Strive to become exceptional
If mediocrity is tolerated, it becomes the norm.
If accountability is optional, excellence becomes rare.
By Roger Sitkins
Walk down the cereal aisle of any grocery store and you’ll see a harsh reality of business: Shelves are crowded with options that all look almost identical. “New and improved.” “Better taste.” “Now, packed with …” The packaging changes but the promises don’t. Average is full.
The insurance industry isn’t any different. In most communities, prospects can choose from dozens (sometimes hundreds) of agencies promising great service, competitive pricing, and trusted advice. Websites blur together. Proposals sound alike. Producers rely on the same approach: Look, copy, quote, and pray. And then we wonder why organic growth feels so hard.
The real issue isn’t competition; it’s sameness. The marketplace has no unmet demand for the average. What it does have demand for is clarity, specialization, leadership, and confidence.
Your best prospects don’t wake up hoping to buy insurance. They wake up hoping to reduce uncertainty, solve problems, and protect what matters most. When agents present themselves as interchangeable vendors, they get treated like interchangeable vendors.
For years, many agencies succeeded despite being average because the market allowed it. Relationships were stickier. Buyers had fewer options. Competition was more local and less sophisticated.
That world has changed.
Today’s prospects can get multiple quotes online in minutes. They research your agency before the first conversation. They expect insight, not access. Loyalty is earned through value, not longevity. Saying, “We’ve been in business for 50 years,” may be admirable. It isn’t a strategy. Longevity explains your past. It doesn’t define your future.
If your goal is meaningful organic growth (10%, 15%, or more) you cannot rely on average activity. Average activity produces average results. When producers spend most of their time servicing small accounts rather than building future ideal client pipelines, growth stalls. When agencies try to write anything for anyone, marketing becomes vague and forgettable. When training and development for your team members is occasional rather than systematic, performance varies wildly. When compensation rewards maintenance more than growth, behavior follows.
None of this happens because leaders lack intelligence or ambition. It happens because comfort is powerful. And comfort is the silent enemy of extraordinary performance.
The agencies that consistently outperform don’t necessarily work longer hours. They work with greater intention. They decide who they want to serve and they build deep expertise around that decision. They design sales conversations that focus on total cost of risk and operational exposure, not just premiums. They protect producers’ time, so that prospecting is consistent, not accidental. They build systems that create predictability instead of relying on heroic effort. They decide not to be average.
Consider two agencies in the same town. One says, “We write anything for anyone.” Their website lists every coverage imaginable. Their producers chase whatever opportunity appears. The team is busy all the time, yet growth feels inconsistent and unpredictable.
The other agency says, “We are the premier risk advisor for manufacturing companies with between $10 million and $100 million in revenue.” Their marketing speaks directly to that audience. Their producers understand manufacturing workflows, supply chain exposures, and OSHA trends. Their proposals address operational risk and strategic planning, not just price comparisons.
The second agency doesn’t grow because it’s lucky. They grow because they choose focus. Average says yes to everything. Exceptional says no to most things.
Average thinking is rarely dramatic. It sounds practical and reasonable. “We can’t specialize; we’re too small.” “Our market is too competitive.” “Our producers won’t change.” “We’ve always done it this way.” These statements feel factual, but they are really decisions disguised as observations. Each one reinforces the status quo.
The agencies that break through understand something simple and powerful: Strategy is a choice. Discipline is a choice. Growth is a choice.
In other words, they get aligned. Alignment is what turns effort into results. When everyone is working from the same playbook, communication improves because people are speaking the same language. Expectations become clearer because there is a defined process. Clients receive a more consistent experience because the entire team is aligned around how value is delivered.
Instead of guessing what to do next, people know what to do. That confidence changes everything.
Why alignment is so rare
If alignment is so powerful, why don’t more agencies achieve it? Because it requires discipline. It is much easier to let producers “do their own thing” than to implement and reinforce a consistent sales process. It is easier to let account managers focus on service work than it is to train them to think more strategically about client relationships. It is easier to react to problems than it is to build systems that prevent them.
Alignment also requires time and commitment. It is not something that happens in a single meeting or a one-time training session. It is built over time through consistent reinforcement and shared experiences.
That is where most agencies fall short. They introduce ideas, but they do not sustain them. They talk about change, but they do not operationalize it. As a result, they find themselves in the same place year after year, hoping that the next initiative will finally deliver the breakthrough they seek.
What we’re seeing right now
This year, at Sitkins Group, we are seeing something different. In just the first quarter, across our programs, there were over 2,100 registrations representing more than 1,000 individual insurance professionals. That includes producers, account managers, sales leaders, and agency leaders, all working through structured development programs throughout the year.
Those numbers are significant, not because of their size, but because of what they represent. They represent agencies that have decided to stop operating in silos and start operating as unified teams. They are committing to a consistent approach across roles, which is where real change begins.
One of the most encouraging trends is the level of involvement from account managers. This year, we have more account managers participating in structured development than producers. That shift speaks volumes about how forward-thinking agencies are approaching growth. They understand that retention, relationship management, and client experience are just as important as new business production.
You can also see the impact when sales and service come together. Participation in sessions that include both groups is dramatically higher than sales-only sessions. That reinforces a simple truth that many agencies are still working toward: Growth is a team effort.
Momentum is built, not hoped for
When alignment starts to take hold, something powerful happens. Momentum builds.
Producers become more confident because they have a clear process to follow. Account managers become more proactive because they understand their role in growth. Leaders become more effective when they coach within a defined framework. The agency starts to feel different. There is greater clarity, consistency, and accountability. Decisions are easier to make because they are guided by a shared strategy. Results become more predictable because they are driven by repeatable behaviors.
This is what most agency leaders are searching for, whether they realize it or not. Not more activity or more ideas, but more momentum.
The second half of the year is your opportunity
June is not just a checkpoint; it is an opportunity. It is a chance to look at the first half of the year and decide whether you are satisfied with the direction you are heading. It is a moment to be honest about what is working and what is not.
Most importantly, it is a chance to make a different decision for the second half of the year.
You can continue operating the way you always have, hoping that increased effort will produce better results. Or you can recognize that without alignment, more effort will likely lead to the same outcomes.
The agencies that make real progress are the ones that choose to change how they operate, not just how hard they work.
The decision most leaders avoid
Every agency leader reaches a point where they have to make a decision. Do you continue to allow variability in how your team sells, services, and leads? Or do you commit to building a consistent system that drives performance across the entire organization?
That decision is not always comfortable. It requires setting expectations, holding people accountable, and investing in development. It requires moving away from what is familiar and committing to a new way of operating. But it is also the decision that separates agencies that grow from those that stay the same.
A simple question
As you look at your agency today, ask yourself a simple question: Are we just busy, or are we actually getting better?
If the answer is unclear, or if you know that things are not where they should be, then it may be time to stop relying on effort alone and start focusing on alignment. Because once your agency is aligned, that’s when you experience real progress, and you will never want to go back.
Take a step back and look at your agency differently
Sometimes the most valuable thing you can do as a leader is step outside of the day-to-day and see your agency from a different perspective. That’s what we’re inviting you to do.
We’re hosting a 60-minute session with Brent Kelly designed specifically for agency leaders who are tired of working hard without seeing consistent improvement. In this session, you’ll get a clear look at what’s holding most agencies back, what high-performing agencies are doing differently, and how alignment across your team changes everything.
This is not just theory. It’s a practical look at what actually works.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start operating with more clarity and consistency, this is where you begin. Reserve your spot today at www.sitkins.com/see-the-difference.
The author
Roger Sitkins is the CEO of Sitkins Group, Inc. After over 40 years he has truly become an icon in the insurance industry having trained and mentored thousands of insurance professionals.
Roger was inducted into the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame in 2017 and in that same year also received the Dr. Henry C. Martin Award from Rough Notes magazine. Roger is among only six people to have the honor of receiving this prestigious award.
Recognized as the nation’s top insurance agency results coach and renowned leader for improvement, he believes that if you improve the life of one person, you improve the world. To learn more, visit www.sitkins.com.
