by David and Tracy Bell | Dec 7, 2021
With the new year around the corner, you’ll be reviewing how your business did this past year and reflecting on your goals and what you want to achieve in life and in business.
Here are three inspiring examples of those who managed to make it from humble beginnings and what we can all learn from them.
Jan Koum
Koum was born into poverty in a tiny village in Ukraine. After migrating to America with his family as a teenager, Koum became fascinated with computers and eventually began working for Yahoo!
In 2009, he had the foresight to predict the future success of the embryonic mobile app industry, so he founded WhatsApp. By 2014, he’d sold it to Facebook for $19 billion. Koum’s story shows that intelligent forward planning can be the key to reaching your goals.
John Paul DeJoria
DeJoria began his working life moving from low-paid job to low-paid job, from shifts as a janitor to delivering newspapers. Befriending Paul Mitchell while working in hair care, the pair took out a small loan of $700 and founded John Paul Mitchell Systems, today a global conglomerate.
Since then, he has helped to found Patron Sports and is worth over $3.1 billion, proving that strong drive and good friendships can take you farther than you think.
Kevin Plank Plank was on the edge of going broke when he decided to put his life savings together with a $40,000 advance on a credit card to fund a company selling clothing under his brand, Under Armor.
After making a $17,000 sale to Georgia Tech University, sales to 24 NFL teams followed, and in a few short years, it turned into a multimillion dollar company. Today the company is worth billions. Plank’s journey shows the power of investing in yourself!
by David and Tracy Bell | Dec 6, 2021
With the new year around the corner, you’ll be reviewing how your business did this past year and reflecting on your goals and what you want to achieve in life and in business.
Here are three inspiring examples of those who managed to make it from humble beginnings and what we can all learn from them.
Jan Koum
Koum was born into poverty in a tiny village in Ukraine. After migrating to America with his family as a teenager, Koum became fascinated with computers and eventually began working for Yahoo!
In 2009, he had the foresight to predict the future success of the embryonic mobile app industry, so he founded WhatsApp. By 2014, he’d sold it to Facebook for $19 billion. Koum’s story shows that intelligent forward planning can be the key to reaching your goals.
John Paul DeJoria
DeJoria began his working life moving from low-paid job to low-paid job, from shifts as a janitor to delivering newspapers. Befriending Paul Mitchell while working in hair care, the pair took out a small loan of $700 and founded John Paul Mitchell Systems, today a global conglomerate.
Since then, he has helped to found Patron Sports and is worth over $3.1 billion, proving that strong drive and good friendships can take you farther than you think.
Kevin Plank Plank was on the edge of going broke when he decided to put his life savings together with a $40,000 advance on a credit card to fund a company selling clothing under his brand, Under Armor.
After making a $17,000 sale to Georgia Tech University, sales to 24 NFL teams followed, and in a few short years, it turned into a multimillion dollar company. Today the company is worth billions. Plank’s journey shows the power of investing in yourself!
by David and Tracy Bell | Nov 3, 2021
Reputational harm is one of the greatest business threats today. How can business owners best protect their companies?
Your business reputation is simply what others think and feel about your business. Those thoughts and feelings could be based on experiences with your business or on what people have heard about your business. And these experiences could be true or not.
Your reputation is important because potential customers don’t wait until they’ve verified accurate information about a business to decide whether to engage with it. They make decisions based on whatever information is available to them.
Your reputation can be created both online and offline. Online, it is created through your business website, your social media posts and online customer reviews. Offline, it is created through the appearance of your office or store, your events and your phone calls.
How can you maintain a good reputation? Carefully craft the appearance of your store. Maintain your offices. And think about how your behavior may be perceived. We hate to sound like a nagging mother, but if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
If you aren’t careful, more than your reputation could be at stake. Libel and slander claims are pervasive, and the average cost to defend and settle these types of claims is more than $750,000.
For small businesses without proper coverage, these suits can prove devastating, so make sure you have the right insurance in place for your agency and your clients.
by Syndicated Insurance Resources | Aug 1, 2018
Are you effectively growing your insurance book of business or do you feel like you’re living in an episode of “Lost in Space?“
No matter which version you’ve seen—the 1960s classic, the reruns, or the recent Netflix remake—you are probably familiar with the storyline.
The sci-fi episodes find John Robinson and his family braving the unknown cosmos and strange planets after Dr. Zachary Smith, a wonky spy, throws their ship off course.
It is no surprise that the cheesy adventures of “Space Family Robinson” have many subliminal parallels to real life. In fact, many insurance agents and brokers encounter similar experiences that the Robinson’s did in their businesses today.
Lost in Space Lessons
See if you can relate:
“Danger, Will Robinson!” While Dr. Smith’s behavior thickens the Lost in Space plots, his character hides behind a mask of lies and manipulation.
In today’s world of fake news and fake gurus, you have to stay alert while working hard to nurture relationships to earn the trust of prospective clients.
Creating a Colony. The series finds the Jupiter 2 (The Robinson’s ship) on a continual quest to establish a colony on a new planet, but a crash of the mothership derails the game plan.
Like the quest to create a colony, you may find yourself constantly seeking new customers and prospects, too.
A Sabotaged Mission. In the show, Dr. Smith is well-known for sabotaging the mission and getting trapped on board during take-off.
Do you sometimes feel like technology has sabotaged your ability to grow your business like you used to do?
Let’s face it, instant access to online quotes makes closing insurance sales that much harder for you.
“Does Not Compute.” The Robot’s famous line is easy to apply to the insurance broker and agent world, especially when you have to juggle so many different tools to search for quotes.
Every carrier system seems to work differently, which creates frustration while wasting your time.
All is Not Lost.
End your feeling of being “Lost in Space” by using Syndicated’s FREE tools to find the products you need. We specialize in tough-risks, pay-as-you-go terms, and higher-than-industry-average commissions.
Our platform gives you access to multiple programs from A-rated carriers with more 150 markets and 40+ combined product offerings you cannot access anywhere else.
You can even find options that entertain experience mods of all types.
Let us help you stop your never-ending adventure today. Sign Up. Sign In. Get Paid.
by Syndicated Insurance Resources | May 23, 2018
Digital transformation (DX) is impacting business everywhere around the globe. Unfortunately, many insurance agents and brokers who stick to old methodologies are caught in the crosshairs of this transition.
Those who decide to use technology in their business can win. Those who do not are certain to lose.
With decades of clunky workflows, reams of paper, and cumbersome software that continually needs updating, the insurance industry has a tremendous opportunity to connect with customers by leveraging digital tools in their business.
Those insurers who embrace DX are on a path to enhanced profitability, lower costs and stronger customer loyalty, according to management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.
Insurance agents and brokers can remain competitive by tapping into digital resources and tools in a number of innovative ways.
Make Informed Business Decisions
It is clear that digital strategies are being launched in many companies. Yet, some businesses are trying to create digital transformation without using existing data and analytics to make informed decisions. Others are becoming obsolete as they watch from the sidelines and do nothing at all.
Today’s DX-focused world uses data as the foundation that drives everything. Digital transformation is not even possible without tapping into existing data.
For example, your paper and computer files contain valuable insights and information about your customers wants, needs, and preferences.
Are you using this information to service your customers? Or do you simply rely on conversations to help uncover information about every situation?
Are you still:
- Using paper documents for your intake forms?
- Manually filling ACORDS for processing? and
- Investing hours of time calling for quotes?
Automated data can allow help you make smarter decisions faster, especially in today’s highly competitive insurance industry.
Keep Your Business Competitive
There is no doubt that technology can help your business grow.
The question you should be asking is, “what resources are available to help me achieve results and meet my customers’ needs?”
The good news is there is a free, no-strings-attached solution guaranteed to produce results that are easy-to-use and can earn you higher commissions.
However, simply knowing about these tools and solutions won’t do anything for you if you don’t use them.
The key to success is taking action to tap into the resources and make them part of your daily business operations.
Doesn’t getting instant indications sound a lot better than leaving messages for people that never return your calls?
Think of a new reality where you can respond to clients quickly with quotes that meet their needs.
Don’t be left in the dust by other insurers. Use technology in your business to save time while increasing your bottom line.
Experience The Results For Yourself.
Test out Syndicated’s Broker Gateway.
Not comfortable with technology? No problem. Email or call us (877-333-8195) for a quick and easy conversation.
Syndicated team members can quickly walk you through how to upload ACORDS and access more than 150+ markets.
Here’s how to access Syndicated’s Broker Gateway:
- Sign Up here and click on the link in your confirmation email.
- Get Started following these simple directions for the option you need.
The choice is yours. Remain competitive, or stay the course and get left behind. Independent insurance agencies that use technology will replace those agencies that don’t.
Let Syndicated help you embrace digital transformation and grow your business.
by Syndicated Insurance Resources | Apr 18, 2018
The competition independent agents face has exponentially grown with today’s technology age. Today your customers and prospects can shop for insurance policies one of two ways: online or by working with a live person.
You have to strategically do things to remain relevant and get noticed by your ideal customers. If you don’t highlight why your services are better, you run the risk of losing them to online vendors.
One of the best ways to keep customers coming to you for their insurance needs is to educate them continually about the value you bring. Find creative ways to constantly share WHY doing business with you is better than getting coverage over the Internet.
Five Advantages Agents Offer
Here’s a starter list of the many advantages businesses and individuals receive by working with an experienced insurance agents like you.
Trustworthy Relationship Building: While the advent of artificial intelligence makes computers amazingly fast and smart, they offer empathy, or evoke emotions like humans. Interacting with a living person who cares for you allows for sincere relationship building. In turn, trust and loyalty are built to create repeat customers for years to come.
Genuine Cost Savings: There is a misperception that online insurance is cheaper. In reality, the unique situation of a business or individual, as well as the type of coverage they choose, can drive the insurance costs. Working with live agents allow individuals to compare insurance policies that make the most sense to your situation while ensuring you’re not overpaying. In fact, multiple products can be bundled together to create a cost savings not found online.
Seasoned Expertise: Yes, artificial intelligence empowers machine learning. But insurance needs extend beyond mechanical calculations. You’ve invested your time training and learning the markets. With your know-how, you have a knack for anticipating your clients’ needs and making recommendations a computer could never do. As a licensed pro with 10-30 years of experience, you can offer actual advice that fits the situation.
Personable Customer Service: You provide a familiar voice and a trusted answer that is accessible on a dime. Urgent questions, distressing claims, policy changes and urgent inquiries can be addressed immediately. This is preferred over the alternative of long hold times, automated phone queues, or sifting through a computerized list of frequently asked questions.
Intuitive Analysis: Independent agents or brokers are wired to watch over customers protectively. You conduct renewal reviews that machines cannot offer. You know when there are discounts available or other options to save your customers’ money. Online systems don’t look out for your customer’s best interest while being attentive is something you take pride in doing for them.
Extend Your Value By Using Free Resources
Help your customers see the many benefits that come from doing business with you instead of faceless Internet options. Eliminate any questions or concerns by shining the light on the value you bring that simply cannot be duplicated by machines.
Extend your value by tapping into Syndicated’s free quick response system of tools that makes it easy for you to find quick quotes for hard-to-place clients and situations. Already signed up? Access our Quick Start Guide or call us so we can personally walk you through the system.
With the new year around the corner, you’ll be reviewing how your business did this past year and reflecting on your goals and what you want to achieve in life and in business.