Are we that committed to our craft?

Fortunately or unfortunately, the insurance industry has been built on sales. Rare is the agency owner who came up through the back office of the business. Most owners were, and are, successful producers–and therein lies the problem. We of the sales mentality tend to be a messy lot. Just ask any CSR who has to clean up the debris in our wake.

Our discipline is sometimes lacking, unless we are under the gun of a deadline or the immediate need to generate revenue. We celebrate the sales victories, but don't really pay attention to the prospecting until the pipeline is dry. Then we scramble to fill the pipeline with more prospects. In our successes, we frequently begin taking shortcuts, until our closing ratios drop and we force ourselves back to the basics upon which our success had been built. When financial difficulties arise, our answer is to sell ourselves out of the problem, rather than address the cause of the problem. We tend to visualize ourselves as riding a roller coaster rather than cruising a highway.

If my disparaging remarks–which definitely apply to me as well–haven't caused you to move on to a different article, we need to find a place to start refining our personal disciplines. Because the topic of success disciplines could fill a book, let's focus on the areas of skill development, mental focus, awareness and communication. Whether applied to an individual producer or to an organization, these are the four critical cornerstones in constructing a solid foundation for success.

Skill development

Think back to the last time you attended a sales seminar or training workshop. The attendees usually break down into several categories:

• The “new” producers who were eager to soak up everything that they could learn. They generally have some trepidation about starting a new career, show a hunger to learn and have lots of questions for the instructor.
• The “old” producers who really didn't want to be there because they already know the answers. They drift in and out of consciousness during the presentation and only seem alert when challenging the instructor in an attempt to show that they know more than the teacher.
• The “successful” producers. Regardless of their experience, they are excited to learn new skills and sharpen old ones. They listen attentively, respond appropriately and are willing to share their strengths, weaknesses and experiences for the benefit of the class and themselves.

Successful producers know the value of education, as well as the need for motivation. These are the people who schedule themselves for one sales training or reinforcement class every year, as well as at least one motivational presentation. They also are avid readers of business books to maintain a personal culture of improvement and a better understanding of their clients and prospects.

How much are you (or your agency) investing into skill development?

Mental focus

Again, this is a huge topic, so let's keep it simple and discuss our scheduling. Without my day, week, month and year calendar in front of me, along with my daily to-do list that I write out at the end of each day, I would quickly lose my focus and concentration. These things keep me on task.

However, look at the daily calendar of most sales people. The only items listed are usually appointments with clients or prospects. Because what isn't scheduled doesn't get done, what about scheduling time on your calendar for such things as prospecting, marketing, reviewing of pertinent material, discussions with support staff and even time for recreation and rejuvenation? These are the foundations of our success, yet we seldom actually schedule time to do them. It's more of a “catch as catch can,” and that leads to distraction and procrastination. Plus, use your to-do list to specify the actual actions to be taken during each of these time slots.

Finally, take some time in the morning to center on yourself and focus on the upcoming day. Look at your schedule and your priority list, then visualize how the day will proceed. Every great athlete knows the power of visualizing successful outcomes, yet most of us fail to use such proven methods, which results in projection of fear rather than visualization of success.

Awareness

This is primarily the people factor in success. Are you maintaining an awareness of what's happening with your clients, your prospects, your co-workers and your community? Do you reply quickly and appropriately to their concerns and issues? Do you take time to let a client know how much you value them? What about your co-workers? A “nice job” and a “thank you” go a long way in enhancing the relationship.

As for community, most of us are pretty good in this regard and our industry generally excels in giving back–not just in financial donations, but more importantly the donation of our time and talents to help others. Remember, when we put others first, success is sure to follow.

Communication

Another complicated topic that we're going to boil down to two words: expectations and sensitivity. We live in a world of speed. Therefore, speed has become an expectation. People, including ourselves, do not do very well waiting for answers. When we want something, we want it now. So why should our clients and prospects expect anything less? Whether it is a phone call from a client, an e-mail from a prospect or an inquiry from our website, speed in reply is of the essence. Successful people do not end their day until all correspondence has been processed.

The sensitivity factor involves that concept of putting others before ourselves. For instance, we may prefer to communicate by e-mail because it is quick and easy. That's fine, but the real question is, what is the preferred method of communication of your client or prospect? Our job is to ask their preference and then discipline ourselves in communicating via their favored method, not ours.

Just the beginning

The disciplines of success are many and varied. Although we've only touched on a few of the basics, we have to start somewhere and the basics are still the best place for new beginnings. As you master them and make discipline a part of your life, advanced traits will continue to surface to further your journey
into success.

Related: Read “You think you hired a superproducer. What's next?”

Successful prospecting goes beyond the numbers game

“Producers: Plan or perish”