Think of the Dallas Cowboys. They finished first in the NFC in total defense this year, but since they were one of the leagues worst offensive teams, they were bounced from the playoffs in the first round.

Insurance agencies are no different. An agencys defense is its customer service. Many agencies we encounter possess a world-class defense, with client retention rates in the mid-to-high 90s. These are agencies with well-trained, technically-astute professionals who rarely allow a competitor to take away a client.

However, in terms of offensewhich for an agency is proactive new business developmentthey themselves dont know how to score. Sure, they can occasionally score when an opponent slips up and fumbles on the goal line, but in terms of consistent new-business production, they simply arent built for it. They lack the personnel, and they lack a game plan.

Leveraging impact players is the key to success on offense. There are two nearly-universal characteristics of great offensive teams: 1) they have one or more impact players, and 2) they find a way to get the ball in the impact players hands early and often.

Over the past decade, salaries for top players have skyrocketed as teams have recognized that a championship team cannot be built around middle-quality talent, particularly at the skill positions, such as running back, that are depended upon for scoring touchdowns. When a team steps up and spend tens of millions of dollars for a superstar running back, his coach wont then squander his talent by keeping him on the sidelines or asking him to play defense.

Producers are an insurance agencys impact players. Every NFL coach knows the “gold standard” of performance for a great running back is to average 100 yards per game over the course of the 16 game season. This year, as a group, the top 25 percent of the NFLs starting running backs achieved this time-honored benchmark.

What was the comparable “gold standard” of performance for commercial property-casualty producers? The accompanying table provides Best Practices Benchmarks for the industrys top salespeople.

How are these impact players achieving such outstanding results? Aside from the obvious (they work hard!), they are properly equipped, and they are surrounded by a supporting cast of professionals and organizational resources capable of freeing them to spend time selling.

Interestingly, the Best Practices Study indicates that despite their already huge books of business, these producers consistently spend more than one-third of their time on new-business development. The importance of this point cannot be overstated. No matter what size your agency, freeing your producers to spend more time selling will probably have more to do with your future success than any other single factor.

Championship teams have leadership capable of inspiring teamwork, even when enormous egos are involved. Two coaches who seem to be particularly effective in managing the egos of impact players are Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells. Both coaches have won two Super Bowls, and their success has been due in large part to their ability to get the big-name, big-ego players functioning as team members.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden demonstrated their understanding of this necessity when they shocked the NFL with the mid-season firing of star receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who had become a disruption to the team. It was a gutsy move, but one that will likely pay off as other players (both current and future) recognize the organizations determination to build a true team.

Likewise, Best Practices agencies dont shy away from hiring superstars, but what makes them successful is their ability to get people working together as a team. An impact player producer is ultimately only as good as the support team they rely upon, and the best ones recognize it. We have encountered numerous agencies over the years that have simply not had the determination or the guts to deal with their Keyshawn Johnsons. Over time, these individuals take a toll on an agency far greater than the value they bring to it.

In light of the similarities noted above, it isnt all that surprising that many Best Practices agencies are stocked with former athletes who thrive on competition. They hate to lose and despise the notion that “just being in the game” is enough.

They love competing against those who arent as committed to winning as they are. As age has caught up with them, theyve been forced to trade in their cleats for a briefcase. However, although their “playing field” has changed, the thrill of winning never gets old.

Kevin Stipe is a senior vice president and principal of Reagan Consulting Inc., an Atlanta-based management consulting firm that developed and produces the “Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America Best Practices Study,” which may be accessed free of charge at Reagan Consultings Web site, www.reaganconsulting.com. Mr. Stipe may be reached at (404) 233-5545 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, January 30, 2004. Copyright 2004 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.