What Not to Do When Your Agency Commission Rates Change

When commission rates change, keep your composure and don’t let anger drive decisions—avoid venting in writing, sending heated emails, or making bold statements you’ll regret; give yourself time to cool off (often longer than 24 hours) before responding. Don’t panic or lose sight of your business purpose, and assume most changes aren’t personal but the result of companies struggling with rapid industry shifts. Protect your team by not dumping fear or frustration on them, threatening compensation or jobs, or making premature announcements; if you need to vent, talk to someone outside the agency. Don’t decide to retire unless you were already planning to, and don’t sign or commit to anything until you’ve fully done the math and understand your numbers. Stay steady, measured, and focused on running a profitable business that supports your people and your life.

00:00 Why Rate Cuts Hurt

00:41 Don’t Let Anger Win

02:00 The 24 Hour Rule

03:35 Don’t Panic Pivot

04:23 Protect Your Team

06:50 Don’t Retire Reactively

08:18 Do the Math First

09:20 Stay Focused Forward

MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFIT

- Increase Your Net Income by 5 - 15% This Year & Every Year

- Learn more about the Agency Profit Fix

GET YOUR AGENCY READY FOR 2028

- Create an Abundant Agency for the Next 20+ Years

- Ignore the Noise, Figure Out the Numbers, & Create the Future YOU Choose

- Learn more about Automatic Insurance Agency Coaching

CREATE GREATER FREEDOM

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session

Identify & Invest in Your Most Desirable Clients and Drop, Ignore, or Delegate the Rest

• Apply the 80/20 principle by focusing on the small percentage of clients who generate most of your results, referrals, and satisfaction.
• Eliminate clients who drain your energy, reduce team morale, and contribute little value to your business or growth.
• Set boundaries and filter out attention-seeking clients by requiring commitment steps to identify who is truly serious.
• Delegate profitable but uninspiring clients so you can focus your time on high-impact work that only you can do.
• Prioritize and invest in top-tier clients who make you money, bring you joy, and create meaningful impact, as they drive long-term growth and fulfillment.

START WITH THE eBOOK

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session

Quantify the value of your work, and invest your time accordingly.

• Use the $10,000 per hour test (from Perry Marshall’s 80/20 framework) to identify which tasks you should stop doing and which deserve your focus.
• List all weekly money-making and money-saving activities, including tasks you do yourself to avoid paying others.
• Assign an hourly dollar value to each activity based on what it would cost to delegate, then rank activities from highest to lowest value.
• Eliminate activities that lose money, gain nothing, or have no clear economic value, and postpone uncertain tasks for a week, then a month, then potentially forever.
• Concentrate on the highest-impact, highest-income work while automating or delegating everything else to create more impact and income in less time.

START WITH THE eBOOK

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session

Identify the Low Impact, Low Income Work & Stop Everyone in Your Business from Doing It.

• Do a time audit in spring to free up your schedule so you can better enjoy summer and downshift without losing important business.
• Distinguish between tasks to automate/delegate (someone else should do them) versus tasks to eliminate entirely (nobody should be doing them).
• List all weekly activities and estimate the hours spent on each with specific numbers to reveal where your time actually goes.
• Circle activities that are both high impact (positively help people you serve) and high income (drive significant revenue) and aim to invest more time there.
• ​Cross out low impact, low income activities and stop doing them for a week, then a month, and if nothing breaks, drop them permanently.

START WITH THE eBOOK

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session

Make the Most of Your Life & Business by Beginning with the End in Mind.

• Many people focus on short-term survival or success, but true fulfillment comes from aiming for significance and legacy in both life and business.
• Creating a 20-year vision helps clarify what truly matters, encouraging you to focus on two or three big-picture goals rather than getting lost in details.
• Identifying the top three things you want to achieve in your personal and professional life can guide your decisions and keep you aligned with your long-term purpose.
• A legacy mindset shifts your perspective, making everyday distractions less important and helping you prioritize relationships, service, and meaningful contributions.
• Tools like the Legacy Vision Matrix can help you articulate and pursue your legacy goals, ensuring your impact endures for your family, community, and business.

START WITH THE eBOOK

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session

Increase the Lifetime Value of Your Customers by Conducting Multiline Insurance Reviews Focused on Their Goals and Dreams.

• Multilining significantly increases both customer retention and the lifetime value of each client in an insurance agency.

• Adding more lines of business, like life or disability insurance, is most effective when built on trust and genuine relationships, not just sales tactics.

• The true benefit of multilining comes from understanding and supporting clients' goals and dreams, not just selling more products.

• Agencies should position themselves as insurance coaches who look out for clients' best interests, rather than just product providers.

• Consistently investing time in clients leads to stable, repeat income and long-term business growth.

START WITH THE eBOOK

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session

Multiply your impact, income, and possibilities by expanding your vision of how you see yourself and your identity as a professional.

• Expanding your vision beyond your current achievements is essential for continued growth as an insurance agency owner.

• Your self-identity acts as a financial thermostat, influencing both your willingness to pursue greater opportunities and your comfort with higher levels of success.

• Evolving from agent to agency owner, then to entrepreneur, and finally to a person focused on impact and legacy, unlocks new levels of business and personal fulfillment.

• The broader your self-concept, the more you can positively impact others, create lasting businesses, and contribute to your community and legacy.

​• Regularly revisiting and upgrading your identity leads to ongoing growth, greater confidence, and the ability to set and achieve more expansive goals.

START WITH THE eBOOK

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session

Choose your level of impact, wealth, & clientele by deciding what level of professionalism you will deliver.

• There are three types of agencies, with the most effective being those that help clients identify and achieve their goals and dreams.

• Customers and team members prefer agencies that offer comprehensive, personalized service over those that provide only basic asset protection.

• Agencies focused solely on asset protection are at risk of being replaced by technology and larger competitors.

• Engaging clients in conversations about their goals leads to stronger relationships and greater loyalty.

• The way an agency positions and presents itself is key to attracting top producers and achieving long-term success.

START WITH THE eBOOK

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session

Stop wasting money on help you don't need and hire the people who will create greater free time for you & results for your business.

• Focus your time on the three activities that have the highest impact and generate the most income for your business.

• Make a list of tasks you dislike or aren’t good at, and work to delegate them so you can concentrate on what you do best.

• Review your current team’s responsibilities and ensure everyone is clear on their top three priorities.

• For tasks that haven’t been assigned, consider offering incentives or bonuses to encourage your team to take them on.

• Use your list of unassigned or disliked tasks to guide your next hire or contractor, freeing yourself from low-value work.

START WITH THE eBOOK

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session

Simplify Your Staffing, Hiring, Onboarding, Compensation, Training & Firing by Running Your Agency with 3 Primary Roles

• Staffing the agency with the right experts in each role optimizes profit and creates a more automatic agency.
• Different sales require different experts, so it is important to avoid mismatching roles.
• Retention experts maintain & service the book of business, reduce lapses, and set appointments for multiline experts.
• P&C Acquisition & Growth Experts GENERATE business for the agency with networking, marketing, & calling activity.
• Multiline experts focus on selling additional products and ensuring the best coverage for clients.

START WITH THE eBOOK

• Get the free ebook The 23 Reasons Most Insurance Agency Owners Can't Enjoy a 3-Day Weekend Lifestyle - And How to Fix Them

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

We’ll Discuss Your

• Biggest Goal - If you or your agency could only achieve 1 thing in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Value of Biggest Goal - What's it worth to you (money, free time and / or happiness) to achieve this goal?
• Biggest Frustration - If you could "fix" 1 thing in your agency in the next 12 months, what would it be?
• Frustration Cost - What is your biggest frustration COSTING you (money, free time and / or happiness)?

Then, We’ll Discuss the Plan & Expected Results

• Which goal(s) are likely to be achieved and how long it usually takes, based on our experience.
• The best way to help you achieve your goals, based on your style and time available to implement.
• Your anticipated time investments & money investments.
• What guarantees we can make

Schedule a Strategy Session