Blog

After a year full of uncertainty, making predictions about 2021 may seem futile. While the future is never certain, there are a few personal lines market trends for you to watch in 2021. Some are the direct result of the events of 2020, while others have been in the works for several years. All of them are things to keep your eye on at your agency as you plan for 2021.

Despite all the turmoil of 2020, Smart Start Personal Lines boasted a banner year, breaking production records and writing over $1 million in premium for 7 months straight.

Business planning doesn’t have to be traditional, and you don’t have to follow any specific template. Sometimes, it’s simply about sitting down and asking yourself a few important questions about where you want to go.

2020 served as a turning point for insurance agency technology. Agents had to quickly adapt to working remotely and using digital channels to serve clients. To help independent agents adapt to digital, Liberty Mutual and Safeco’s Agent for the Future program put together two e-books and article series full of practical advice.

Salespeople often fall victim to being on the phone 24/7. After all, you never know when that ringing phone might be a sale. So with no one screening a salesperson's calls, they're bound to feel the need to answer every one. But sometimes, salespeople have to set boundaries to be productive.

While it might not be possible for agents to meet with customers face to face, it’s more important than ever to be a trusted resource for small business owners. Here are five ways agents can continue to support small businesses during the pandemic.

If you had to define successful goal planning, what would your answer be? As a businessperson, your definition may be making a lot of money. A salesperson may define success as becoming the top salesperson in the company. Success means many different things to different people. However, few have really thought through how they’ll actually become successful. Effective goal planning is the key to success.

While weather can be unpredictable at any time of year, winter can be especially challenging for those living and working in certain areas. Here are some tips that agents can share with clients to help them prepare for the winter season.

Despite 2020 being one of the most irregular years of our lifetimes, both personally and professionally, Smart Choice, our agents and carrier partners, have managed to succeed together. We’ve hit some really incredible milestones this year, and we are exceptionally grateful to be partnered with such amazing people in the industry. 

While we have been fortunate that our industry hasn’t been hit with as many challenges as many others, it is still an accomplishment to remain still standing at this juncture — because business ownership is challenging even in normal time. I want to applaud all of you for your veracity and perseverance in continuing to serve customers during this year. It has truly been a marvel to witness the human spirit and the business owners’ willingness to adapt in a constantly changing landscape. 

Traditional ways of marketing and selling won’t work in the near-term, and maybe even in the long-term as some new behaviors are likely to stick beyond the pandemic. Digital and virtual tools can help agents succeed in this environment.

Keri Fox, a Smart Choice Territory Manager serving Washington state, answers some questions about working during this pandemic.