Introduction

I like to shop.  It’s a trait I take after my mother, whom I’m sure would go to Kohls with an IV in her arm, lying on a gurney if she had to.  But I digress, more importantly I love to sell.  I’ve sold sandwiches, groceries, clothes, bicycles, books, cars, lumber, lotions, (don’t ask) and insurance.  I haven’t liked everything I’ve sold, but I’ve sold just about everything. 

With 17 years under my belt selling I’ve seen the good and I’ve seen the bad, but mostly the bad.  That’s sad, because we live in a consumer based economy where nearly all of our day to day activities involve making some sort of a purchase and most “salespeople” fail to make simple connections.

When people ask me what I do for a living now I cringe.  I don’t cringe from embarrassment, but because most wouldn’t understand. You see, as an insurance sales rep I work with agency owners, producers, and CSRs to help them grow their business profitably. That entails helping them develop commitments, monitor loss results, and conducting product training.  Normally I reduce it to the most common denominator, I tell people I sell insurance.  To be fair, it’s what I do.

Although, if you work in an insurance agency, you probably refer to me and your other company reps as the “donut people.”   My position can be a very valuable asset for both the company and the agency! Unfortunately, all too often I see how the daily grind can weigh heavy as agents get lost in the monotony of taking phone calls, doing quotes, adding vehicles and collecting pay checks.  It can be a vicious cycle.

I want to change that.  I want to change the way agents think and act.  If we don’t make changes, the insurance industry won’t have much need for brick and mortar locations and a personal touch.  I say that because online and 1-800 competitors do well because they’re able to cut out what agents do!  If day to day monotony is all we offer then why not possibly save 15% by going direct?

My goal with this blog is to show you fundamental concepts and sound selling principles to transform your thought process and ultimately your sales.  I want to help you become  the next generation agent (NGA).  An NGA that will offer more than just a personal touch, but who will use those principles, create their personal selling process and present their customers a unique buying experience.  Agent 2.0 is the agent of the future!

I invite you to take this trip with me.  Subscribe to this blog and receive my new material every Wednesday.  Also, please feel free to leave comments and ask questions.  I welcome both.  Hopefully we can have some open dialogue where additional ideas could spawn future posts.