Blog + Magazine

In 2013 Insurance Journal surveyed a number of independent insurance agents about their formal business plans. Just 15 percent of respondents said they had a formal plan for the growth of their agency.

Here are some signs, in an honest moment, you may see that tell you it’s time to sell.

Sales and Marketing:

Thinking Outside the Box to Achieve Breakthrough Results for Your Agency

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When it comes to tracking, managing, and reporting data, each agency, company or individual will have their own priorities. Whether you’re tracking Premium totals, retention, new business, umbrella, or BOP, all agencies can benefit from two things: Data Integrity and Data security.

Independent agency owner Todd Shafer spent decades training insurance agents and developing his own customer management system, but when he decided to launch an independent agency, he knew he needed help.

Everyone has different visions of what they want from life and how they want to spend their careers. In talking with many of our agents we’ve found how vastly different everyone’s visions of their agency’s futures truly are...

Stand-out marketing suggestions from Smart Choice agency partners through the years.

The article presents 12 marketing and sales strategies to boost business in the latter half of 2023, including holding an open house, developing lead flows, networking, following up on leads, writing thank you notes, implementing a referral program, hosting workshops, using email marketing, scheduling annual customer reviews, taking training courses, engaging in the community, and conducting employee reviews.

Marketing your agency effectively and economically can be achieved by utilizing short-form video content, posting videos on social media, and utilizing thought leadership content to position yourself as an expert. Personalized handwritten letters and LinkedIn Sales Navigator are additional ways to reach potential clients.

"Leveraging Referrals: Maximizing Your Business Relationships for New Lead Generation" emphasizes the importance of leveraging referrals in financial service providers' marketing efforts. Doug Witcher highlights the benefits of referrals, such as higher trust from customers and a higher likelihood of closing a deal, and provides tips on how to effectively utilize referrals in a business, such as asking for referrals, making it easy for customers to refer others, and being appreciative of referrals.

Commercial Lines:

Solving the Revenue Equation

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That morning Bill woke up with laryngitis. “Great,” he croaked at the mirror, “the big sale is today, and I sound horrible.” Stopping off at the pharmacy on the way in for some lozenges, he found his voice in even worse shape. While he could talk, it was just barely above a whisper and for not more than a few sentences.