5 Lessons Learned from Building a Top-Producing Agency
In 2018, an insurance agency wanted to become a top-producing Medicare health plan producing agency – not just in their market, but in the nation. Their goal was to grow in team size and their clients; they were determined to make that happen.
While they had a great year, it wasn’t always an easy ride. Becoming “unstoppable” meant never slowing down. They dove headfirst at their goals every day, and sometimes that got complicated.
However, during their after AEP self-appraisal in January, they looked back and recognized just how much they had learned over the past year. Here were their biggest lessons they are taking away from their top-producing year:
The right clients matter.
To be a top producing agent, they needed to focus on creating the right partnerships with the right people. This meant connecting with clients who they truly enjoyed working with and who they believed to value their time and services.
“When choosing clients to work with, look beyond just commissions. While commissions are important, if you’re overly stressed, underappreciated, or just can’t connect and close clients, you and your agents will burn out pretty quickly.”
Outline your “ideal” client (commonly referred to as target buyer, or preferred audience) and try to make connections that fit that image. However, remember to use this outline as a guide, not a checklist.
Solidify your brand.
Part of creating a top-producing agency meant growing an organization the agents were proud to show off. This meant getting all of the agency’s branding in order, including the messaging about who they were and what they wanted to accomplish (their mission statement.)
“Your agency needs to stand out in your market. Whether it’s in offering something new or taking a different perspective on insurance products, create your unique brand! Be sure to know what sets you apart from other insurance agencies too. Your brand should constantly evolve, create a solid foundation you can build on.”
Organization is key.
Nothing can slow an agency’s growth quite like disorganization. When you’re unsure of what projects or sales are due, where your deliverables are, or when you last communicated with a client, it’s difficult to make solid connections to move forward.
“I made organization a priority during our past year. My agents and I identified the tools and the partner we needed to develop a streamlined workflow and added automated systems where possible.”
Each agency will have different organization needs. Find the right apps, tools, processes, or partners and hold your team accountable.
Have an incredible team.
“One of our biggest goals for a top-producing year was to grow our agency. We recognized that having the right talent was important for growing the agency. For us, this meant encouraging our current agents to invest in advancing their skills, as well as recruiting new agents to help complete our agency.”
An agency’s group of agents has the power to make or break the success of your agency. To create a top-producing agency of your own, you need to find the right agents to join your team. Take a hard look at what kinds of agents you need on your team, as well as what skills can make your agency more efficient. Be smart about your recruitment efforts and be sure to show your appreciation.
Control your growth.
“When we first set our for our top-producing year, we were excited to get going! It was tempting to grow as quickly as we possibly could. However, we wanted to make sure our growth was sustainable. This meant controlling our growth and being smart about the projects, clients, and agents we brought on board.”
Remember not to get ahead of yourself when growing your agency. Focus on your long-term goals and timeline, not just what is right in front of you. To stay on track, set goals and intentions. Continuously check in on your goals to ensure you’re moving at the right pace.
“When 2018 started, we had no idea what was ahead. We knew being a top-producing agency in the nation was a lofty goal, but it was a challenge we were willing to take on. We’re excited about the accomplishments we made and look forward to continuing our progress in 2019, but knowing what I know now would have been a great help a year ago. It’s important to have the right partner in place. If it weren’t for Agent Pipeline’s support and pushing for us to utilize their marketing department and regional market managers – I don’t know that recruitment, brand development, or any of our dreams would have come to fruition.”
To learn more about how Agent Pipeline can help your agency grow to be one of the top producing agencies in the nation, give us a call. We can schedule a one-on-one consultation to discuss your agency’s culture, recruitment strategy, marketing efforts and help you develop a best-in-class agency building program that is unique to your goals. Call 800-962-4693 now!
