Over the years, I’ve asked thousands of independent agency owners and producers the same questions: What do you owe your clients? What value do you bring to them?

I’m amazed at how many people have never even considered these questions. Apparently they’ve never sat down as an organization to discuss their obligation to clients or given much thought as to whether they provide them any substantial benefits or advantages (e.g., value).

Often owners and producers confuse what they owe clients with the following empty claims they make during presentations:

Great Service.
Of course you provide this! You’d never say, “We give good service.”

All of the Carriers.
OK, so you represent a ton of companies. Doesn’t everyone?

All of the Best People.
This statement drives me crazy: “We have the best people in the business.” As if there were some vortex in the universe that magically opened and all the best people in the industry fell into...