I don't know if you're like me, but if I'm not intentional about practicing gratitude and having the self-awareness to give the current moment my full and most engaged presence, I can find myself stuck in a negative mindset of just trying to get through my current season. This is particularly true in seasons of change or challenge. It's safe to say we're in one of those right now. 

Hear my heart, I'm not making light of what we're walking through. We are all walking through the same storm but it's affecting each of us differently. I pray first and foremost for the health, safety and well-being of you and your loved ones....

A simple Google search for "insurance producer training programs" will yield you 12,900,000+ results. Haha! It’s true!

Yet very few that will get you actual results. For insurance producers who want to become elite at what they do, effective training is critical.

Why should you care about my opinion? Well I’ve been in the industry since 2005 in various sales, sales leadership and executive leadership positions and helped build and run the New Producer University for two of the Top 10 largest global insurance brokers. I’m also the Founder and Creator of the ECLIPS Academy, which since our launch a few years ago, has...

I’m going to come out of the gates swinging on this one…

YOU are your greatest competitive differentiation!

It’s not your proprietary six step sales process. (Everybody has one. If you don’t, feel free to use the one we offer up in Roll the Hard Six.)  

It’s not your carrier relationships. (Sorry to break it to you but all your competitors have the same senior level relationships with the same carriers. But at least your momma still thinks your special).

It’s not the name of the agency you rep. (Your client could really care less.)

It’s not your...

TL;DR Version: Elite producers stave off burnout by harnessing the power of self-care in a way that enables them to stay fully engaged with, curious about and compelled by their work on a consistent basis. Best-in-class self-care goes beyond the limited definition of physical exercise and meditation, but cares for the whole person by harnessing five unique powers: The Power of Reflection, The Power of Reframing, The Power of Renewal, The Power of Relationships and The Power of Refinement.

Experiencing Burnout

A couple weeks ago I received an email from a producer experiencing full-blown producer burnout.

...

Athletes call it “the zone”. Fans call it “clutch”. Creatives call it “the flow state”. It’s something that really can’t be described, only observed. It can’t be forced, but only slipped into. 

Michael Jordan in Game 6 of the NBA finals, clutch. Tom Brady, down 28-3 in the Super Bowl, clutch. As good as LeBron James is, his reputation of being clutch throughout his career has been challenged by many observers of the game, perhaps until the 2016 NBA Finals and a clutch chase down block.

Although we can’t create them, we recognize these moments for what they are...

I’m a fraud and the whole world is about to find out. Everyone is going to realize that I’m really not that smart. On the outside my brand is well dressed and put together, but it’s just a big façade suited up in designer clothes of borrowed ideas and accessorized with luck. Right place, right time. In over my head. Outkicked my coverage. Don’t deserve to be here. An Emmy-winning performance for "lead actor in the role of high-achiever” in the real life depiction of all those who are truly successful. And I have no idea what I’m going to do next. 

Meet your Imposter Syndrome.

...

99% Humble, 1% Brag
 

First let me just say, we love our community of elite producers! Seriously, y'all rock!

And while we pride ourselves on being 99% humble and 1% brag, I always believe it's important to find reasons to celebrate. And when you're building a business, it's important to celebrate everything from small beginnings (like getting your first BOR) to major accomplishments (like joining the $1M club). 

And let's be honest...sometimes it feels good to brag!

1,000 Unicorns  and Counting! 
 

We're excited to announce that last week the ECLIPS Academy crossed a major milestone for...

In Part I of this series, I shared the first five actions I felt are most critical to generating exponential new business results as a producer. To recap them they were:

1. Change your mindset.
2. Create a formal prospecting strategy (get one here).
3. Build a niche(s) of expertise.
4. Get really good at running first meetings.
5. Conquer fear by facing it.

In this post, I'll share the second five. As I mentioned before, this is not all I did, but ten of the most impactful actions that lead writing $937,500 in just 18 months.

6. Got in front of key decision makers. 

This is not new information. Every producer I've ever met...

Part I

First let me just say, this post is not meant to be boastful. In fact, I have another post I'm working on that talks about some of the stupid mistakes I've made as a producer. I'd write about all of them except I can't remember them them all, there are so many. Right now, I will tell you that some of them were really, really bad. And every journey is not without struggle. 

But I believe you should make mistakes as a producer. Especially when it comes to trying out different prospecting methods. If you're not, then you're probably not trying anything different or challenging enough. And that, in and of itself,...

If creating new opportunities is the lifeblood of a producer's pipeline, then developing elite producers is the lifeblood of insurance agencies. Unfortunately today, many agencies aren't effectively investing in their future by properly training their producers.

According to a recent study by the National Alliance Research Academy, the most important factor in the success of a commercial lines insurance producer is effective training in certain critical areas. It's my belief that the biggest differentiator between elite producers and everyone else is training. The top 1% of insurance producers, just like in any other...