Ditch the Excuses

As insurance professionals, we need to stop making excuses as to why we are unable to accomplish our goals. The number one reason why anyone fails at their job is because of themselves. There are many reasons why our job may be made more difficult than it needs to be, but that should not prevent us from being successful. The formula is pretty simple: Identify the reasons why your job is more difficult, address those that can be fixed and don’t waste time trying to resolve (or complaining about) those that have no solution.

Let’s take the three examples that I hear the most at my job:

People only buy insurance on price – This one drives me crazy. It is patently false. It’s an excuse created by large direct writers to give independent agents a reason not to try. I’m not saying that price isn’t a factor in the insurance decision-making process, but it is not the only reason (or even the largest in most cases).

How to eliminate the excuse – Shift your own thinking. If you think price is the only reason, you will only sell on price which will lead to you only selling when you have the better price. It’s a basic self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, paddle against the tide; don’t succumb to the easy path. Identify reasons why doing business with you is better for the customer. Build rapport and sell yourself. Many people buy the person more than the product anyway.
Where there may be a valid reason – I don’t live in a complete utopia. I am not here to try to convince you that you can overcome any price gap with any client. But don’t stress about those that do want to buy only on price and don’t allow it to become an excuse why you are not being successful. Identify and move on quickly from those that are solely looking for the lowest premium.

I’m too busy to get my work done – Another for the all-time list of things I hear that drive me crazy. I always hear people say they are too busy to get their prospecting or renewal calls done. But I never hear anyone tell me that they are too busy to take their day off or their lunch break. Or to stop and chat for 15 minutes while getting coffee.

How to eliminate the excuse – I remember coming out of college that the first item they told me to put on my resume was that I was great at multitasking. While this is an important skill, it can often lead to as many problems as it creates. If you have 10 things you are trying to accomplish and you know that you can’t get to all of them, are you better off doing the 5 things in order of priority to completion, or should you get ½ way through all 10 items thereby getting none of them done? Additionally, how much time are you wasting in your day on functions that do not need to be done? I’m not only talking about wasting 15 minutes getting coffee but are you efficient in your day to day activities. If you are making renewal calls, do you have it down so that you can make 3 calls in 15 minutes even with the account review? Or do you take 10 minutes to do the account review, 10 minutes worrying about the call and then 5 minutes to make the call?
What you may not be able to do about it – I am not rallying for the idea that people should not have time off. I’m also not asking staff members to work 60 hours a week. We all have tasks on our plate that are going to take up the hours we are being asked to work. There is no debate that we all have a lot to do. But by being more efficient during the hours when we are focused on our jobs, we can accomplish a lot more and actually make our lives easier by working at a good clip without the feeling of being overwhelmed.

I’m not a salesperson or I don’t want to sound like a salesperson – While not unique to the insurance industry, there is a general fear that in an effort to provide our clients with better coverage that we will come off too pushy. Go ahead, read that sentence again. I’ll wait… Yes, that is how some people approach making sure our clients are protected correctly, they worry about being salesy.

How to eliminate the excuse – This one could not be any easier. It is not a matter of attitude or perspective, it is simply learning a new skill to better explain why someone should do business with you, round their account, or increase a coverage. In fact, the best way to sell someone something is to not sound too pushy. So don’t. Simply explain the value of the product and allow the client to make a sound decision of why it is right for them.
Where there may be a valid reason – Nope. I’m not giving you an out here. If you believe in your product and develop the skills to be able to explain its value, you won’t sound like a salesperson and in fact will sell more.

So, that’s it. Stop making excuses! You are responsible for your own success. The number one person to blame for our failures is ourselves. Once you stop blaming others and realize you are in control of your own successes and failures you will start to achieve your goals.

About David Siekman

Dave's career in the insurance field began in 1999 as a customer service representative for Plymouth Rock Assurance in Boston. Siekman has held his Massachusetts Property & Casualty Producers license since 2005. In 2013, he was a finalist for the NetVu Automation Excellence award. He's now a Performance Specialist at Agency Performance Partners.