Agency Intelligence

Prospecting for new business isn't usually "fun" and making cold calls is often even less exciting. In fact, many insurance agents don't cold call at all. And, those who do either don't leave voice messages whatsoever or they leave messages that are terrible and get zero results, meaning no one ever calls them back. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain not only why you SHOULD leave voice messages when you do cold calling but he gives you at least three real and usable scripts of what your voice message should be. Episode Highlights: Charles opens the episode by saying that he does not think too many people like prospecting. (1:20) Charles explains that you should have a good message when prospecting. (5:14) Charles explains why he recommends leaving a voice message but also why it should be the last-ditch effort. (8:57) Charles provides tips and samples of how to speak with gatekeepers. (9:34) Charles provides samples of what he thinks might

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Chris Greene, The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris is based in Georgia and serves the lower 48 states with flood insurance solutions, both NFIP and private. Learn more about his program and how you can partner with him to serve your clients and collect a generation commission split at https://www.floodinsuranceguru.com/floodinsuranceprogram. Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

It's your fault. It's all your fault. Don't blame me and don't blame anyone else. You're building what you want to build so look in the mirror and own it. The size of your Book of Business is your own business but if you don't like what you're building then STOP AND BUILD SOMETHING ELSE.  In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, Charles Specht will tell you what you need to do to stop thinking small, how to start thinking BIGGER, and what you need to change in order to achieve the new business revenue growth you want. Episode Highlights: Charles opens the episode by sharing with his listeners why he is angry. (1:39) Charles shares his experience with the two agents that he has encountered. (2:55) Charles mentions that sometimes you just have to take a step back and ask yourself, “What are you building?” (8:53) Charles talks about advising an agent to increase the size of the account that they prospect. (12:36) Charles explains that he wants people to realize that there is no re

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ricky Hayter, owner of ANR Insurance Group, joins the podcast for a tremendous conversation on what it takes to run an independent insurance agency. Ricky is growing his agency like crazy and shares some of the challenges they've faced as well as how they've overcome all of them on the path to world domination. Don't miss this episode... Episode Highlights: Ricky discusses his thoughts as a leader and his observations while acquiring an agency. (6:44) Ricky shares his personal view on the ability to provide energy in an office setting vs working remotely. (12:52) According to Ricky, it is critical to offer employees the same level of independence as everyone else in the firm. (19:15) Ricky says that when he interviews individuals now, he looks for people who can manage themselves, are self-motivated, and are reliable. (23:59) Ricky describes how he gives his people time off. (29:48) Ricky feels that the only way to properly develop a healthy unrestricted ti

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens, Aurora Mullett, and Vonda Copeland sit down to talk about how the industry is in transition and how women and men are the same and different, and how we as women can lessen the gap. Episode Highlights: Vonda talks about her experiences as a female agency owner. (2:21) Aurora discusses her experiences as a female insurance executive. (5:46) Aurora explains that she has experienced more bias from women than she has ever experienced from males in the industry. (7:52) Vonda believes that her agency needs more female salespeople to balance things out. (17:35) Teresa, Aurora, and Vonda talk about what they can do to encourage women to work in sales rather than just ownership or CSR. (18:46) Aurora believes that it's okay for a woman to be aggressive when the situation calls for it. (20:38) Vonda discusses the distinctions between being a female agency owner and a male agency owner. (27:41) Aurora and Vonda talk about how they manage their

Permission is everything. The Broker of Record Letter is not everything. Permission is the goal; the BOR is a tool. Spend more time gaining the insured's PERMISSION and you'll be able to collect a lot more signatures on BOR's. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you how to win your prospect's PERMISSION in order to win more new business.  Episode Highlights: Charles explains that everything about the Broker of Record letter has to be focused on a specific word which is: Permission. (1:40) Charles shares why the idea of gathering the insured’s permission is necessary in order for you to actually have success in the entire outcome. (4:14) Charles mentions that gaining the insured’s permission is one of the wisest things you can do. (6:10) Charles shares the focus of everything that he teaches and does. (10:37) Charles discusses that the Broker of Record letter is the most valuable tool and piece of paper in the insurance business. (13:07) Cha

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Travis Parry, Ph.D., Balance Coach and Bestselling Author of Achieving Balance. Travis shares why we need to shift our focus from perfection to becoming perfected and shares how you can achieve balance in your career and life.  Episode Highlights: Jason started his show by discussing what balance is. (1:20) Travis shares that he is an iPhone user. (4:22) Travis says that the last application he downloaded was Pos Bean. (4:33)  Travis answers the question of whether he loves to win or he hates to lose. (5:34) Travis chooses luck over skill as the bigger factor in his career. (6:34) Travis shares his background story, how he started, and where he is at this point. (7:34)  Travis talks about his father and his achievements. (12:13)  Travis shares the reason that made him write his book, Achieving Balance. (18:03)  Travis shares what we can do to achieve more balance in our life. (25:54)  Travis explains the difference betw

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James is joined by several friends who have all come together to share on the Top 10 things independent agents and teams should be thankful for this year. Joining in the conversation are J.C. Wogomon, Lucas Jones, Eric Roberts, Jared Lorenz, Casey Nelson and Michael Franke. Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Monica Adwani for Part 2 of the book review of The Gifts Of Imperfection by Brené Brown.  Episode Highlights: Monica starts by saying how things have changed since the last interview. (2:37) Monica shares her perception about being worried about making mistakes as an adult. (8:18) Monica talks about how productivity and innovation are very important. (17:02) Monica speaks about how amazing women can use guilt against themselves. (23:45) Monica shares her opinion on one of the topics in the book about appreciation. (30:09) Monica states that having a moment of privacy calms her. (36:04) Monica shares her understanding of a phrase from the book. (38:21) Monica and Teresa talk about cultivating meaningful work and letting go of self-doubt. (43:08) Monica tells Teresa what she listens to when driving. (54:07) Monica shares a memorable movie that is related to the topic of cultivating joy. (1:00:00) Key Quotes: “How

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Langille, Founder of Advisor Evolved. Chris shares digital marketing strategies and tools to improve your agency’s digital presence. Episode Highlights: Chris talks about his last name and its country of origin. (1:42) Chris talks about his 2 sons and what’s keeping them busy. (5:24) Chris shares his ideas about new technology. (12:08) Chris talks about how he gets results for his clients. (17:20) Chris shares more about investments. (23:35) Chris talks about Google My Business and how important it is. (25:14) Chris shares that the biggest competitor of GMB is Apple, in his opinion. (31:38) Chris talks about tips on how you can get on Google My Business. (34:14) Key Quotes: “I never planned on, you know, doing what I do now. I mean, it kind of happened by accident. And, you know, I love doing it.” - Chris Langille “We tell our clients all the time that 99.9% of independent agents do zero advertising. So if you j

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Brandon Smith, author of the 2022 Producer Development Planner and the creator of the Producer Development Program. Learn more about Brandon's planner and program at https://www.producerdp.com Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

LinkedIn is one of the absolute most potent tools out there for prospecting, whether in B2B or B2C. Unfortunately for most insurance producers, they either don't use LinkedIn at all, they use it poorly, or they come across as spammy. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will begin teaching you how to use LinkedIn to prospect better, close more deals, and build your Book of Business. Episode Highlights: Charles explains how he utilizes each social networking platform. (1:57) Charles considers LinkedIn as a fantastic tool to network and prospect. (10:05) Charles believes that it’s tough to utilize LinkedIn as a prospecting tool if you're not actively engaging with your prospects. (12:14) Charles discusses the value of micro-niching. (13:10) Charles believes that focusing on one area will help you succeed. (16:22) Charles shares that he will be releasing content on how to utilize LinkedIn soon. (18:02) Charles says that if we can give prospects free inf

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Kevin Abramson, President at Cover Whale joins the show to discuss why the insurance industry is ripe for innovation and how Cover Whale plans to attack these opportunities.  Cover Whale is currently providing insurance truckers by breaching the gap between insurance and technology. This is a tremendous conversation, don't miss it... Episode Highlights: Kevin discusses his firm, Cover Whale, and the work they accomplish. (4:28) Kevin provides his thoughts on what it takes to be a great leader and how to take charge of your own destiny. (10:45) Kevin shares some challenges that he encountered that he did not expect. (16:04) Kevin agrees that having that human aspect in a tech business is not very easy. (20:19) Kevin explains what he means by digesting data faster. (24:10) Kevin elaborates on how he manages to catch and spot bad behaviors in an app. (27:22) Kevin states that failure is part of being a start-up company. (32:35) Kevin shares his vision an

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Monica Adwani, to review Brene Brown's book: The Gifts of Imperfection. Teresa and Monica discuss how the ten Guideposts may benefit women and leaders. Episode Highlights: Monica talks about their new virtual professional company called Savvital. (3:42) Monica discusses the book's first paragraph. (7:41) Monica explains why we must remember that everyone has unique challenges. (17:17) Monica discusses what she learned from the book on how we can support each other and approach each other in ways that promote an authentic experience. (19:52) Teresa and Monica discuss that responding appropriately, listening, and acknowledging when somebody comes to you is important. (22:18) Monica explains how it is empowering to know that she can educate her children to hope because it is a conscious choice. (29:47) Monica talks about letting go of perfectionism (40:02) Teresa and Monica tackle the third guidepost from the book, which

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jeff Shi, CEO of Quotehound and Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International to talk about all things Crypto and what it could mean for the future of the insurance industry. Episode Highlights: Jeff mentions that there is a lot of change going on in the insurance, agency, and insurtech worlds. (2:49) Jeff says that this was his first year on LinkedIn and paying attention to ITC events. (5:53) Jeff explains that VCs are the ones driving the Insurtech space. (11:08) Jeff discusses Geico's decision to lay off 135 R&D employees. (25:48) Jeff believes that our industry is excellent, but that we need 100,000 additional salespeople to compete at the next level. (31:57) Jeff explains that insurance breakthroughs have to be claimed. (41:27) Jeff mentions that he loves chatting with people in the reinsurance industry. (43:45) Key Quotes: “Most of us buy coins. tokens on the exchange, right? Every token we buy affects shelf stocks

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Ty Harris, Co-Founder, and CEO of Openly Insurance. Openly is an emerging digital native carrier currently operating in 14 states. They are positioned to be a major player in the IA channel for years to come. Learn more about Openly at https://www.openly.com. Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show, and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ciara Gravier CIC, CRM, CCIC, PWCA, CPIA, Founder and CEO of The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management joins the show to share all her secrets to winning the start-up independent agency game.  Ciara is someone I’ve personally been a fan of for a long time and it was an absolute pleasure to be able to spend time and learn more about her story. You're going to love this episode... Episode Highlights: Why did Ciara establish her own agency? (5:15) Did Ciara ever regret letting the Allstate brands go? (8:09) Ciara shares what they did when she first started the agency. (12:41) Ciara mentions that they were able to assist others in starting their own businesses from the ground up. (15:16) Ciara discusses some of the challenges of not having direct appointments. (18:28) Ciara explains why including business in the books has been difficult for her. (25:02) Ciara explains why engaging in the killing commercial is one of the best things their agency has ever done. (

No, your prospects don't really HATE you. Nope, they don't LIKE you, either. Moreover, they probably don't KNOW you from Adam (whoever that guy is). The real issue, however, is that your prospects don't TRUST you. And, why don't they trust you? The answer to that question -- as well as how to fix it -- is what host Charles Specht will teach you in today's episode ... which is all about Mastering the Art of Persuasion. Episode Highlights: Charles shares how to turn prospects into clients. (1:03) Charles talks about rude prospects and making them do business with you. (4:19) Charles shares tips on how to understand phrases from prospects and what they really meant to say during a call. (10:04) Charles shares about the C3 or the Cold Call Carrot. (12:04) Charles talks about mergers and acquisitions. (16:21) Charles states that the size of your book of business is dependent upon your ability to persuade. (20:12) Charles elaborates on the advantage of being able to persuade. (23:40) Charles shares

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens is joined by Kristen Walkup, Agency Development Office Manager at Willow Wood Insurance Agency. Kristen talks about being an office manager and shares her experiences on going from captive to independent. Episode Highlights: Kristen shares her journey into the insurance industry. (1:22) Kristen shares her positive experience of moving to the independent side, despite it happening during COVID. (6:19) Kristen talks about her strategy to keep everything straight in a conversation. (8:48) Kristen talks about how people want to connect at work before and during COVID. (20:58) Kristen explains how she handles a conversation with a client. (25:05) Kristen shares her transition from working for a big company to running her own business. (29:39) Kristen gives out advice to agency owners on being able to find their own space. (34:20) Key Quotes: “A lot of times people are uneasy making a decision, and I just want them to know, we're here fo

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Brad Fuller, CEO of Lightspeed Voice. Brad talks about what makes Lightspeed Voice unique, the importance of customer service, and the value of integrations.  Episode Highlights: Brad answers whether he is an android or iPhone user. (4:07) Jason asks Brad what was the last app he downloaded. (4:27) Jason asks Brad if he loves to win or does he hate to lose. (5:36) Brad states that he thinks the biggest factor to where he is now is luck. (7:47) Brad shares his background and how he started with his career. (9:36)  Brad talks about his company Lightspeed Voice. (18:15) Brad talks about what customer service is about for his company. (24:48) Brad explains that Lightspeed Voice has a strong focus on building and improving integrations. (26:14) Brad elaborates about Lightspeed Voice owning its infrastructure. (32:18)  Brad shares the story of how she met his wife. (35:03) Brad shares that he watches Billions on Hulu. (40:21)