Agency Blog

At the core of what we do at Q4intelligence is what most would describe as sales training. We work with producers and the broader team to take more effective conversations to their prospects and clients.

I’m guessing sales training has been around since the first caveman wheel salesman (no gender equality in the workplace back then, I’m sure) tried to scale in order to meet the growing need/demand for the product. I’m also guessing it wasn’t long after that when the first sales trainee grunted, “Zog no need sales process. Zog sell wheel many years."

Even though I’ve worked my entire career in insurance either as a producer or with producers and agency owners, it’s been a while since I was a producer myself. It’s amazing how much has changed during that time.

• Back then, we actually called one another instead of texting.
• Healthcare reform meant a failed attempt by Hillary.
• The only Kardashian we had ever heard of had been part of O. J. Simpson’s “Dream Team” (I really miss that part of the good ol’ days)

The insurance industry has two very distinct types of sales people. Back when health insurance was affordable, selling group policies was the norm for the benefits broker. As regulations and expenses have both risen to new heights, the ideas, advice, and outcomes employers need have also risen to new heights. And the way brokers and consultants work with clients must rise along with it.

And inside-the-agency perspective from our long-time Q4iNetwork member, Bret Brummitt. 

Being an insurance agency owner has been one of the greatest journeys you have likely embarked on. You have felt the immediate financial reward for doing a good job and you’ve been able to impact the lives of your clients in profoundly positive ways during their times of distress and turmoil. There are few professions that let you experience that combination punch of intrinsic and altruistic rewards simultaneously.

I know many salespeople are afraid of challenging the thinking of their prospects and clients. They are afraid of telling them what they need to hear, but don't really want to hear. They are afraid of having uncomfortable conversations.

Why are salespeople so afraid of challenging their prospect’s and client’s thinking?

Simple. They lack sales confidence.

Same as everyone, I receive a lot of emails. Many of them are unsolicited, which in itself isn’t necessarily a problem. People are trying to develop their businesses. I get that.

What is a problem though, is when senders use outright lies in the emails or become rude and harassing. I’ve been collecting examples so I can share the garbage approaches that people use to try and earn new business.

You may not know it by its name, “Jacked Up," but you have probably seen the State Farm commercial. It’s the one where one guy is having a horrible day (finding his car stripped in the parking lot), while a young lady has the day of her life (finding her new car in the driveway). It’s a very clever look at how the same words can have entirely different meanings.

There are a lot of employers out there having really bad, “my car has been stripped” kind of days as they meet with their traditional benefits broker to receive the inevitable bad news.

And what I keep hearing is that this year’s “suck factor” is especially high.

We all know the first rule of investing in our retirement future: pay ourselves first. It's sound advice. Put aside some money every pay period into saving and investments to ensure a financially successful future.

How many of your lives would be easier if you simply had more day-to-day help? And, how many of you would sign up in a heartbeat if that day-to-day help didn’t cost you anything? I know, a no-brainer right?