Agency Nation Sound

The answer we all wish wasn't true is, not many.

But that's exactly what State Auto did when Mike LaRocco came on board three years ago.

It's also nice that they believe so strongly in us, you know independent agents, and want to make sure we come along for the ride.

That's what I sit down to talk with the man himself about as he shares what the journey has been like and how the rest of the industry can learn from it.

Connect with Mike:

State Auto

LinkedIn

Twitter

P.S. Did you know the Agency Nation newsletter is best thing to happen to Sunday morning since breakfast was invented?

It's all possible we just suffer from some undiagnosable form of mental illness to prefer to do business this way.

Or there could be unexplainable benefits to selling insurance with the people you also spend the holiday's with.

Because this behavior is so common, it's also hard to walk away from, especially if you already stepped in.

That's what I talk with Patrick Muscenti, of McGown Insurance, about as he shares his journey out of his family agency.

P.S. If you always want your Sunday morning's to start right, subscribe to our newsletter here. They'll never be the same again.

Not to mention you could've have missed something and waited all that time for nothing...

Doesn't SEO sound great? Guess what though, if you can survive all of that, you'll be rewarded with a constant stream of leads that never runs dry.

Well, I mean if you don't keep up appearances it will eventually stop flowing.

That's what TrustedChoice.com SEO master Nyssa Lieder and I talk just to make sure you remember.

P.S. Did you know Nyssa teaches a 20+ video SEO workshop in Agency Nation University? You might want to check it out.

Sounds a little too good to be true, right? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

If you're knocking down 10-15 personal home and auto policies every week, you just need to close one final expense policy to do it.

Now, if you're one of those P&C guys that swore off life insurance years ago, this sale should get you back at the table.

That's what I wanted to talk to my new friends Mike Quaranta and Dave Nyborg at Oxford Life to find out just how easy it might be.

Connect with Mike and Dave

Mike on LinkedIn

Dave on LinkedIn

P.S. Elevate 18 is getting closer everyday, if you don't have a ticket, the regret might be too much to live with.

Talent is Talent.

When's it's right it's right. There's nothing you can do about it.

But if you want it, you've got to look for it everyday.

Not just when you need it.

That's how your agency hires the best people.

The chances of you finding the absolute best person for that position in a two week time span is near impossible.

The big question is, why aren't you always looking for the next person you're not sure you'll need?

Because if you are you'll always have the highest quality candidate ready to fill a hole or take on a new position.

That's what Ryan, Sydney and I talk about today plus setting the right president to maximize your collective results.

P.S. Did you know there are less than 70 days and 60 tickets left for Elevate 18? You can come, it'll be more fun if you're there.

When you hear someone say no your brain treats it the same as physical pain.

Sounds crazy, but that's probably not what you want your customers feeling when they're on the phone with your agency.

It's amazing how simple it can be to dramatically change the experience your clients have just by being positive and giving them useful alternatives.

That's what Sydney Roe and I talked to Matt Wood, of MetzWood Insurance, about what his wife is doing at Etsy to change their customer experience.

P.S. Agency Nation University has a ton of resources focused on improving your agency customer experience.

The tricky part is making sure you've given them enough to do to be able to figure it out.

If not, there's no way you'll ever know who your biggest fans are and which leads want to talk to you the most.

Sydney Roe turns the tables on me at the dinner table to talk about the process I went through to give my leads a score.

P.S. No joke, we have less than 40 tickets left for Elevate 18, did you get yours yet?

Would that sound like a much simpler insurance world to live in? Would you also have a much easier time presenting certain coverage to potential clients?

These are borderline redundant questions that are a dramatic improvement from what you have probably been doing.

The best part is that it is actually a reality available to you right now and one that you should seriously explore.

That's what my new friend Ryan Collier, Chief Digital Officer for RPS, to tell you how to get there.

Connect with Ryan

LinkedIn

P.S. Ryan and the RPS team will be hanging out at Elevate if you want to get a look at their simplicity first hand.

When you think about it, it's amazing we've been able to get away with it this long.

This is the type of focus, mindset and passion that's needed to move the needle and actually do something about it.

Because simplicity is really hard and what we currently have is anything but simple.

In fact, you might be able to go as far as calling it lazy with the weight of expectations we place on the customer.

That's what I wanted to talk to Ryan Collier, Chief Digital Officer for RPS, about what they were able to do about it.

Connect with Ryan

LinkedIn

P.S. Ryan and the RPS team will be hanging out at Elevate if you want to get a look at their simplicity first hand.