Agency Nation Radio
671 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★ - 44 ratingsAgency Nation is the leading digital publication helping insurance professionals dominate marketing, sales and technology in the modern marketplace.
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Episodes
What Holds You Back The Most
April 26, 2018 07:30 - 21 minutes - 29 MBIs the lack of trust and respect you have for making sure people know you're an expert. If there's one thing you should be doing on the internet for your agency, it's distributing your insurance brain to as many people in as many places as you can. When you're done with that you should feel good about it because too many of us are worried insurance isn't "cool" enough. Just stop it, it is and so are you so let's all do something about. That's what I talk to Becky Tay...
Passing the Torch: How to Recruit the Next Generation of Insurance Professionals
April 25, 2018 07:30 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBIf you want to build a business and avoid becoming a slave to your agency, you have to find the next generation of agents. This has to be one of the most important things you do over the next five, 10, 15 or 20 years. You really don't have a choice, because this year alone one out of every four agents will be retiring. It's up to you to make sure that next wave of agents knows how to properly help people plan for the day they don't want to think about. That's what Ry...
How It All Works Faster
April 24, 2018 07:30 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBIs by making sure you always know who needs to do what, when. Because when you do, you'll limit the amount on enthusiasm you kill delaying progress. The longer you make something take, the less that will get done. This is also true if you're always trying to do more than you can handle. That's what I talk to Dani Kimble, at The O'Neill Group, about as she tries to figure out how fast her process can work. P.S. If you're not subscribed, I'm going to take a guess and...
The Family Tie is Hard to Cut
April 23, 2018 07:30 - 12 minutes - 17.3 MBFor whatever reason we like to sell insurance with people who normally have the same last name. It's all possible we just suffer from some undiagnosable form of mental illness to prefer to do business this way. Or there could be unexplainable benefits to selling insurance with the people you also spend the holiday's with. Because this behavior is so common, it's also hard to walk away from, especially if you already stepped in. That's what I talk with Patrick Muscent...
How Long Should You Wait for Your SEO?
April 21, 2018 07:30 - 14 minutes - 20.2 MBI doubt that you are, because it's really hard to keep doing something you don't think is working. Not to mention you could've have missed something and waited all that time for nothing... Doesn't SEO sound great? Guess what though, if you can survive all of that, you'll be rewarded with a constant stream of leads that never runs dry. Well, I mean if you don't keep up appearances it will eventually stop flowing. That's what TrustedChoice.com SEO master Nyssa Lieder a...
Woody Brown: The Origin of a Creative Insurance Agent
April 20, 2018 07:30 - 56 minutes - 77.9 MBIt's hard to capture and even harder to recreate, now matter what it's dangerous inside your agency. The truth is, it's so rare to find most agencies don't know what's possible if they had it. That thing, of course, is creativity and the lack of it found within the industry. That's why when someone comes in from the outside, seemingly having no business being here, blazes a trail no one's seen before. That's the creative firestorm that is Wood Brown and the reason Ry...
The Power of Video Gear
April 19, 2018 07:30 - 19 minutes - 26.6 MBIs so out of control if you realized what's possible you'd spend threes times more. The problem is the mindset you approach the purchase with. That is it's something that isn't really necessary and ineffective. That mindset is easy to have not knowing or seeing the full potential effective video marketing can have on your agency. If you could you would have wished you made that investment years ago and even think it's a bargain for the business it delivers. That's wh...
Breaking Customer Inertia with Jeremy Hallett
April 18, 2018 07:30 - 41 minutes - 57.6 MBAre you brave enough to actually do the things you wish could be done different? It seems like everyone loves to play armchair InsurTech CEO these days, but actually making it on the field is entirely different. That first step is much easier when you have people with the level of intensity walking on each side. It's that team of people that will help finish your idea and bring it into reality. That's what Ryan talks to Jeremy Hallett, CEO of Hallett Financial and Qu...
When Should You Hire the Next Person?
April 17, 2018 07:30 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBThe better question is, what should they actually be doing? Because if you think you need a person, there's a good chance that you actually need a person. What isn't so obvious is the type of work this person will be doing and seeing if it can be found elsewhere, cheaper. If you don't figure out the answer to those questions before brining someone new into your agency, that might be a problem. That's what I talked to long time guest Mike Crowley, of Crowley Insurance...
How Does An Extra $40,000 A Year Sound?
April 16, 2018 07:30 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MBThe only thing you have to do to get it is ask the people you're already selling. Sounds a little too good to be true, right? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. If you're knocking down 10-15 personal home and auto policies every week, you just need to close one final expense policy to do it. Now, if you're one of those P&C guys that swore off life insurance years ago, this sale should get you back at the table. That's what I wanted to talk to my new friends Mike Quaranta a...
Why We Win (And You Don't)
April 15, 2018 07:30 - 4 minutes - 5.52 MBIs because of a creative culture that won't stop. Culture Tough to pin down. Easy to dismiss. Yet, Culture. As ethereal concept as it may be… is Paramount to victory. Because culture… unlike any other aspect of your business... ...is the psychological manifestation of the soul of your business. You can’t fake it. Culture is honest, candid and true. ...and it all boils down to this. You care… or you don’t. Not that you care about your business… of course ...
The Alternative to Lazy Hiring
April 14, 2018 07:30 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBIf you wait until you need someone to figure out who you're going to hire, you've already lost. The chances of you finding the absolute best person for that position in a two week time span is near impossible. The big question is, why aren't you always looking for the next person you're not sure you'll need? Because if you are you'll always have the highest quality candidate ready to fill a hole or take on a new position. That's what Ryan, Sydney and I talk about tod...
Your Website Has Only Two Tenths of Second
April 13, 2018 07:30 - 47 minutes - 65.5 MBThere's a good chance you might not even be able to ante up to today's table stakes of digital presentation. Today's consumer expects to find so much information that you might not be giving them. It's move beyond just a phone, email and website. They expect real tangible things to be delivered to the through a digital experience in the form of education and communication. If your agency isn't actively trying to meet those consumers where they are at, you'll have a har...
Let's Stop Losing $250,000 Accounts Together
April 12, 2018 07:30 - 16 minutes - 23.2 MBIf we all work together this is something we won't have to worry about anymore. Alright fine, yes you'll obviously still be able to lose a big account to another agent. However, if we all get our act together it won't happen because someone didn't do their job right or people hate insurance. I know it sounds a little far fetched already, but I'm pretty sure if everyone comes together from all sides of the industry we can make it happen. That's what I talk to Nancy Ni...
Professional Video for Professionals Made Easy with Greg Rollett
April 11, 2018 07:30 - 40 minutes - 55.3 MBSometimes it pays to look your best when clients need you the most. There are so many aspects to creating a video "that works" it's impossible to execute them all. Sure, eventually you might get there, but that's 12 months and 40 videos later. The faster you can be authentically good on camera, the sooner the world will open up to you and your business. That's what Ryan talks to Greg Rollett, Founder of Ambitious.com, about why he wants to help you do it. If you wa...
How Should You Rebuild Your Agency?
April 10, 2018 07:30 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MBDo you go after a veteran that's been around the league and knows how to win now or build for the future? Figuring out this simple question alone, is one insurance agents have been struggling to answer for at least a decade. Most of the time what ends up happening is experience is over-valued and everyone discounts what the game looks like through new eyes. That's why I talked to Bogus Handzle, of Handzle and Associates, to figure out what's best for his agency. P.S....
Stop Saying No to Improve Customer Service
April 09, 2018 07:30 - 26 minutes - 37.1 MBThe more you pay attention to what you say, the better your client will feel. When you hear someone say no your brain treats it the same as physical pain. Sounds crazy, but that's probably not what you want your customers feeling when they're on the phone with your agency. It's amazing how simple it can be to dramatically change the experience your clients have just by being positive and giving them useful alternatives. That's what Sydney Roe and I talked to Matt Woo...
What Score Would Your Leads Get?
April 06, 2018 07:30 - 23 minutes - 32.4 MBThis is definitely the easiest way to figure out what leads you need to pay attention to. The tricky part is making sure you've given them enough to do to be able to figure it out. If not, there's no way you'll ever know who your biggest fans are and which leads want to talk to you the most. Sydney Roe turns the tables on me at the dinner table to talk about the process I went through to give my leads a score. P.S. No joke, we have less than 40 tickets left for Eleva...
Everyone's Name Can't Be on the Door
April 05, 2018 07:30 - 20 minutes - 27.7 MBUnless you want to buy a really big door that knows how to handle it. It's never easy finding the right people for your agency. It's even harder when they will never care about your business as much as you do. It's impossible and expecting anything else is just asking for trouble. That's what I talked with Nick Ayers, at i80 Insurance and IAOA, about as he shares his struggles. P.S. Nick is going to be speaking at Elevate if you want to experience the real deal. ...
I.C.E.C.R.E.A.M. for Business Leaders with Billy Williams
April 04, 2018 07:30 - 1 hour - 84.7 MBMost business leaders are pretty good at the skills their actual job requires. That means you are usually above average at selling insurance, but those skills rarely translate into being a good business leader. The crazy part is, controlling just a few core aspects within your business will dramatically improve those skills. Those 8 core principles are: Income Covering Weakness Ego, Emotion, Expectations Communication Relationship Education Asking Questions Me...
How Easy is Your Communication?
April 03, 2018 07:30 - 17 minutes - 23.6 MBAre you making sure the people that want to talk to you can do it without thinking twice about it? The easier it is for people to talk to you and you talk to them, the better you'll be. If every interaction is a struggle of epic proportions for you and them you'll have wasted a lot of everyone's time. Having the proper systems and segmentation in place is vital to making sure that doesn't happen in your agency. That's what I talk to Ryan Anderson, or Columbia Insuran...
Let's Make Insurance Simple (Part 2)
April 02, 2018 07:30 - 24 minutes - 33.8 MBWhat if it only took two minutes and four questions to complete a commercial insurance application? Would that sound like a much simpler insurance world to live in? Would you also have a much easier time presenting certain coverage to potential clients? These are borderline redundant questions that are a dramatic improvement from what you have probably been doing. The best part is that it is actually a reality available to you right now and one that you should seriousl...
Let's Make Insurance Simple (Part 1)
March 31, 2018 07:30 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBWe're not focused on the person that writes the check, if we don't start they won't be writing it much longer. When you think about it, it's amazing we've been able to get away with it this long. This is the type of focus, mindset and passion that's needed to move the needle and actually do something about it. Because simplicity is really hard and what we currently have is anything but simple. In fact, you might be able to go as far as calling it lazy with the weight...
Ryan Walter on Leaders Following Leaders
March 30, 2018 07:30 - 39 minutes - 54.9 MBThere's no room for followers or blame within a successful organization. If your leading the agency your people will emulate your energy, so it better be good. If not, you might have just discovered whats been quietly holding you back. It's your job to get as many people above the line as possible so they can hit their goals and as a result, so will the agency. That what Ryan wanted to talk to former NHL player and coach, Ryan Walter about his experience leading lead...
Bring Value Without Asking
March 29, 2018 07:30 - 15 minutes - 21.3 MBIf you do, you stand a much better chance when some needs to remember your name. In order to do that, you have to have a solid process in place that believe in blindly to success. It's that level of dedication most agents lack and ultimately why they never see results. That what I talk to Woody Brown, of The Rhoads Group, as he tries to figure out his. P.S. Woody is going to be speaking at Elevate 18, that means you should definitely be there.
Why Marcus Sheridan Believes in Video Marketing
March 28, 2018 07:30 - 54 minutes - 74.8 MBIt's pretty simple actually, it gains trust faster so you can spend more time selling. Why wouldn't you want prospects to be able to hear, see and know you before you do? Video give you the ability to reach into organizations and audiences you never would expect to be watching. The secret is, everyone is and not many people (see agencies) are giving them anything to watch. That's what Ryan talks to Marcus Sheridan, Owner at IMPACT, about his belief in the power of vi...
What is Agency Nation?
March 27, 2018 07:30 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MBIt's very possible you might have no idea, even if you do, it will still be fun. This is by far one of the most popular questions I get from people who are just getting to know our company. Which is fine, it's a completely fair question and it's possible we don't make the answer as obvious as it should be (we're working on that). At the end of the day if we can help you find your insurance flag and plant it somewhere worthwhile we'll consider that a job well done. Th...
Be Intentional With Your Insurance Career
March 26, 2018 07:30 - 19 minutes - 26.5 MBIf you're not then you could find yourself stuck somewhere you don't want to be. That place could be filled with many different adjectives all describing a less than desirable location. If you don't approach what you want to do and where you want to do it with enough intention, you could definitely get there. That's what I talked to my buddy Patrick Muscenti, of McGown Insurance, about what it took him to figure out his. P.S. Elevate 18 is almost here, you should com...
Empowering Women With the Flexibility of Insurance
March 24, 2018 07:30 - 13 minutes - 18.4 MBIt's definitely a better option than the traditional ones that closely resembling a pyramid. Because legitimate business opportunities with high ceilings and flexible hours are hard to come by. A career in insurance isn't always the first idea that comes to mind when you think about all those things. That's what Janine Fixmer, owner of Agency Insurance, wants to make sure everyone knows about. P.S. A lot of big thinking agents like Janine hangout in Agency Nation Uni...
The Sales Reality You Intentionally Ignore with Anthony Iannarino
March 23, 2018 07:30 - 51 minutes - 70.1 MBNo matter what you're doing to create opportunities for your business, you still have to pick up the phone and call someone. What temperature that person is at the time of the call is up to and will depend on how much work you already put in. All that work does is give you a chance to care more about that persons problems than anyone else. That's what closes business and turns your mediocre sales career into an extraordinary one. That's why Ryan needed to talk to Ant...
Stop Trying to Do Everything
March 22, 2018 07:30 - 18 minutes - 25 MBWhat really ends up happening is there's a lot that doesn't get done. We've finally made it to a place where "not getting it done" is an option. Someone in your agency needs to be doing something to make sure people know who you are when you are not around. If not, someone else will diffidently be there for them and tell them everything they need to know. That's what I talk to Becky Taylor, Marketing Manager at Ohio Insurance Agents Association, about the thing agent...
Your Title Doesn't Make You a Great Leader
March 21, 2018 07:30 - 59 minutes - 81.2 MBJust because you could sell a policy better than everyone else doesn't mean you'll be great at making other people do it. It's a sobering fact for sure, that your skill doing "the thing" has absolutely nothing to do with teaching it. Really it might be a liability more than anything, because part of that success could have been a result of natural skill others lack. If you're unable or unwilling to close that awareness gap you won't find many people following you anywh...
Find a Way to Improve Your Culture
March 20, 2018 07:30 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBI definitely don't see enough of either across the board in the industry. Your ability to find a way around any challenge or obstacle is something that will set you miles a part. Combine that with an ability to make decisions on purpose about how your agency does things and most people won't know how to act. That's how crazy important both are and the power you'll possess if you combine them. I talked to my good friend Dani Kimble, at The O'Neill Group, how she found...
A Secret Call With a Millennial Agency Owner
March 19, 2018 07:30 - 31 minutes - 42.8 MBIt doesn't get much more behind the scenes then this. We cover it all, video proposals, virtual assistant outsourcing, blogging, referral partner networking and even advanced Facebook marketing. If you want to know how all of these ideas are being approached inside a millennial husband and wife owned agency then today is your lucky day. Sydney Roe and I surprised Nicole Johns, of The Johns Agency, the other day to get our hands dirty with what she was working on her ag...
The Business Case for Selling Lemonade Insurance
March 17, 2018 07:30 - 26 minutes - 47.8 MBWhy should independent insurance agents want to write insurance for that supposedly tasty drink? That's a fair and slightly provocative question that isn't easily answered. In fact, there's so many moving parts that it took Ryan Hanley over a week to research this topic and 26 minutes plus to break it all down. This is certainly a polarizing decision your agency will face, but simply dismissing it without fully understanding what's at stake isn't a good idea. Ryan de...
Why People Hate Insurance
March 16, 2018 07:30 - 19 minutes - 26.3 MBIf you really think about, can you blame them? If you really think about it some more, a lot of insurance companies are good at making people hate them for life. Sometimes it's completely justifiable, but most of the time, it feels like they just can't get out of their own way. The really big question becomes, what can they (and you) do about to start telling a different story that doesn't involve someone throwing darts at your face on a wall? That's what I wanted to...
Answer The Phone
March 15, 2018 07:30 - 25 minutes - 35.4 MBThis is the not so dirty little secret holding a lot of us back. If you agency struggles with this basic form of communication, you're fighting a steep uphill battle. We have to be better at answering the phone, because it doesn't just impact your agency, it effects all independent insurance agents. That's what you'll hear first hand from calls that went wrong. I was simply looking for an interesting agent to talk to and found something entirely else instead. P.S. Do...
Finding the Rhythm of Your Insurance Business
March 14, 2018 07:30 - 45 minutes - 62 MBWhat's stopping you from selling and marketing your agency the way you want? More then likely it's a deficiency in the processes and procedures within how you operates. The more efficiency you can mix in the better experience you'll deliver and ultimately increase your margins. Because the longer you hold on to a personal touch that takes too long, the faster your clients will start looking for someone else. That's what Ryan talks with Nicholas Ayers, Owner of i80 In...
Were You Born a Salesman?
March 13, 2018 07:30 - 16 minutes - 23.4 MBIt seems like a lot of "next-gen" agents feel that way. Maybe the problem is the term has changed and we haven't aliened ourselves with what it actually means today? Just because you aren't attracting and closing business the way the previous generation did, doesn't mean you lack natural sales skills. It could just mean you've figured out a way to connect and communicate with prospects that make sense for today's business entertainment. That's what I talk to my buddy...
Video Proposals and 24/7 Service Constantly Bring Value
March 12, 2018 07:30 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MBWouldn't it be magical if you could closed deals and create referrals without being there? I know, it sounds ridiculous, but that's what happens when you have videos flying out of your agency in every direction. Combine that with the ability for clients to always get a hold of you (perceived or real) there's no stopping you. The combinations are endless finding new ways your agency can stay in front of clients. These are just two of the tools and tactics Mike Crowely...
Interrupt the Pattern to Become the Agent You're Not
March 09, 2018 08:30 - 26 minutes - 37 MBAre you selling out of desperation or inspiration? The most successful agents were able to interrupt their pattern of desperation to achieve success they never thought possible. Continuing to find more desperate people who can thrive in this industry is a constant challenge. However, it's one Matt Sapaula, of The PHP Agency, has repeatedly taken to infuse a whole new level of talent into the industry. If you want to see Matt live, get your ticket to Elevate 2018 toda...
Are You Doing The Right Thing?
March 08, 2018 08:30 - 15 minutes - 21.5 MBIt's always the right thing to do the right thing. Even though it's really hard at the time, your ability to do it will set you apart from more people than you think. Sadly, too often people in the insurance industry act like they've never heard of such a thing. If we can all stop trying to talk our way out of doing it, That's what I talk to Nancy Nicklow, of Huff Insurance, about as she knows what happens when you do. P.S. There's a lot of people doing the right t...
The Golden Age of the Insurance Brokerage
March 07, 2018 08:30 - 34 minutes - 47.1 MBIt's not a secret, there's a lot of outside money flowing into the insurance industry. Agencies are getting bought like crazy because the investment is so attractive. Even better, people want to give you money to help reinvest in that agency. You combine that with the InsurTech movement that has been sweeping across the industry and it becomes up to you if you want to be left behind. That's what Ryan dives deep on with Harrison Brooks, of Reagan Consulting, on as the...
How Much Young Blood Does Your Agency Have?
March 06, 2018 08:30 - 25 minutes - 35.4 MBDon't worry, you're not the only agency having a hard time finding it. This is a question that has haunted the industry for probably more than a decade now. Why are more young people choosing to sell insurance? What has the world come to? These are all fair questions that mostly feature unfair answers. That's what I talk to Bogus Handzel, of Handzel and Associates, about as he try's to figure out where his is going to come from. P.S. Did you know there's going to b...
Create Culture by Teaching Decisions
March 05, 2018 08:30 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MBIt's the little moments that matter, but if you don't teach people how to see them, they'll go unnoticed. That empowerment is what most businesses are missing. Leaving a bunch of tiny moments lying on the floor unseen by you or your staff. Even if they did see one you would have had to bestow upon them the ability to make a difference. It's in this difference most traditional agency's get lost. Not Leigh Blackwell-Zellmer, of Swell Insurance, about she wants to pas...
The Deadly Data Competition
March 02, 2018 08:30 - 10 minutes - 14.8 MBCould end up taking down everyone in the industry if we don't call it quits soon. There are plenty of things we can and should be competing on in the insurance business, data just isn't one of them. You know, valuable things like coverage, branding, marketing and claims service. Are all worth competing over and allow for each agency individuality and strengths to shine. That's one of the main points I talked with Jeff Roy about at IAOA's Innovation 18 in the rapid fi...
Listen to Someone Else
March 01, 2018 08:30 - 15 minutes - 21.8 MBJust because someone never sold a policy, doesn't mean they can't say something really smart to change your agency. We have to get over this ridiculousness overvaluing other agents and agency owners opinions. Do they have a better chance of being more specifically applicable to your business? You bet. But is it the only source of wisdom you should adhere to when trying something new? Absolutely not. That's what I talk to Becky Schroeder, SVP of ITC, about how she is ...
Answering Producer Questions During Keynote for Robertson Ryan & Associates
February 28, 2018 08:30 - 1 hour - 140 MBWhen you're in a room full of 100 insurance agents wanting to do digital marketing, they ask a lot of questions. Which is what they should be doing. Some of those questions might be the same thing you're struggling with in your agency. This is a special keynote presentation Ryan gave to Roberts, Ryan & Associates last week in Milwaukee during their most recent producers meeting. It was a energy filled presentation that didn't leave a feather unruffled or a head unturne...
How Many Clients Do You Fire?
February 27, 2018 08:30 - 17 minutes - 24.5 MBOne thing's for sure, it's probably not enough. There's definitely nothing wrong with obsessing over finding new clients, but it's also alright to want to get rid of some. Sometimes it just doesn't workout, it's no ones fault, there's just a better insurance business relationship out. Having a set of standards to look for in a client is a pretty easy way to make sure you're not getting taken advantage of in the relationship. That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopa...
Are You a Real Risk Manager?
February 26, 2018 08:30 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBIf you're not, you just might be a fancy order taker. This is definitely the thing we like to call ourselves the most but the first thing we throw out the window. True "risk management involves actually making recommendations that might not always work out. It's that last part that usually stops most risk managing dead in it's tracks. That's what I talk to my longtime friend Brent Kelly, Executive Coach for the Sitkins Group, about as he tells you how to be one. P....