STEPPING UP TO MANAGEMENT Nine success strategies for new managers By Kimberly Paterson, CEC Congratulations on your promotion to management. You are about to make a significant career transition. And if you are like many new managers, what’s important to know is that the skills that got you to this point are likely very different from the ones you’ll need to succeed in your new role. Many new
Management
JUST IMAGINE: ENVISIONING, EMBRACING THE POSSIBILITIES FOR YOUR AGENCY Use this thought-provoking exercise to picture your best version possible By Roger Sitkins Motivational speaker Steve Gilliland once noted, “Without vision, you have no direction. Without direction, you have no purpose.” I agree. I also believe that vision begins with clarity. As you look ahead, do you have a clear vision of where you want your agency to be? I’d
FACING THE TALENT CRISIS New approaches combined with existing best practices help with recruitment, retention By Carla Corrado and Sam Matthews As individuals and an industry, we’re always looking to grow, to expand our knowledge and reach in new ways, to broaden our perspectives, and explore fresh approaches to problems old and new. Today, our industry continues to be faced with a talent crisis. It’s a crisis we’ve seen coming
THE AGENCY IN PERPETUATION How and when should one plan for passing the business on? By Lori Widmer In May 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 422,600 insurance sales agents working in the insurance industry. According to Data USA, the average age of these agents is just under 45 years old. For agency owners eyeing retirement, the question looms larger with each passing year—how and when should one
OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS TO SALES MEETINGS While most producers loathe them, it’s critical to have consistent, intentional meetings By Brent Kelly The problem with sales meetings is that most agencies have them and, generally, most producers loathe them. Why? First and foremost, producers tend to view them as a waste of time. To them, meetings disrupt what they really want to do, which is work on sales rather than listen to
