Let's get the obvious out of the way first.
Every (healthy) business has to have consistent top-line growth. However, we often see agencies/producers get complacent, comfortable with their level of income, and as a result, they stop producing new business.
Beyond the obvious top/bottom line impacts, here are some of the other reasons why consistent new business is critical for the health of your agency/book of business.
Energy
What we do is hard. To do it well requires energy. Celebrating new business brings that energy, the fuel to keep performing at a high level. Sure, renewing an existing account is worthy of celebration, but celebrating "not losing" isn't nearly as fun as celebrating a new win. New business validates that what we have to offer continues to be attractive to the market.
Keep the vultures from circling
Like a lion stalking a herd of zebras, the competition will always target the weakest prey. If you're not aggressive in the market, you will appear weak and vulnerable and quickly become the target of more aggressive competitors.
Relevance to carriers
Carriers are going to commit their resources (and favors) to those agencies/producers who are most aggressive in the market.
Ability to invest
Just because revenues aren't increasing, doesn't mean expenses aren't. If revenue is flat, it's safe to assume profit margins are going to shrink and our ability to invest in new technology, solutions, etc. is lost. Now, not only are you not moving forward, you're moving backward.
Attract/retain talent
Aggressive, high-octane talent does not want to be working for complacent, "sit on what we got" employers.
Animosity
Even when producers choose to stop producing, everyone else still has to do their job. There is probably no greater source of problems in an organization than when one group is held accountable for results while another isn't.
Opportunities for other team members
This is closely aligned with an inability to invest. Without growth, non-producer team members are limited in both their personal and income growth opportunities.
Momentum is hard to regain once lost
It's infinitely easier to maintain momentum than it is to regain it once its lost. That's especially true in today's world where selling gets harder and more complex every day. Not only is not okay to back off of our sales efforts, we have to push a little harder every day just to keep up.
In the end, consistent selling is about making a positive impact on the bottom line. However, it also leaves a lot of positive marks along the way.
Photo by jeffery wright.
