Trusted Advisor Podcasts by The Iroquois Group

You can accelerate the growth of your agency by hiring and retaining top producer talent. On this episode of the Trusted Advisor Podcast, Virginia Bates shares her wealth of industry experience on how to hire and incentivize talented producers. Virginia and Charlie discuss the current state of the industry and strategies that agencies are using to find producer talent. Some agencies have found success in hiring ex-athletes while others find internal sales coaching to be effective. One trait that Virginia sees constantly in top producers is pride in the social good the industry contributes to society. If you lead a sales team this episode is for you.

Agency leaders face significant challenges these days. On this episode of the Trusted Advisor Podcast, we are joined by certified leadership coach Joan Fletcher to remove some of the mystery behind what leadership coaching is and who it can benefit. Joan draws on her 30-plus years of experience to show us the power of intentional leadership and suggests how we can reflect on our own leadership style to improve it. Joan and Charlie talk about how to raise emotional intelligence and transform company culture. This episode will energize your week.

We all want to win new customers, but a critical part of business growth is customer retention. Having poor customer retention is like trying to fill a leaky bucket. Speaker and author Joey Coleman argues that agencies need to be proactive about building next-level customer experiences and that the first 100 days are critical to forming positive long-lasting client relationships. Coleman also walks us through the 8 steps of strong customer retention: assess, affirm, acclimate, adopt, admit, activate, accomplish, and advocate. Is your agency getting an A+ with your customers?

Steven Germundson of OPTIS Partners is back this week to share his expertise on Succession Planning. Steve has a useful acronym called P.A.C.T. that identifies the four things to consider when planning for the next generation of owners: People, Agency Value, Capital and Time. The most important component is the people. Steve and our CharlieVenus identify some of the intangible qualities of strong owners and discuss the importance of coaching the talent coming up ranks. Strategies like golden handcuffs can help retain your top talent, thereby increasing your agency’s value. It’s never too early to start planning for the future of your business, so start today with this episode of the Trusted Advisor Podcast.

Our podcasts are for informational purposes only and are not intended as legal or financial advice. We strive to present a variety of viewpoints on our podcasts and not all of those viewpoints reflect those of The Iroquois Group.

For Agencies looking to transition internally, the landscape continues to change as private equity acquisitions increase. In this episode, we are joined by Steven Germundson of OPTIS Partners an expert in the how, when and whys of succession planning. Steve walks Charlie through the wealth-generating strategies of transitioning your business to the next generation of leaders. Steve and Charlie trade real-world experiences of transitioning business ownership. Making a plan today could make a world of difference when it is time for the senior leadership to pass the torch.

Your organization is made of people, processes, and technology. How those three components share and retain information is Knowledge Management. We’ve all had the experience at work where one employee fields all the tricky phone calls because no one else knows how. This is a sign that your knowledge management efforts aren’t capturing critical information about the operations of your business. This week on a special episode of the Trusted Advisor Podcast, Charlie Venus interviews fellow host Edwin K. Morris about the world of knowledge management. Visit https://pioneer-ks.org/ to learn more about Knowledge Management.

When is the last time you popped the hood on your company’s culture? The softer side of business such as emotional intelligence and healthy group dynamics have a big impact on attracting and retaining high talent individuals. This in turn can affect the overall success of your company. That’s why, this week we are joined by Maryellen May, from Door 3 Coaching, to discuss the value of developing a strong work culture. Maryellen has a vision for your agency where employees feel valued, business objectives are met with creative solutions, and change is seen as an opportunity for growth. We hope you’ll join us on this week’s episode of the trusted advisor podcast.

Dr. Erin Cornelius joins us for an update on the lasting impact of Covid 19. She argues the silver lining of the past two years is the surge of creativity in businesses across so many industries. We talk about everything from restaurants switching to selling carryout freezer meals to the increased worker flexibility in our own offices achieved by reconceiving the workspace and adopting new digital tools. The one thing we can be sure of is continued change in the workplace and the pandemic has shown us the importance of embracing change and cultivating resilience in our organizations.

This month Iroquois is focused on the importance of producer coaching and we couldn't resist revisiting Charlie’s conversation with Ian Altman, co-author of “Same Side Selling.” Ian walks us through the mindset of high-level producers and recommends some tips on managing your team. How often does your sales team practice its pitch? In meetings, are you capturing the client’s issues, the impacts of those issues, and their desired results? Invest in the talent at your agency with this episode of The Trusted Advisor Podcast.

When you work with Iroquois, you’re working with a partner who’s on your side. This week we check in with one of those trusted advisors, Erin Marshall, Iroquois Regional Manager for Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Erin walks us through the practical ins and outs of how Iroquois plans throughout the year with its Member Agencies. You’ll get a sense of Erin’s passion for helping our agencies succeed and it all starts with listening to each member. Erin and Charlie also talk about what our carriers need and how that can shape planning for the year.