Recently I noticed a roof leak in the covered porch at my vacation home. Even though I knew the roof was in good shape overall, there was some storm damage that needed to be addressed. There were two ways I could deal with it: (1) I could hope it would go away; or (2) I could deal with it as soon as possible. Ultimately, I decided it was time to find the source of the leak and fix it, since it wasn’t going to stop leaking by itself. That’s when I contacted a respected local roofer for help. My goal was to stop the leak before it became a major problem.

That experience got me thinking about the small leaks that occur in so many agencies every day. Much like a leaky roof, there are little things that are noticed but typically not dealt with early enough to prevent a bigger problem. Usually, these leaks are confined to specific areas within the agency, while other areas are completely sound/solid. Regardless, now may be a good time to look at your overall agency to identify...

The greatest challenge for agency leaders today isn’t technology, tools, or competition - it’s focus. I think speaker and author Darren Hardy said it best: “In a daily barrage of distractions, the one who can focus the most wins.”

Obtaining information isn’t the problem. With digital technology, we have access to knowledge and resources in seconds. The problem lies in distilling all of it into a few key ideas that you can execute.

It comes down to clarity on where you’re going, consistency in the critical behaviors that will get you there, and a commitment to stay focused. I believe there are seven core areas that require an agency’s sustained laser focus. To keep things simple, all of them start with the letter P.

Purpose

What’s your mission? Author Simon Sinek asks: “Why do you wake up every morning, and why should anyone else care?” It’s a simple yet powerful question.

What’s your agency’s mission?...

Throughout life, uncertainty is something we all face from time to time. The COVID-19 pandemic is irrefutable proof of this. As I write this, no one is sure when businesses will fully reopen. That has made it extremely challenging, both personally and professionally, to know what to do and how to do it—or whether we should do anything at all!

For most of us, however, paralysis is not an option.

While it’s understandable to feel stymied by uncertainty, there are still things that are within our control. In fact, because of what’s going on in the world, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to succeed as never before by doing two key things. One is to make an investment in ourselves, and the second is to make an investment in others.

Investing in you

When I was 25 years old, I heard the late great business speaker and author Jim Rohn say, “Work hard on your job, make a living; work hard on yourself, make a fortune.” At the time I was really struggling...

GO SHALLOW AND BE AVERAGE OR GO DEEP AND BE GREAT

My experience with agency owners, producers, and other leaders suggests that most of  them want to get to the next level (or at least that’s what they say). We all know, however, saying what you want to do is the easy part; actually doing it is the hard part.

I’ve often struggled to understand what people mean when they talk about getting to the next level. What is the next level anyway? Simply put, I suppose it means getting better than you already are (i.e., improvement).

In today’s rapidly changing and digitally disrupted world, however, just “getting better” is not enough. I believe that getting to the next level is more about becoming your Best Version Possible (BVP) - I’ve written about this several times over the last year or so. You may recall the thought process: Close your eyes and imagine the best version possible of you. That’s who you really are (or want to be). Therefore,...

HOW TO TRANSITION FROM IDEAS TO EXECUTION

When I look at agencies, the reason some sputter or plateau is a performance gap. This is the gap between what we know and what we actually do. If I were to draw it, it would look like two mountains with a valley in the middle. But unlike the valleys found in nature, which take thousands of years to form, the performance gaps I see in agencies develop almost instantaneously.

What causes these gaps? And why do so many agencies and producers fail to execute? Some of the main reasons are:

• Lack of a meaningful, achievable goal. Most agencies really have no end in mind. If you were to ask them, “Where do you want to be in three years?” they wouldn’t have a clear answer, because they haven’t taken the time to think about it. Instead, they just sort of wander.
• Lack of consistent, purposeful behaviors. How often have you started something for a couple of weeks and then moved on to something else because you lost...

TALK BACK TO THE “HEAD TRASH” THAT’S IMPEDING YOUR PROGRESS

One of the key teaching points at our ProducerFit programs is that if you’re going to put the time in anyway, you might as well be great at what you do! Also, you might as well be great sooner rather than later.

Whether you’re an agency owner, leader, producer or whatever, why wait to be great? Assuming you expect to be in this great business for another five, 10, 15, 20 years or more, why not make greatness your goal? (I certainly hope that mediocrity is not your goal.)

As one of my readers, you know that this truly is an amazing business, with so many terrific opportunities awaiting those who take the right actions. So why is it that so many wait to be great? Sadly, the vast majority of those who wait never experience the freedom of greatness and subsequently face the dreaded regrets of mediocrity at the end of their careers.

Previously I’ve talked about Regrets and Regreats....

Why are you failing?

In this week's ProFit Tip, Brent Kelly goes over the three reasons agencies fail to execute. 
Are you guilty of one, or more of these that are holding you back from doing the things you know you need to be doing to perform at a higher level? If so, what is one area in your life, career, etc. where you are failing to #execute?

Access Brent Kelly's new ProFit Tip video and podcast episode on these three areas you could be lacking in that are holding you back from elevated levels of achievement.

The Agent Leader podcast, is available on iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud

Registration for ProducerFit is open now!

Thousands of producers have achieved increasing levels of success by attending ProducerFit. Start living as your best version possible. The ProducerFit insurance sales training program will get you better results, guaranteed.

Beliefs Drive Behaviors

In this week's ProFit Tip, Brent Kelly goes over the four types of beliefs that are absolutely critical to your agency's success.

Are your behaviors aligned with your goals, or are you lacking in true beliefs that are holding yourself, and your agency back?

Access Brent Kelly's new ProFit Tip video and podcast episode on these four key beliefs to drive agency results now.

The Agent Leader podcast, is available on iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud

Registration for ProducerFit is open now!

Thousands of producers have achieved increasing levels of success by attending ProducerFit. Start living as your best version possible. The ProducerFit insurance sales training program will get you better results, guaranteed.

What are you doing to build your agency's offense? Every great agency has a true set offense, or way of doing business, that they can replicate.

In this week's ProFit Tip, Brent Kelly goes over 3 steps to build your agency's playbook and get a replicable selling system in place.

Access Brent Kelly's new ProFit Tip video and podcast episode, featuring Roger Sitkins, CEO of Sitkins Group, Inc. now.

The Agent Leader podcast, is available on iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud.

Roundtable with some of the highest performing agency leaders in the country!

If you like Brent's ProFit Tips, don't miss the chance to see him in person at ProFit Networking, March 11-13 in Cape Coral, FL. 

Do it now! This event will invigorate and inspire you. The agenda is packed with extraordinary speakers, mastermind discussions, and networking time. 

Florida sunshine. Swaying palm trees. Gulf breeze. You're welcome.

Clear the clutter from your mind, body, and...

Core Strategy of Agency Success

Available Now! Access Brent Kelly's new ProFit Tip video and podcast episode for the seven core strategies of agency success we teach and preach at Sitkins Group, Inc.

PODs and New Files 

Is your pipeline full of Future Ideal Clients, or do you have what Brent calls a Database of Hope? In this episode, Brent shares three ProFit tips to help you develop a pipeline that is overflowing with ideal clients only. 

The Agent Leader podcast, is available on iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud.

The one event in 2020 you don't want to miss! 

If you like Brent's ProFit Tips, don't miss the chance to see him in person at ProFit Networking, March 11-13 in Cape Coral, FL. 

Do it now! This event will invigorate and inspire you. The agenda is packed with extraordinary speakers, mastermind discussions, and networking time. 

Florida sunshine. Swaying palm trees. Gulf breeze. You're welcome.

Clear the clutter...