To be successful in the insurance industry, you need to remain motivated, hungry for new clients and new opportunities. Of course, as with almost any job, this is always easier said than done. In addition to being engaged with peers and clients, a motivated agent is constantly seeking to improve business relationships and take a look at their performance and opportunities for growth.
Even if being motivated is understood as important, it can be difficult to remain focused and engaged every day. When it comes to insurance, there are specific things agents can do to motivate themselves to be as successful as possible.
Create a Positive Work Environment
You spend huge amounts of your time at work. And the work environment you subject yourself to has a direct influence on your ability to do your job, whether you are an small agency with just a few staff members or a larger one. As either a leader or an employee, you can take steps to create a motivational work environment, even if you cannot control all aspects of the workplace. It’s imperative that you facilitate an environment that encourages recognition and continuous learning, as well as being a physically pleasant place to work with a positive team and coworkers.
Increase Your Personal Motivation
Motivation is not limited to the team and environment. The attitude you take personally is just as important, if not more so. One of the best ways to self-motivate is creating goals and having a clear short-term and long-term vision. Motivated agents understand that learning from others, pacing yourself, and introducing fun into the workplace will help to keep them on track.
Be Value Driven
As an agent, you should do business according to your values. Decisions are often based on your morals and internal compass. You must know what your values are as an agent and then strive to work by those values every day. Your clients, employees, coworkers, and even competitors will see that you are a service-driven agent that cares about helping your customers. Aim to demonstrate these traits in all aspects of your business.
Be Readily Available
Insurance is a client-based industry. For that reason, agents must be readily available to help increase the loyalty of their customers. It can be comforting for clients to know they can reach you for help after “normal business hours” if they are in urgent need of making a claim, for example.
You don’t have to be available at all times, day or night, but you need to find a way to be available that works for you. During times of need, a friendly face can have a great impact. It shows empathy and understanding, qualities you’ll be appreciated by your clients.
Keep Focused
Avoiding distractions as much as possible is easier when you prioritize your tasks. Start your day off by getting the things done that typically distract you the most throughout your day, such as reading and responding to emails. Prioritizing is all about understanding your working style, and then making a plan to overcome any obstacles you might run into throughout the day. Try delegating smaller tasks to others, scheduling time for breaks, and blocking off time to complete specific tasks without being distracted.
Help Your Insurance Business Grow and Prosper
Focusing on the growth of your business is a surefire way to keep you motivated. Helping your business grow in this digital age can be easy, but it can also be a daunting task for those who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with technology. Learning to use the best digital insurance tools to your advantage will help you expand the number and quality of services you can provide to clients. One insurtech that has greatly benefitted many of our agencies is Glovebox. Glovebox gives your agency its own app that clients can download for free and request servicing as well as used to access all of their necessary documents like insurance cards. This cuts down on the amount of time you spend servicing clients as well as decreasing their wait time.
Explore the latest technological advances as well as how other successful insurance agencies are utilizing digital tools. These days, there are numerous different insurance technology platforms out there. To be successful, you need to choose the software that’s right for your company and learn to use it to your advantage. Do your due diligence and carefully research tech options before you make a decision. Tech can include website building platforms to optimize your website, email marketing software, and virtual document signing.
Motivating yourself every day can be difficult to do. We all have moments of distraction or times when it’s hard for us to stay focused. Momentary lapses in motivation are normal, as long as you’re keeping yourself focused on your goals in the end. Taking small steps each day to keep yourself motivated can be hugely beneficial. Remember, it’s your clients and your business overall that will benefit from a motivated insurance agent.