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, owner 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 is about finding specialties.

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.