When you are a busy small business owner, it can be tempting to let your new employees hit the ground running. With all of the things you have to worry about in your normal day-to-day operations, you may feel that taking time to formally train your new hire would be the best use of your time. Failing to do so, however, could create a struggle with employee retention. To help business owners build—and keep—their best staff, here are some employee training tips.
Hire Smart: The training process is going to be much more effective and go much quicker if you hire people who are self-starters. When you have someone who is driven to learn, training them becomes more of a guidance than hand-holding process, freeing up more of your time even as you pour into your new hire.
Tap Your Team: Fortunately, you do not have to be the sole person offering guidance to the newest member of your team. Ask your other employees to get involved. Having your new hire shadow the staff member in the role closest to theirs can be a great way to use everyone’s time and resources, for example.
Use Tools: Training can start to feel tedious after a few days of repeatedly saying “Do this.” To get more creative and more effective with your training, utilize online resources and the power of your own position. Positive feedback from you can help encourage productive behaviors in your newest employee.
Contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program for a premier wealth creation program that will help you work less, earn more, and enjoy life!
Grow your agency in October with these great tips.
1 – Know Your Client
Be alert to details that matter to the client and recognize what makes every encounter with each client unique. Our brand promise, “Because You’re Different,” hinges on employees knowing their distinctive clients and sustaining a positive relationship. Tell your client what you are doing for them that they might not know about and make a point to ask them questions about their business. – Jackie Donnelly, Heffernan Insurance Brokers
2 – Link Up
Ask key commercial clients for their permission to include a link to their websites on your agency’s website, show case them in a blog post, monthly newsletter, the sky is the limit. You can bet they will give you their OK and will probably appreciate your loyalty to them, building a rock-solid relationship and a long-term client – it’s a win-win!
3 – Customer’s Shoes
Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Think: “If I were them, what questions would I ask?”. TIP: Ask great pointed questions and zip it (two ears, one mouth).
4 – Referral Partnerships
Enter into a mutually beneficial agreement with a referral partner (i.e., accountant, car dealership) with the objective of sending each other hot leads. Year after year 25+% of new business in my agency comes from Referrals!
5 – Umbrellas
Sell increased limits on umbrella policies. Invite personal and small commercial lines umbrella insurers to increase their policy limits beyond $1 million. Many CSRs and producers write a small umbrella once – and then forget to suggest adding another million, or more when the account is reviewed.
6 – Promote 100% of the Ways to Reach You
Promote your phone, fax, email, website and office location(s) on all of your marketing. This could include business cards, brochures, emails and social media. Anywhere you have your agency logo, every other way to reach yo0u should follow too!.
7 – Screen Share
It’s not always possible to get an in-person appointment. Using easy-to-use screenshare technology (such as Join.me, Skype.com, GoToMeeting.com, FreeConferenceCall.com, etc.) is a good way to share a presentation, or go through your website while you’ve got the prospect or client on the phone.
9 – Great Customer Service
It’s not a secret tactic, but it is the most effective one. When our agents provide customers with outstanding service, they show their appreciation by giving us referrals. As Walt Disney said, “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”
10 – Give Them Something
My mother always taught me to never go visit someone empty handed, this has always served me well. Never leave your client or prospect empty-handed. Give them something useful and informative that will make them think of you every time they see it and use it.
11 – Tracking Metrics
Growing agencies have one thing in common: They track where every new piece of business is coming from, so they know which marketing efforts are paying off. They also track the number of policies per client, so they know whether they are building deeper relationships.
Contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program for tips and help on how you can generate new income for your business.
Some habits can be dangerous for your business. Do you have any of them?
No two snowflakes are alike: that’s something we learn from a very early age that holds scientific truth. This is because no two snowflakes fall in the same path—with even the smallest of temperature or pressure differences, they come out looking different. Similarly, your business likely had its own unique start and you alone can make people realize that that difference is worth their money.
Some habits you may have picked up on the path to uniqueness could actually be hurting your business. The following questions are ones you should answer, and try to transform any of these detrimental habits.
Do you focus on results or reasons?
It’s said that when it comes to business there are two kinds of people: those who see results, or those who see reasons. The people who see reasons only see the reasons that their dream can’t be realized, while the others get the results that they want to see. You have to focus on goals that are possible for you! If you’re driven by results, you’ll see your dream come true faster.
“Why not,” or “why bother?”
“Why bother” people easily throw their hands up in the air when they are presented with challenges seeing the time and effort as not being worth it. “Why not” people see the situation as an opportunity. If they fail, they’re no worse than they were before.
Are (some) rules meant to be broken?
Rules are there for a reason: they keep order in our society filled with human beings. Some rules, however are better to be broken that kept sacred. In life, sometimes playing it safe can hold you back. People are admirers of those that take risks and break the rules that need to be broken.
Growing your business can only be done when you, yourself, grow as a person – a business owner – and as a leader. These can only come from within, and if you’re serious about your business, you’ll look into making these changes. it is time to figure out how you can start earning more, working less, and enjoying life! Contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program to do just that!
When you are a busy small business owner, it can be tempting to let your new employees hit the ground running. With all of the things you have to worry about in your normal day-to-day operations, you may feel that taking time to formally train your new hire would be the best use of your time. Failing to do so, however, could create a struggle with employee retention. To help business owners build—and keep—their best staff, here are some employee training tips.
Hire Smart: The training process is going to be much more effective and go much quicker if you hire people who are self-starters. When you have someone who is driven to learn, training them becomes more of a guidance than hand-holding process, freeing up more of your time even as you pour into your new hire.
Tap Your Team: Fortunately, you do not have to be the sole person offering guidance to the newest member of your team. Ask your other employees to get involved. Having your new hire shadow the staff member in the role closest to theirs can be a great way to use everyone’s time and resources, for example.
Use Tools: Training can start to feel tedious after a few days of repeatedly saying “Do this.” To get more creative and more effective with your training, utilize online resources and the power of your own position. Positive feedback from you can help encourage productive behaviors in your newest employee.
Contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program for a premier wealth creation program that will help you work less, earn more, and enjoy life! To learn more about how you can become the best leader for your team, make sure you sign up for our “Leave No Regrets” Boot Camp. It will be held in San Diego this November and offer you the tools you need to see the most success this year.
These Resources Can Help You Maximize Efficiency This Year
As a small business owner, you likely constantly feel you have too much work and not enough time. Fortunately, technology is increasingly becoming useful for small business owners, and there are a handful of online tools that can help you make the most of your time and get the most from your work. To get you started using these resources to increase your business’s success, here are a few online solutions worth checking out.
iMeet: Did you know that the majority of communication from human to human is nonverbal? So when you take most of your meetings over the phone, you miss out on body language and facial clues from your clients. With iMeet, you can get face-to-face time without ever leaving your office. This service simply requires an Internet connection, and is compatible with smartphones and tablets.
WordPress: WordPress is no longer just a place for individuals to post their blogs; it has grown into a site where businesses can host professional looking websites and regularly updated content. With a plethora of plug-ins, themes, and widgets, this site allows immense customization so you can get the right website for your business without paying big money.
Evernote: Do you ever feel you simply have too many thoughts swirling around in your head? Capture them in writing or in a voice memo, as well as important website and images, with Evernote. This software utilizes the cloud to make sure you have access to your important information and to-do lists wherever you are, from any device.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were other tools available to help you get the most out of your business? There are! Contact the team at Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program to learn more about their premier wealth creation program that will help you work less, earn more, and enjoy life!
If you have a small business, you likely have goals that you want to reach, whether it be making more profit or expanding your company. Those dreams may seem murky at best, and you may not be sure how to put your thoughts into action to make your goals a reality. Know how badly you want something and use these tips to help you achieve it.
How Badly Do You Want It? Complacency vs. Desperation
We see people acting with desperation every day! Desperation can be extremely useful for achieving your goals, while being complacent can kill your dreams. Knowing how badly you want something is crucial in inspiring action. If you do not truly want something, you are not likely to go after it and achieve it, but if you want something with desperation your chances of reaching the goal is much higher. The more you want it, the more likely your goals will become a reality.
Planning
We all have the same amount of time to do things: 24 hours in a day, 365 days a year. It is what we do with our time that allows us to achieve the things we want. Once you have a desperate attitude about something, the first step to achieving it is planning. A simple exercise is all that is needed to help you reach your goals:
Make an effort every night before you go to bed to write down three new game-changing ideas to help you achieve your goals and try to implement them the next day. If you do this regularly, you will be more focused and will try different ways to achieve your goals, making it more likely that you will succeed!
Contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer to ensure your business’ success! If you are ready to take your agency to the next level and start living life on your terms, join us at Unstoppable Profit Producer Boot Camp, on December 4th & 5th in Costa Mesa, CA! This 2 day LIVE event is designed to give you EVERYTHING you need to Explode Your Business, Create Financial Security and Have More Freedom in 2015. Contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program for a premier wealth creation program that will help you work less, earn more, and enjoy life!
If you are looking to find success in launching your new product or service, you must utilize the various benefits of marketing. If you did not major in marketing, you may not know where exactly to begin and what your main point of focus should be. Compiled is a list of 5 marketing must-dos that you should incorporate within 60 days of start-up:
Most importantly, build your brand. You will need to choose a logo, corporate colors and fonts, and your primary vision and mission should be clearly defined.
Due to society’s technical dependence, you must launch a website. Your initial website must answer the basic questions – who, what, when, where, and why?
Again, society’s infatuation with social media makes this a crucial element for marketing. Focus on your social media presence on the most popular forums, Facebook and Twitter.
Send out a press release to online blogs, websites, newsletters, etc. Local publications will likely support your small business and will gladly introduce your product or service.
Do not forget to network! Gain traction and spread the word about your company with people you know in related industries.
As a small business owner, you are constantly addressing problems, and making difficult decisions. Have you ever wondered how your troubles differ from those of other small business owners in America? If so, here are the top 5 main concerns of small business owners in the nation:
Customer acquisition and retention
Functionality and reliability of technology
Talent management: recruiting and retaining staff
Taxes, government regulations, and health care reform
Financing, and decreasing ability to acquire funds.
Almost half of all small business owners believe their business will experience expansion in the year 2014. Our country is home to 28 million small businesses that employ approximately 1/3 of our entire population! Small businesses are so very important to our country, and we want to see them succeed!
If you are a small business owner, and are interested in utilizing a wealth creation program, please contact Mike Stromsoe’s Unstoppable Profit Producer Program! We can provide you with tools that will lead you directly to success. Give us a call, today!!
