Here are the facts in 2013 before you take the short quiz below:
 
• It cost more money now to acquire and keep a customer than it did 3 years ago;
• Auto insurance customers have more companies actively seeking their business than in the past and are constantly bombarded with "Shop for the cheapest rate" commercials;
• Homeowner insurance customers have higher rates, fewer companies competing for their business, and more underwriting guidelines to contend with;
• Technology has made it easier for a prospect to shop for insurance;
• Technology has made it easier for an agency to communicate with prospects and customers;
• Captive carriers are terminating what they consider to be under performing agents;
• The independent agencies are starting to see more production requirements imposed from companies they represent;
 
Why are so many agencies still doing business the same way they were 20, 10, even 5 years ago? Don’t they realize that if they don’t start to adapt to the changing landscape they will become extinct? Last I heard the dinosaurs were the largest creatures to ever walk the earth, and I don’t see any of them around anymore, so the "we are too big to fail" excuse might not hold water.
 
Who is holding the agency hostage when it comes to adapting and changing the technology, conversations, and marketing you use in your agency?
 
• Is it the agent that goes to a workshop and hears great ideas and then sits on those ideas and never shares them with the staff members?
• Is it the staff member that refuses to change the way they are doing things and continues to try and compete on price and "apples to apples" comparisons?
• Is it lack of financial planning on the part of the agent and now there isn’t enough money to do what the big agencies do?
• Is it the overall culture of the agency to be content with minimum standards and minimum production
 
Here is a short quiz that will help you determine who (or whom) is holding the agency hostage: We will measure the number of yes answers.
 
Q1. Does the agency follow a daily tasks schedule or at a minimum set aside two hours per day to concentrate on "Green Time" tasks? (Green Time = tasks that produce sales or increases retention)
Q2. Does the agency have set processes in place to communicate with customers and to recycle prospects?
Q3. Does the agency use social networking, text messaging, or QR Code marketing campaigns?
Q4. Does the agency use other business professionals, agency campaigns, and social networking campaigns to drive referrals?
Q5. Does the agency have at least 10 in-house and 10 outside of agency prospecting and marketing processes working?
Q6. Does the agency have daily role play on processes and conversations that will help increase new sales, cross-sells, and up-sells?
Q7. Does the agency have local business referral partners and a customer referral program that is actually driving 8 – 10 new sales to the agency per month?
Q8. Has the agency doubled or tripled the geographic area that they normally market to in the last 3 years?
Q9. Has the agency doubled or tripled the amount of quotes it does monthly compared to 3 years ago?
Q10. Does the agency have a dedicated marketing assistant that understands and implements the 20 agency tasks a marketing assistant should be involved in?
 
 
Okay, let’s look at the results:
 
• 8 – 10 yes answers = The agency is doing a very good job! Keep it up
 
• 5- 7 yes answers = The agency is doing well, but could definitely improve. Usually at this point it is the staff that keeps the agency from adding any new processes
 
• 2 – 4 yes answers = The agency is not doing well and usually it is a combination of the agent not being actively involved in the growth of the agency, and staff not being committed to growing the agency. There is probably a complacency issue
 
• Under 2 yes answers = The agency is in trouble! If you are a captive agent you can rest assured you on the radar as an under performing agent. If you are an independent agency, you are missing out on the money you should be making.

So now I have identified the problem how can I help?
 
Visit our website at www.inspireanation.org
and check out the Agency Mentoring memberships and resources we can provide to you. We have helped 100’s of “ready to make a change” agencies take their agency to new heights.
 
Need more validation? Read some of our comments and testimonials: http://inspireanation.org/testimonials