Insurance in your Words

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.