There is an amazing group of people who make the decision to start their own business or accept a job that is paid exclusively by commissions.  There is no guaranteed income, only the possibility that if they work smart and hard, they have an unlimited potential to earn income.  Who in their right mind would take this path?   Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2015, 10.1 % of all U.S. workers were self-employed and in that group belongs that crazy person with a job title of insurance producer.  Whether they work as an independent agent or work for a company or agency, they accept a job that compensates them only when they place business.  And to add to the craziness, the insurance producer works in an industry heavily regulated by the government resulting in unpredictable changes. Wow!  How does an agent continue down a career path that has so many stops?   Increasing premiums Decreasing commissions Open enrollment Constantly changing products and rules Cyber security Economic downturns Government regulations I would first like to say how much I respect that person who accepts a career where they [...]

As an insurance agent, not a day goes by that I don’t think, “Insurance is nothing but a giant pain in the ….”  And there are so many problems, starting with plans that have increasingly high deductibles, limited networks, enrollment problems, premium payment issues, and claims issues. Guess what?  These problems are why agents are vital to the insurance industry.  If it was easy, our services would not be required. Also, finding a client’s problem, issue or pain, can result in sales.  Let’s become the resource that your client wants to use to fix their insurance pain. How do you find the pain?    Who is the decision maker? When prospecting for a new group, one of the first things you want to do is find out who the decision maker is and then establish something you may share in common.  Communicate in a way that the decision maker will want to talk with you. Ask about the children’s pictures on the desk. Commiserate on the Chicago Bears quarterback situation when you see the Bears Schedule posted on the board. Reminisce on your favorite muscle car story with [...]