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As I travel home from keynoting the Hawksoft Conference, I reflect on the conversations I have had during the past three days. There are so many amazing people and insurance agents who are looking to change, adopt new technologies, and add processes to make their agency better. However, before we pursue change, things first have to change within the independent insurance agent space.
First and foremost, each and every insurance agency must have a marketing budget, without a marketing budget we are stunting our agency’s growth. Marketing is the key to selling your brand, sharing your services, and standing out among the bigger insurance companies.
Secondly, we must reinvest back into our agency. Reinvest into your agency by hiring a sales coach, bring aboard a processes and procedures consultant, and make sure to get an agency brand guide. We must take less out out of our agency, and put more into our agency’s website and marketing efforts.
Thirdly, we must get behind companies like Hawksoft, who support and listen to what independent insurance agents need. At the Hawksoft Conference, I saw 500+ insurance agents being listened to by the owners of Hawksoft, and being asked what more needs to be done to help everyone progress forward. It was an eye opening experience, and I’m seriously considering changing my management systems to Hawksoft because they care!
Fourthly, we must be focused on our agency’s culture. Everyone of us has the same issue- we are looking to add great teammates, but we are struggling to find them. Well, if you focus on having a great culture within your agency, your current teammates will find other great people to work with you. Company culture matters, so invest in it.
Lastly, we must embrace technology. Buying habits of consumers are rapidly changing, and the internet is giving them more purchasing power than ever before. We must invest in technology because it is the key to helping independent insurance agents to compete against the direct writers.
Change can be scary for many insurance agents, but we cannot progress by sitting still.
