everything about insurance.  Even the word "everything" is usually only relative to the few lines of business you decided to sell. But once you've mastered your corner of the universe, you finally have time to envision what a better customer experience looks like. Now it simply becomes a matter of discovering the areas you can make the biggest impact.  Erin, Neill, Owner of Hanby Insurance, talks about the time she put in to get there and the first thing she did when she finally arrived.

Taking over a successful family agency comes with plenty of challenges.  The most important one at the top of the list is not screwing up the whole thing.  While that might be a broad and overwhelming notion, the fear of creating that reality is inescapable.  But what if the exact opposite happened instead and you grew the agency to a level no one could ever imagine?  Well, that's exactly what happened to Josh Morey, President of The J Morey Company and Chairperson of Ori-gen, during his first three years calling the shots. 

If you don't, you could end up building a business you don't want anymore.  That sounds silly to say, but you don't want to underestimate the importance of a simple job description.  That starts with approaching your agency's growth with a fairly intense level of intention.  Ultimately ending with a firm and detailed understanding of what "good enough" looks like.  Craig Lyndall, CEO of Lyndall Insurance, talks about his journey through the family agency and how he made sure to reach a desired destination.  

No matter what, you always have accounts that deserve more attention.  Most of the time, it's because standard markets don't have the time or appetite for that class of business.  Often times that class is justifiably riskier and extra caution should be taken.  However, that doesn't mean they need to tolerate a below-average exchange when it comes to finding coverage.  Laura Allen, RPS Southeast Region Vice President, talks about the challenges and opportunities you face targeting small and midsize contractors. 

It's the one commercial account you hate to love to write.  There's a certain level of "flying by the seat of your pants" that's built into a contractor's operation guidelines.  Which makes providing them insurance coverage a little more nerve-wracking than necessary. However, the faster you can move to keep up with them, the better your chances get.  Brendan Hanley, Director Binding P&C Product Line Leadership at Markel, talks about all the things you can do to increase your speed limit and success rate. 

Sometimes it's easy to miss when it's the last thing that needs to get done.  Of course, no one tries to dial up the ambiguity to create a major legal liability...  But, when it comes to serious, more complex claims, there is a decent chance that's exactly what will happen.  The best part is most of it can all be avoided if you stop and add one or two checks and balances to the process.  Jim Skarsynski, Chairman at Skarsynski, Marick & Black LLP, talks about why you might want to think twice before adding anything extra to a policy.   

It's easy to get distracted by what you think is missing from your agency.  It's even easier to allow those distractions to turn into excuses that justify maintaining the status quo.  When in reality, there's an entire dimension of maximization you haven't accessed inside your current tools.  But how beneficial would it be to develop super abilities with fairly common technology? Toni Jones, Vice President of Transportation Marketing at Palomar Insurance, talks about how she makes the most out of everyday situations.    

The transition to selling more commercial accounts is often easier said than done.  At some point, almost every personal lines focused agent has stated their desire to diversify their book.  More often than not, the status quo prevails, and business continues as usual.  What if you were just missing a few simple steps to finally make a meaningful transition into that commercial space? Jared Bellmund, Managing Partner at ALLCHOICE Insurance, talks about the route he took to leave his personal lines beginnings behind.

If it's available why not do everything you can to take it?  Maybe the only thing standing in your way is knowing what questions to ask.  Most of the time, it's not even the quality of the question that is the problem; it's simply having the courage to ask in the first place.  When you do, your agency is open to an entirely different level of progress.  Ashley DeCarteret, President of Harbor Brenn Insurance Agency, talks about her journey finding those answers. 

You could create too much separation in your customer experience if you're not careful.  Even with the best intentions, it's easy to get lost behind automation buildup and fancy insurance lingo.  All of which reduce your reliability to the people you need to feel related to the most.  Sometimes less is more and a simple stream of curiosity is all you need to keep the relationship growing.  Luis Leal, Owner of Leal Insurance Services, talks about how he's tried hard to make sure he's as close to his clients as needed. 

You might not realize it, but the insurance industry is a secret to a lot of people.  Unless you were born into it, there's a good chance you've never considered it a viable career option.  Which is even wilder considering the massive upside compared to the relatively low barrier to entry.  It appears, little by little, the secret is getting out and, hopefully, soon will consist of many more diverse layers.  Phyllis Brumfield, Owner of Brumfield Insurance Agency, talks about the mixture of talent she wants to attract to the industry. 

This is one of those special situations where one plus one might actually equal three.  It doesn't matter how many great people you bring into your agency if you can't train them to stay.  Your ability to transfer knowledge also greatly impacts how far outside the industry you can look.  When both of these skills function together at a high level is when you truly unlock your full potential.  Nikki Brandt, Owner of NB Talent, talks about the people she has helped find success in our industry. 

If you're always ahead of the curve it's hard to get left behind.  Of course, getting and staying ahead of any curve is much easier said than done. But with countless opportunities flooding the market your chances of separating from the pack have never been better.  Mix in having access to more detailed insights across the industry and you have a highly potent combination.   Mark Geoghegan, Host of "The Voice of Insurance" podcast, talks about the quality of information you have to attack new coverages. 

There's certainly nothing wrong with saying thank you, but maybe a little extra understanding could mean more. It's a notion you might not have naturally considered, but when you think about it make a lot of sense.  Nothing feels better than when someone understands who you are and where you're coming from.  That's often not the case when it comes to veterans making their way into the business world.  Brian Foley, RPS President of Personal Lines, talks about his journey to insurance and what we can do to help improve the path.   

What if this one conversation could reduce your client's cost of doing business?  What if it was also an area a lot of business owners overlook and plenty of agents don't talk about enough?  That's a dangerous combination that comes with a lot of opportunity attached to it.  You might be surprised just how many accounts you have that could use the extra coverage.  Brendan Neligan, RPS Broker and resident cargo expert, talks about all the ways you can strap down a cargo policy.  

Sometimes having a purpose just isn't enough.  It can certainly take you further than having a passing interest in your career.  But it's the speed to passion equation that really every agency owner should be trying to solve.  The faster you help them discover that passion the more likely they'll be to stay.  Dustyne Bryant, Personal Insurance Academic Director for The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research, talks about her journey through the industry and the impact finding her purpose had.  

There's always that one policy everyone needs but no one really wants to buy.  That could almost be said about any insurance policy on any given day.  That's why the insurance renewal process is such an amazing and underappreciated gift.  You always have another chance to get that less-than-desirable policy added to the stack.  Joel Cavaness, President of RPS, talks about how he approaches underserved areas and discovers potential new opportunities. 

It might all start with two activities you never thought to consider.  Because the simple idea of talent delineation is one often treated as a mild suggestion. It's generally only a matter of time before everyone does a little bit of everything inside an agency.  But maybe it's that amalgamation of skills that are holding you back in more ways than you can imagine.  Mick Hunt, CEO of Premier Strategy Box, talks about the distinctions you should be making around your revenue and your staff.   

It's long been said that this industry is built on relationships.  But what if the one skill you worked on the most during your career turned out to be the biggest liability?  It turns out, that the more transferable the relationships of your agency are, the more attractive (see valuable) it is to someone else.  The only thing you might want to do now is create a little more distance before it's too late.  Carey Wallace, Founder of Agency Focus, talks about the steps you should be taking now before you get ready to walk away. 

Things can get a lot easier when you stop selling and start serving.  Often times potential clients respond better when you lead with their best interests in mind.  While on the surface that might seem simple, it's not easy to put your passion for their interests on full display.  Because it's hard to consistently show up and build trust when there might not be anything in it for you that day.  Michael J. Vance, Advisor for Hundley Batts & Associates, talks about the communities he's constantly there for and how he tries to serve them. 

It's easy to get caught up in presenting a version of your agency that doesn't fully exist.  How could you not try to impress clients and potential carrier partners? They couldn't possibly be interested in the hard truth that currently exists in the business.  Or just maybe that transparency is just what everyone is looking for.   Adam Augspurger, Owner of Steadfast Insurance, talks about how he leans on the truth to set his agency free.  

It might seem like an oversimplification, but you'll never know until you try.  Because having a firm foundation cemented at the center of your agency makes doing the right thing a lot easier.  That concept is also a lot easier said than done and requires strong action to support those desires.  If you do you'll empower your people to always do what's best regardless of personal outcomes.  Christian Moore, Managing Director of The Real Good Group, talks about the process he went through creating that culture in his agency from the ground up. 

If you don't already feel like you belong it takes a lot of courage to find your place.  Slowly but surely the industry has been carving out more places people can feel comfortable.  The reality is it won't happen overnight, but it can be accelerated with better, more actionable, data.  However, the ultimate benchmark will be if/when we can stop talking about the diversity balance across the industry.  Margert Resce-Milkint, Global Insurance Practice Leader at Diversified Search Group, talks about her journey through insurance to help even the scales. 

At the end of the day, everything comes down to time.  That is your greatest enemy when it comes to scaling your insurance business.  There are only so many conversations you can have and applications you can complete in a day.  One of those is more important and probably deserves the bulk of your time.  Mike Levins, Head of Insurance at Counterpart, talks about how you can warm up to new ways to do more of the business you want. 

It's hard to feel lost when you always know what's going on.  However, making sure everyone is always informed is a challenge you might find easier said than done.  If you're being honest with yourself, your clients are paying you a premium for a reason... That extra communication might be the biggest one.  Andy Tomlinson, President of Tomlinson Insurance Agency, talks about he keeps the information flowing in his agency. 

The good news is most of the heavy lifting has already been done for you.  A global recondition over the last two years has helped customers break most of our industry's bad habits. Now the only thing we have to do is not allow an ounce of regression.  Instead, we have to try and carry as much momentum as we can forward. Precious Norman-Walton, Director of Underwriting for Harbor.ai, talks about the new expectations you should have when doing insurance work. 

Sometimes it's tricky approaching diversity in your agency. The fear of not wanting to do the wrong thing often gets in the way of doing anything.  The truth is you can, and most likely will make mistakes expanding your efforts.  The only thing that matters is to own them when you do and effectively communicate what went wrong.  Vanessa Sims, WSIA Director of DE&I, talks about what can be done to get the industry more comfortable with that idea. 

Sometimes you just have to do things the wrong way to make a difference for your clients.  Because you can't go wrong making sure everyone always understands their insurance.  It's that commitment that goes a long way to stand out against a profitable mindset.   In the end, it's the relationship that wins over and over again far outlasting any transaction formula.  Alvin Roehr, President and CEO of Roehr's Insurance Agency, talks about all the wrong things they do to find consistent success. 

There's something to be said for the way things have always been done.  Sometimes they're worth keeping and others require a much more objective examination.  It's not every day you allow yourself broad awareness to see the foundation of the agency through a different lens.  Often times the only way to get there is to take a hard step back and simply ask what's possible.  Meg McKeen, Founder of Adjunct Advisors, talks about the dynamics she's witnessed across the industry and which ones need to be on the top of the list. 

It all starts with your client's need to get serious about cyber prevention in their business. Those are the table stakes for today's coverage as companies struggle to keep up with the constantly evolving landscape of attacks. In some cases, it feels like it's no longer a matter of "if" but rather "when" your clients will have to deal with some form of a cyber threat.  As a result, policies can no longer be issued without serious efforts in place to create protection. Tim Foody, Area Senior Vice President, talks about the best ways to prepare your client's business to be eligible for the type of cyber coverage they need.  

It's always interesting to see a family come together around insurance.  Especially when that family was already involved in the industry on different sides.  The amount of courage it takes to create something on your own is enormous.   But sometimes it just takes a small investment in your community to survive circumstances you could have never fathomed.  Gigi Jean, Co-Founder of One Way Insurance, talks about the journey her family went on to build their own place in the business. 

If you have big dreams there's only one way to accomplish them.  It's by taking chances others around you are unwilling or unable to take.  Things really get interesting if you can aggressively collaborate with others around you. The combination of those two activities pave an accelerated path to your ultimate destination.  Ebens Jean, Co-Founder and CEO of One Way Insurance, talks about his journey through the industry and the risks he took to get here. 

It might not always be fancy or flashy, it just needs to work.  The real secret is finding comfort in those abilities knowing it's enough to just "do your job."  Because sometimes that's all it takes to create something that stands outs. A potent combination of confidence and effectiveness can probably take you further than you think.  Josh Witt, President of The Insurance Group, talks about his journey discovering his agency's true identity.     

It all starts with understanding the expectation you set for yourself and your agency.  Then it becomes a matter of accepting the fact people need you now in ways they never did before. Because sometimes it's just fine to let someone do something for themselves. Other times the only thing that matters is being able to talk to someone they trust.  Mike Crowley, Vice President at Crowley Insurance, talks about the process his agency went through to readjust and meet those needs.