IA Blueprint LLC

Don't just email your clients, communicate with them! This explores how insurance agents can strengthen client relationships by going beyond automated emails. Learn how to build trust and foster loyalty throughout the entire client lifecycle.

I love Tom Petty’s song, “Running Down a Dream.” It could be the theme song for every insurance agency owner. Imagine driving home after a long day. The song plays, “Yeah, runnin’ down a dream that never would come to me…Workin’ on a mystery, goin’ wherever it leads…” You think, “Why am I working so hard for them? Time to chase my dream.” And just like that, you start your own agency! Maybe it didn’t happen exactly like that, but many of us are chasing a dream. It’s sad, but lots of insurance agency owners have no idea what type of success will make them happy. If you listen to podcasts, follow social media, or attend conferences, you will see many variations of what is portrayed as success. But will that version of success even work for you? Is that what you want? Most of us don’t know! We just see it and think it looks good. The problem is, we don’t know what it took to get there. We don’t know their talents, struggles, or if they’re faking it. Does having a big staff sound fun or stressful? Do you love selling, or would you rather manage someone else that sells? Do you want an office with rent or work from home? Set hours or flexible? Think about these things! As Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true…” Figure out what works for you. Build your business around that, and you will grow an agency around you that fits, not one that you have to fit yourself in.  One more thing: If you’re good at what you do, you’ll find success. More clients mean more work. You need to decide how to handle that. Here are your options: 1. Hire Staff. You can do this, but it’s not the only way. Make sure they fit the culture you have created. Most agency owners are bad at hiring and training. Sorry, but you needed to hear that. 2. Fire Clients. Yes, you can fire clients. If you’re too busy, let go of lower revenue clients for higher ones. Or set a minimum account size, like $10,000. Above that, they get your best service. Below that, not so much. If you lose them, find better ones. 3. Outsource. Outsource tasks you don’t like, take too much time, or just aren’t good at (yes, there are things you aren’t good at!) Things like data management, e-signature processing, or renewal quoting can all be outsourced or done by a virtual employee. It’s cheaper than hiring in-office, provides quality staffing, and saves you time, money, and hassle. Outsourcing also saves on: • Office space • Payroll • Taxes • Health coverage • Workers’ comp • Insurance licensing • Utilities • Training Understand what success means to you, and growth will come. You don’t have to build a big agency to be successful. Find your success, and chase it.

I love Tom Petty’s song, “Running Down a Dream.” It could be the theme song for every insurance agency owner. Imagine driving home after a long day. The song plays, “Yeah, runnin’ down a dream that never would come to me…Workin’ on a mystery, goin’ wherever it leads…” You think, “Why am I working so hard for them? Time to chase my dream.” And just like that, you start your own agency! Maybe it didn’t happen exactly like that, but many of us are chasing a dream. It’s sad, but lots of insurance agency owners have no idea what type of success will make them happy. If you listen to podcasts, follow social media, or attend conferences, you will see many variations of what is portrayed as success. But will that version of success even work for you? Is that what you want? Most of us don’t know! We just see it and think it looks good. The problem is, we don’t know what it took to get there. We don’t know their talents, struggles, or if they’re faking it. Does having a big staff sound fun or stressful? Do you love selling, or would you rather manage someone else that sells? Do you want an office with rent or work from home? Set hours or flexible? Think about these things! As Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true…” Figure out what works for you. Build your business around that, and you will grow an agency around you that fits, not one that you have to fit yourself in.  One more thing: If you’re good at what you do, you’ll find success. More clients mean more work. You need to decide how to handle that. Here are your options: 1. Hire Staff. You can do this, but it’s not the only way. Make sure they fit the culture you have created. Most agency owners are bad at hiring and training. Sorry, but you needed to hear that. 2. Fire Clients. Yes, you can fire clients. If you’re too busy, let go of lower revenue clients for higher ones. Or set a minimum account size, like $10,000. Above that, they get your best service. Below that, not so much. If you lose them, find better ones. 3. Outsource. Outsource tasks you don’t like, take too much time, or just aren’t good at (yes, there are things you aren’t good at!) Things like data management, e-signature processing, or renewal quoting can all be outsourced or done by a virtual employee. It’s cheaper than hiring in-office, provides quality staffing, and saves you time, money, and hassle. Outsourcing also saves on: • Office space • Payroll • Taxes • Health coverage • Workers’ comp • Insurance licensing • Utilities • Training Understand what success means to you, and growth will come. You don’t have to build a big agency to be successful. Find your success, and chase it.

Here is a completely and utterly obvious statement: Insurance agencies get too many emails. No kidding, right? Here is something most overlook: It is killing your productivity. I'm sorry to tell you that it is your fault. Let me explain…. You're sitting at your desk, working on an account......DING! "You have mail!" Or it's a text or a phone call, or someone pops in to ask you something. Your attention is ripped away from something important to you to something important to someone else.  Once you return to what you were doing before, 10, 20, or 30 minutes have passed, and you have had to change your focus several times.  Why do you let that happen? Letting your email inbox or the countless other things that require your attention distract you in this way kills productivity because you have to move in and out of focus on multiple things without completing a task from start to finish. That eats up time and causes anxiety. I like the way Winston Churchill addresses this: “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” Think about it, all day long, every day you have these things competing for your time: • Office phone • Cell phone • Text • Office text • Email • Fax (for a few of us still) • Instant messenger • Slack • Teams • Facebook • LinkedIn • Fellow employees • Customers • Prospects • Insurance companies • Vendors • Calendar • AMS reminders • AMS tasks All these things represent people. All of these people share a common trait: they believe their time is more important than yours and have no hesitation in disrupting your workflow for their priorities. As Nancy Regan said in the 80s, “Just say no!” Take back your productivity and your workflow by saying “no.” Look, these people interrupting you are not doing so to be rude; you allow yourself to be interrupted, so they do it.  Here are a few tips to help manage this: • Turn off ALL notifications. Anything that dings or pops up on your screen.  • Set a time (or times) each day that you check: email, texts, voicemails, etc. This may need to be different blocks of time.  • Time block when you make and receive calls. • Set a block of time for you to do focused work. Call it quiet time, focus time, me time, whatever. Just set the time aside. If you are the owner, let people know about this time. If you are an employee, suggest this as something your office does.   • Do the most important work during your "focus time". • Use Outlook Rules to filter out the non-urgent emails. To sum it up. Take back your productivity by turning off notifications and managing distractions.

Why saying "yes" is killing your business. Most of us are guilty of doing it. We say yes when we should say no. In fact, we do it 95% of the time. As your insurance agency grows, you'll face many yes or no decisions. It’s tempting to say yes, but “no” is often the better answer. Saying yes can bring stress and limit your chances. Saying no can give you freedom and help you reach your goals. Here’s an example of some of the decisions you will have to make: - Getting office space (or bigger office space) - Office furniture - Employee benefits - Software - Contracts - Loans - Staff Each of these has immediate & long-term costs and benefits. Some of these long-term costs just don't make good business sense. Think about it this way… We say yes for a few reasons. Some are: - It makes us feel good. - Fear of missing out (FOMO). - Fear of what others think. - We’re making an emotional-based decision Stats show 95% of decisions are based solely on emotion. That's a big problem. Emotions should help guide your decisions but should not dictate them. Try to balance emotional thinking with logical reasoning. Before you make your next decision, stop and ask yourself these questions: 1. Did you consider what others might think? 2. Are you saying yes because someone you respect said it’s good? 3. Did you buy because of a “limited time” deal? 4. Are you okay with giving your money to someone else, or would you rather keep it? The hard truth is, most people make irrational business decisions because they don’t use logic. Knowing this, don’t you think you should pause before saying yes? There are other options, and an emotional “yes” might be a logical “no”. Think about it: - Do you really need that office space, or is working from home working just fine? - Will that software really make a big enough difference to justify the cost, or will it just be more to manage? - Do you need to hire an employee, or would outsourcing be the wiser decision? Saying yes can hurt your success. Give yourself time to think. Weigh it out and make a rational decision. If the salesperson won't wait, that’s okay, you probably don’t need it anyway. Someone else will say yes, since it’s 95% likely they will. It's your business, and you have the right to say no. Use that power to your advantage and start saying “no” to decisions that don’t make logical sense for your business.

At iaBlueprint, we understand the unique challenges faced by independent insurance agents. That’s why we’re excited to introduce Beaux Pilgrim, our founder and your partner in taking your agency to the next level. Why Partner with Beaux? Beaux Pilgrim, with over 30 years in the insurance industry and 15 years as an agency owner, knows the ins and outs of what makes an agency successful. His innovative outsourcing solutions are designed to help you: ✅ Scale your operations efficiently ✅ Boost your profitability ✅ Enhance overall agency efficiency ✅ Minimize errors and reduce commission costs Beaux’s vision is to bridge the gap between insurance agencies and highly qualified talent, providing you with fractional services that can revolutionize your operations. How Can iaBlueprint Help You? 🌟 Access to Skilled Talent: Connect with experienced professionals who can handle your administrative tasks, allowing you to focus on growth and client relationships. 🌟 Operational Efficiency: Streamline your processes with expert support, reducing errors and increasing productivity. 🌟 Cost-Effective Solutions: Benefit from affordable outsourcing that enhances your bottom line without compromising on quality. 🔍 Ready to Transform Your Agency? Join the many insurance agencies that have already benefited from Beaux’s expertise. Discover how iaBlueprint can help you achieve your business goals with innovative outsourcing solutions tailored to your needs. 👉 Connect with us and explore how iaBlueprint can empower your agency to reach new heights. https://lnkd.in/gT7mVPqc #InsuranceAgents #IndependentAgents #EZLynx #InsuranceTechnology #BackOfficeSupport #RemoteEmployees #InsuranceIndustry #EZLynxIntegration #EZLynxExperts

It’s always humbling when people you admire speak highly of what you’re creating. Thank you: Integra Partner Network Shane Tatum Mitzi Fox Josh Barouh, LUTCF Shawn Nunley Adam Bamford, LUTCF

It’s always humbling when people you admire speak highly of what you’re creating. Thank you: Integra Partner Network Shane Tatum Mitzi Fox Josh Barouh, LUTCF Shawn Nunley Adam Bamford, LUTCF