As an insurance agent, growing a business requires a high level of intentionality. I’m often reminded of the importance of basics. And just like with a sport, continually practicing the basics has a massive impact on the growth of a business. Fortunately, there is a way to determine whether or not one has mastered a skill – can they effectively communicate and teach that skill? If that’s not the case, objective goals can be implemented to become a master.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss utilizing repetition in our practice, determining the mastery of a skill, and designing goals to make our practice count.
The FUN-damentals
When’s the last time you listened to a podcast and you thought to yourself, “I don’t need to listen to this, I “know” this already…?” This is one of the greatest shortcomings of business leaders. We tend to search for the next and greatest piece of advice. We end up signing up for countless seminars, conferences, etc. in hopes that they will have the magic pill to improve our business or ourselves.
I recently watched the Michael Jordan documentary on Netflix and was reminded of the importance of fundamentals. Watching Michael’s process as he religiously practiced the most basic of basketball skills transformed him from a mediocre high school player to an NBA all-star within a few short years.
Those practice sessions weren’t glamorous. They required early monotonous mornings and a drive that was unmatched. It required the sacrifice of comfort as well as a lonely journey. But it produced one of the greatest athletes of all time.
The same principle applies to business. As insurance agents, we sometimes scoff at the basics. But just as with Michael, a firm foundation is what will bring you to the top. There is always room to hone your skills in sales, marketing, and financing. But if you don’t have an underlying foundation of the basics, it does not matter.
Apprehension vs. Comprehension
There is a difference between knowing something and KNOWING something. A better way to phrase this might be that there is a difference between apprehension and comprehension. The first type of knowledge is a basic understanding. When someone has this level of knowledge, and they communicate what they know, it often comes off disjointed. Yes, they might be able to describe what they know but will be hard to follow, muddled, and randomly jump from point to point.
A comprehensive form of knowing is displayed in the ability to clearly communicate an idea or concept. Listeners walk away with a basic understanding of the information and reiterate the main points of what was taught.
My takeaway is – how well you know something can be based on how well you can teach it. When you can teach from a place of comprehension, you can confidently know that you mastered it.
Shoot those Free Throws
When Michael practiced the fundamentals, he approached it with a specific goal in mind. He didn’t simply want to become “better” but had mile-markers as to what success was. This looked like dribbling drills, free throw practice, and footwork. He developed a plan for practice to attain those goals and executed them.
Many individuals approach improvement from a subjective standpoint. They want to get “better” without having details in place to determine success or failure. Because a subjective goal is difficult to measure, it is difficult to accomplish. An objective goal is clearly defined. In the case of Michael, it might have been shooting 100 free throws every morning. For an Insurance Agent, it might be role-playing lead calls 2x in the morning before the day starts. Whatever it might be, have a goal in mind.
This process starts with planning and asking important questions.
- Where in your business do you want to improve?
- Define an objective goal to measure improvement.
- Develop a plan for improvement.
- Execute.
- Surround yourself with others who will keep you accountable.
Here at the Branning Group, we offer several resources for insurance agents in any areas of growth that you are wanting to achieve.
- Need help in Sales? I recommend that you join Colby‘s Wednesday sales training class so that you can become a master at closing the sale and overcoming objections. You can join the call next week for free at joingrowthplus.com
- If you’re not using Social Magnet, you should be. It’s the one-stop-shop for posting onto Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Gone are the days of jumping onto various platforms to get your message out. Sign up today at www.socialmagnet.app
- Or perhaps you need help with connecting with your clients. If that’s the case, check our list building https://www.listbuilding101.com/insurance-agents