Advertise on podcast: Change Insurance

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.