NOT PROVIDING SALES TRAINING IS A LEADERSHIP FAILURE
Providing training is an investment in owner's ROI
Of course, the title of this article proves to be true regardless of whether the producer is selling benefits or P&C.
However, so many benefits producers/departments feel like the "red-headed stepchild" in agencies that are predominantly P&C that it is especially important to provide them with the training they need to be successful.
What would your advice be to a business owner given the following circumstances?
Their business model reflects a disproportionate amount of dependence on their salespeople. (Not only do they depend on the salespeople to generate revenue, they depend on them to maintain the revenue.)
Florida agency delivers compliance, HR, and wellness expertise
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has already paid dividends for health care consumers-providing broader coverage and greater access to care for millions of Americans. But delivery on the promise has put extreme stress on the independent agents and brokers who advise and service the employers who pay for most of the benefits.
Gulfshore Insurance in Naples, Florida, was founded in 1970 as a property/casualty insurance specialist, focused on the risk management needs of small employers in Southern Florida, says Executive Sales Officer Jack Powers.
For those venturing elsewhere-life insurance is a good place to start
For many property and casualty agents, non-P&C products represent a relatively small piece of the pie. For some, they're nonexistent. In addition to missed revenue opportunities, neglecting other products can present real danger.
"I often ask agents who sell nothing but P&C products how they handle requests for life insurance," says Phil Burchman, senior vice president at Morstan Plus. "Common responses include, 'Well, I send them to a friend' or 'I just send them away.' I've never understood how an agent could send a client elsewhere and run the risk of losing his or her existing business."
New offerings enhance agents' value as trusted advisors
It takes nothing more than reading, watching or listening to the news to understand that protecting privacy and identity are important. Citing research from Javelin Strategy & Research, Emily Snell, senior vice president of employee benefits solutions at InfoArmor, says, "Identity fraud is a universal problem that impacted more than 12.7 million Americans last year, costing over $16 billion."
James Rosseau, president of LegalShield Business Solutions, adds, "There's another element, which is hard to quantify, and that's the emotional stress. That involves, among other things, time away from or distractions at work. People point to this emotional stress representing another $6 billion of cost."
