Sitkins Group Blog

KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND HOW YOU’RE GOING TO GET THERE

For the last 30 years, international leadership guru John Maxwell, who was my mentor and with whom I’ve had the privilege of sharing a stage, has said that everything rises and falls on leadership. Although I used to question that idea, my experience has convinced me that it’s true! Leadership affects every area of our personal and professional lives.

To me, leadership is not a destination, a title, an expensive car or a corner office. Although all of those things may be the result of great leadership, they are not one and the same. Leadership is an action, and the way you measure that action is influence. Are people listening to you? Are they buying in to what you’re trying to accomplish? Are you building relationships?

Ultimately I believe three main building blocks form the foundation of great agency leadership:

• Clarity of vision and direction
• Confidence in your entire team
• Culture...

Special episode of The Agent Leader Podcast featuring an interview with Sitkins Network member, Jon Miles, President of EHD Insurance.

Jon is a stellar example of effective leadership and how to lead the right way. Listen to the lessons he shares from his high-achieving agency and get your pen and paper ready, you'll want to be taking notes.

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Interview with Markham Rollins

In this episode of The Agent Leader you'll hear a special interview with client-turned-personal friend, Markham Rollins, from our recent ProFit Networking event. 

Mark shares his success story, how he implemented Sitkins strategies to double his agency size while reducing his clients in half, and what's up next for him. 

Check out www.markhamrollins.com/ to learn more about how Mark is looking to transform retirement by providing the tools, insight, and expertise other successful post-retirement professionals need to build a purpose-driven life.

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FIND THE GOLDMINE IN YOUR EXISTING RESOURCES

THE ROAD TO THE MIDDLE IS PAVED WITH NO INTENTIONS

Did the title of this article grab your attention? I hope it made you think, “Average? Why would anyone want to be average?”

Before I answer that, let’s define average: It’s the best of the worst and the worst of the best; as close to the top as you are to the bottom. In other words, average isn’t exactly terrible.

One of the good news/bad news scenarios in our business is that the average agency and the average producer do pretty darn well. When compared to what 95% of working people earn, this is truly a great business.

Of course, not everyone has what it takes to be average. To know whether you make the grade, it’s important to (1) recognize the characteristics of the average agency and (2) be prepared to replicate the specific behaviors of the average producer. Here are some pointers for those who aspire to be truly average.

Don’t be proactive. The average agency has primarily...

To me, 4.5% is not really exciting or should it be to any true sales organization.

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In this podcast

Many agencies are blindly following the 4.5% model.

• Most agency owners don't even know their following the 4.5% model - They have no growth model
• For every $1,000,000 of revenue, what happens at 4.5%
  
  • After 5 years = $1,246,182
  • After 10 years = $1,552,969
  • Just a little more than $55,000 of grow per year
• For every $1,000,000 of revenue, what happens at 9%
  
  • After 5 years = $1,538,624
  • After 10 = $2,367,364
  • Growth per year $136,737
• For every $1,000,000 of revenue, what happens at 13.5%
  • After 5 years = $1,883,559
  • After 10 years = $3,547,796
  • Growth per year $254,780
• There's a difference between wanting to grow your business and planning to grow your business
• Your either a CRAP Magnet or a Results Magnet
• Don't be ITB (I'm Too Busy) to Get Better

The author

Roger Sitkins, CEO of Sitkins...

The key core commitments of great agency leaders

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In this podcast

Leader - One who achieves consistently great results

• Execution beats talent every time
• Don't complain about that which you allow
• Change the game - focus on becoming a true risk advisor
• Master the mundane - Do the basics better than your competitors
• Create a culture of accountability
• Embrace technology
• Embrace relationships & the client experience
• Use and understand the power of the 80/20 Rule

The author

Roger Sitkins, CEO of Sitkins Group, Inc., is the nation’s number-one “Agency Results Coach.” He established The Sitkins Network™, a territorial exclusive network of high-performing agencies, and The Better Way Agency, a web-based training program that shows agency owners ways to make significant improvements in all areas of the agency. To learn more, please visit www.sitkins.com and follow us...

You've been asking for it, and now Brent Kelly's podcast, The Agent Leader, is back!

What can you expect from these new episodes? Brent will be discussing from the heart things he's learning, dealing with, and situations and stories from agencies that he's currently working with. 

In this episode, Brent shares a bit about:

• How to become your Best Version Possible and avoid regrets, not just in your business, but also your personal life.
• Adding value to others
• The greatest challenge of leadership

About the Author

Brent Kelly is an executive coach, speaker, and trainer for The Sitkins Group where he helps independent insurance agencies Sell More, Retain More and Earn More. Learn more about the Sitkins Network here.

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, or you can also sign up for our Podcasts and Blogs so you don't miss any updates on how to become your Best Version Possible.

At one of our CEO programs earlier last year, Brent Kelly, our vice president, asked me what it takes for an agency to be the best it can be. But it was what he asked me next that changed how we approach everything we do and has become the catalyst for massive, rapid improvements for everyone who attends our life-changing events, including our CEO, Sales Leadership, Producer, and Account Manager programs.

His question: “If you were having a conversation from your heart, using your almost 40 years of coaching the highest performing agencies and producers, what would your message be about becoming the best version possible (BVP) of yourself and your agency?”

This is important for agency owners, of course. But I also believe it’s something all of us as individuals should be asking ourselves. I can tell you it’s had a major impact on me personally, as well as everyone we’ve shared it with.

After Brent first asked me that question, I literally could not...