Do you distinguish between high maintenance and high performance? A high-maintenance agency is reactive and lacks effective communication among leadership, producers, and service personnel. Without clearly defined roles, the workplace becomes stressful, and productivity suffers.
On the other hand, high-performance agencies are well-aware of their identity and goals. They prioritize open communication within the agency, and their producers proactively engage with clients, resulting in exceptional outcomes.
How to Transition to a High Performance Agency
If your agency leans more towards being high maintenance rather than high performance, there's no need to lose hope. You can shift from high maintenance to high performance by incorporating three essential elements into your agency's culture:
Mindset
To improve your agency's results, it's crucial to be aware of your deep-seated beliefs and determine if they are holding you back. Does your agency think big enough? Small thinking yields small results, which often leads agencies to settle for less. Producers and leaders may have reached a comfortable plateau and are content with maintaining the status quo, believing that mediocrity is sufficient.
Tony Robbins, the renowned entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and business strategist, highlights this tendency. He suggests that we often use "softeners" by comparing ourselves to others who are faring worse than we are. Essentially, we employ these thoughts to soften reality: "We're doing better than ABC Agency," or "Things may not be great, but they're not that bad."
With this mindset, individuals can never surpass their own level of thinking. Instead, they should strive to measure up to their top competitors and, more importantly, to their own potential. What self-limiting beliefs are hindering your agency's progress? Have you ever thought, "We're just a small-town agency," or "I guess I'll always be a $300,000 producer," or "There's no way I'll ever secure that major account"?
Perhaps you've encountered the Imposter Syndrome, where you doubt your own worthiness and fear that others will discover you as an imposter incapable of handling the job. In reality, you may be an exceptionally skilled producer who lacks self-confidence. It's essential to shift your mindset!
Skillset
Can you imagine a professional basketball team that never practices passing or shooting? The same principle of mastery applies to insurance agencies. Amateurs hope for improvement, while professionals devise a plan to achieve it. If you aspire to become a high-performance agency, there are specific skills that you and your team must develop and enhance. The most successful agencies have a strategy for cultivating the necessary skills to progress from point A to point B. How does your agency train your team in these essential skills?
What is your agency's practice schedule? How often and when do you actively work on improving your communication skills? Practice is the only way to build confidence and competence. Therefore, you should regularly rehearse:
- Your 30-second pitch
- Requesting referrals
- Addressing objections
- Highlighting unique selling points
- Leading sales meetings
- Delivering presentations
Furthermore, recording yourself will provide valuable feedback for areas that require improvement. Listening to your recordings and practicing to refine your delivery is the key to progress. Even if it feels awkward, wouldn't you prefer to feel a little self-conscious in front of your peers rather than appear incompetent in front of a potential ideal client?
AAI gives new and existing agents the business development tools, training, and technology to grow their agencies bigger, faster, more efficiently. To learn more about the benefits of joining AAI, contact us today!