Set the bar high with these key goals

Having worked with thousands of agency  owners through the years, I have noticed an overriding theme: Average independent agencies and their producers are average for a reason. They simply don’t set high enough standards for themselves—they...

How to chart a new course and stay focused on it

After all these years of coaching independent agency leadership teams and producers, I’m not surprised by very much. For example, it doesn’t surprise me that the vast majority of agencies are simply drifting along. However, it...

You owe you

So why even consider breaking out? Unless you know the answer, there’s no point, because your end in mind is always the biggest issue. Without a big enough “why,” nothing happens.

Whom do you “owe?” You owe you!  And because you’re the...

Are you stuck in a rut?

Sometimes when I talk to agency owners or producers who are caught in a rut, the image of an amorphous blob springs to mind. I realize that may sound strange, but when they describe not knowing what to do or how to climb out of their rut, I often envision the weird clumps...

During a recent private ProducerFit program, I experienced one of my world-famous BFOs (Blinding Flashes of the Obvious). It hit me as I spoke to a group of mainly young producers that they probably hear the following repeatedly:

“You guys are all the same.”

My BFO: What must you do...

Typical wrong behaviors

Here are some of the things I’ve seen people do over the years that are absolutely wrong.

Focusing on Multiple Activities vs. Results. What you focus on, you will experience; so if you’re focused on the wrong things, your experience will yield the wrong...

Left to our own devices, most of us often end up doing the wrong things.

Otherwise, we’d all be super successful, healthy, happy and wise, right? These wrong things prevent us from getting optimum results, so why do we do them?

Perhaps it’s because we don’t have to do the right...

Special Message from Roger Sitkins

I would like to invite you to join me and other like-minded people in an extraordinary act of kindness that will literally change the world! If you accept this invitation, you’ll join us in Nicaragua to help build homes for deserving families, January...

Part Two

VIP Client Journey

They have a very specific plan for the client experience—a map for the journey they’ll take their clients on. Their standards ensure that every client receives the VIP treatment. This is reflected in the quality of service provided and in the overall agency...

At a recent sales training session, I was asked what separates the great producers from the pack. My response was “PS: Producer Standards.” We find that the best of the best hold themselves to higher standards, which they consistently meet and exceed.

Here are the basic standards that...

On a regular basis my smartphone, desktop, laptop and iPad all check for updates automatically. These system improvements are designed to optimize operational efficiency and performance, and in many cases, enhance security. (Not surprisingly, the app updates never seem to stop—I had 24...

When I got into my vehicle a few weeks ago, a warning light popped up on my dashboard display with the message, "Annual Service 100 Miles Past Due." I ignored it for a few weeks and then received an updated warning: "Annual Service 300 Miles Past Due." That's when I remembered the old saying,

"A...