Got Goals? How to Build the Best Insurance Sales Goals for 2018

Kelly Donahue-Piro

Co-Founder of Agency Appeal

Goals that don’t scare you aren’t big enough. It’s 100% true. Have you ever set a goal and wrote it down and thought, “well that would be outstanding but, shoot, I’m not sure I can do it.”? Any goal is achievable with a great action plan. Conversely, if you write down a goal to grow by a small percent, it can often be too easy and therefore doesn’t push you far enough out of your comfort zone. We can all fluff a goal and stay comfy but if you want something BOLD you have to have a big goal and dream.

As a culture we don’t love failure, so we play it safe. Goals are not meant to be won every single month. They are meant to be hard work! You don’t win the Super Bowl by being fluffy, right? You want to be so in love with your goals that you will do anything to get there and realize them. Wake up early, sacrifice weekends, ask for the business, hand out cards. Get aggressive. When you play it safe you never recognize your full potential. So does your 2018 goal scare you? If not, think bigger!

How do you set your big goals? Start with where you are today. How do you lose weight? You step on the scale right? Find out where you are this year. If you didn’t achieve what you wanted, that’s ok. That’s why you are planning today! We need a starting place.

Now that you are settled into where you are currently let’s take a moment. Think back. Where did you cut corners? What do you want to do differently? If you were focused, what could you do? Could it be 20% more? 50% more?

If you start to get overwhelmed, take out a piece of paper and write down exactly what you will do with the extra income. Pay down debt, buy a new car, vacations? Make it a reality. What will motivate you is the ability to live in the way you desire. Now you can get back to creating your goals.

In the article 6 Simple Tips You Need to Tackle Big Scary Goals, Schnelle Acevedo talks about how to keep your cool while you are going through the process of hitting your goals.

Be Patient: Uggghh so hard today but vital to success. There are studies that say we give up around 40% of our potential. It’s darkest before the light so stick with it. You could be on the verge of the tipping point. Plus what do you have to lose? Only your best self.
Have a Plan: My personal favorite part! When you have a plan everything seems to work. Your goals are step 1, your strategy is step 2. Don’t leave it to fate, write down your exact plan of attack. In detail, what will you commit to?
Expect Setbacks: We all think everything will be perfect. It just won’t. Someone will quit, you will lose a deal. Get back on the train. Plan on one set back a quarter so when it happens it’s in your plan. Keep moving!
Find a Mentor and Cheerleaders: You need your squad to keep you going! No doubt. When you are being bold you need support.
Document Your Progress: Break your goal into daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly bites. You need to understand that every moment of hard work can go toward winning.

About Kelly Donahue-Piro

As a dynamic public speaker and consultant I have spent the last decade focusing on how small business owners can capitalize on opportunities within their reach. With over 5 years experience in the local insurance agent sector I can bring training, marketing and technology to your agency that helps you effective and efficiently grow your agency. My specialties include consulting and coaching on upselling, account rounding, agency culture change, sales scripting, executive level coaching and benchmarking as well as agency retention skills. Contact me today to learn more about how I can help your agency grow!