Agents for Life

Just like most things in life, as an insurance agent, momentum is everything. It's tough to get but once you do, you'll thank your lucky stars because the business becomes much easier.

Maintaining and cruising along is easier than all the effort required to get going. Something to do with Newton's law, I think (I'm not a scholar, but I've heard of the guy).

Learn this and you can master your business.

Landing page: https://myagentbuilder.com/agent

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/AdCJ7VE1Bl8

One of the keys to a successful appointment is keeping your messaging streamlined and focused on what the client wants most.

Mortgage Protection appointments are all about...their mortgage. In a sense, they're simpler than other types of appointments.

If you're focused on Mortgage Protection, there are three main strategies (not products) that you should understand so you can help steer your client in a direction that will make the most sense for them.

Listen in to learn more!

Landing page: https://myagentbuilder.com/agent

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/v91zf-dV07I

Mentorship, as it turns out, is a two-edged sword. Your mentor has a role to play, but you certainly do, too. And it only takes one of you not doing his/her job for everything to not work out.

This podcast is dedicated to a topic you don't usually hear about: how to be a good mentee.

Because even the best mentor cannot help someone to their goals if the student isn't doing his part.

Here are 10 things to help me help you.

Landing page: https://myagentbuilder.com/agent

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/-OmccOktUwc

Go to school, get good grades, graduate with a degree, find a company and work for 40 years and they'll take care of you. That may have been good advice for my dad or grandpa, but it's not good advice anymore. The traditional model has been turned upside down. This podcast breaks down the two models, diving into cost, risk, timelines and opportunity in each. May the best man win. Landing page: https://myagentbuilder.com/agent

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/FSPbp58UK6s

I do a lot of interviews with new candidates considering joining Equis Financial. And one of the questions I get asked the most is, "Why is Equis different?"

What they're asking is, why should they join? What is it about your system that's so great and how is it different from everyone else?

Hopefully, after you listen to this, you have a good idea of how to answer that question. Landing page: https://myagentbuilder.com/agent

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/vhgEwWas7Bs

Is your income system-driven or activity-driven?

There's power in owning and taking advantage of a system. And that's exactly what we have our hands on.

Are you leveraging the Equis system to your full advantage? Or are you like the guy who owns a beautiful new Ferrari but never drives it? What you have is capable of so much more, as soon as you catch the vision.

Don't fall short on this opportunity!
Landing page: https://myagentbuilder.com/agent

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/2Sj-yPvKSxY

The first part of your appointment is the most important.

It's the small window of time you have to instill confidence and trust, overcome objections before they surface and set the expectations for what will happen over the next 20 minutes.

If you don't have your "table setting" script down yet, listen to this and make it a priority.

When you learn to do this properly, you'll see your placement rate go up as you reduce your "thinkaboutit" objections at the end.

I hope this helps you protect more families!!

Landing page: https://myagentbuilder.com/agent

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/NMfwMlDsR7A

An increasing number of us are getting requests, especially from Ethos leads, where folks want the Big Kahuna. They want the million-dollar policy.

And yet, in over 1,000 policies I've written, I can count on one (maybe two) hands, the number of cases that are near that size.

What that tells me is what people WANT and what people actually GET are almost always two different things. A very important thing to remember when you're talking to a prospect who has that request in mind.

This podcast can help you sort through that with conversation tips you can say to direct your client to a sensible decision regarding their life insurance.

I hope it helps!

Landing page: https://myagentbuilder.com/agent

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/bHEeUDH6fdk

By now, you have likely heard about our new comp plan! It's quite the gamechanger.

It's time for all of us to step up our game and build our businesses. This podcast (and the video) is for all of you to help you easily spread the word and get this opportunity out in front of others.

Use any one of these links to share it with folks you know. Be consistent and over time, you'll see your team start to grow.

I hope this helps you get to your next level!

Landing page: https://myagentbuilder.com/agent

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/dAOfGQNNnfQ

Universal Life insurance is quite possibly the most misunderstood and misrepresented product on the market. They're tough to understand and can be even more challenging to explain to a prospect.

This podcast will help you understand the difference in (hopefully) easy-to-understand terms. That said, please don't start presenting these if you're a new agent. Focus instead on simple products that you can understand and explain.

If you do sell these, please make sure you're doing it right so there are no surprises.

Bottom line, we're here to do right by our clients!

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/vpqst5A-ZZo

What a blessing to be at Equis Financial, where our leadership has your best interest at heart! I'm talking about the new comp plan. If you haven't wrapped your mind around it quite yet, let this podcast do that for you.

I also have an idea at the end to help you explode and take full advantage of how this comp plan works. I hope some of you will take me up on the challenge.

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/_fMvSy1T93s

January is upon us and this is the time of the new year where things are just starting to slip. Ever so subtly.

So it's time to button down. Let's stay strong and keep habits that will last all year long! One such habit that you'll thank yourself for is what I call the most important five-minute meeting you'll have all day long.

Who attends? You. That's it. Just you and yourself.

Listen in and give this a try and see if it helps you stay productive and organized with all the plates you have to juggle.

It may not produce a miracle...but then again, maybe it will. :)

Youtube: https://youtu.be/5IPuCZGsT-E

Are you in debt?

Have you run an appointment with someone who's in debt?

Most of us are tackling our debts the wrong way. As life insurance agents, we have access to one of the most powerful debt-elimination tools on the planet. So we need to be talking about it with people.

This podcast is a case study from one of my DF4L referral appointments. This one is particularly powerful because of the number of debts they had and the amount they had been paying out to creditors.

Take a listen and prepare to have your mind blown.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/aKe5HubMfMY

Ask any sprinter, getting the correct start is essential to winning. But the good news if you've been running the insurance race for a while, you can still reset and recommit to the basics.

This podcast breaks down what I consider to be six non-negotiables for any new agent trying to create success in this industry. If you're new, these tips are critical if you're going to make it. If you're a veteran, they're just as important.

Let's make 2024 your best year ever!

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/QnT6YcyzDhQ

After writing over 1,000 policies, I can say with a strong degree of authority that there are a LOT of bad policies out there. Often written on unsuspecting and innocent folks and likely by well-meaning but inexperienced agents who didn't have a solid mentor.

There are times when it makes sense to stop the bleeding and replace it with a better one. But we have to be careful and always do the right thing for the client.

This podcast will walk you through my thoughts, advice and ideas on when such a move might be appropriate.

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/QnT6YcyzDhQ

As you look back at 2023, what do you like? What didn't you like? Hopefully, you've taken some time to reflect on your year.

Maybe it was a "Setback" year? If so, let's make sure 2024 is your "Comeback" year! I know I have a few big plans and I hope you do too.

Listen in...

It's a new year! New goals, new intentionality, new opportunity to grow to a level you've never reached before. And it all has to do with how you spend (or invest) the most precious thing you have: your time.

There are three key principles relating to time that I want to pass along. Most agents who fail never fully understand these key principles.

I hope this podcast helps you toward whatever you're set to achieve in 2024 because you're a walking, talking miracle and there's no reason you cannot accomplish your goals this year!

How often do you get prospects asking you to just give them some pricing? If that's truly what they really want, they can save time using Google and get a lot more options than you could ever dream of...from the convenience of their fingertips.

Truth is, they likely do want more than just a quote but they may not tell you. It's your job to draw that out. And you do that by directing the conversation from the beginning down the "coverage" road as opposed to the "quote" road.

Because what does everyone do with quotes? They think about them.

YouTube version of this: https://youtu.be/tt4f3Q24IpM

As 2023 comes to a close, we tend to turn our thoughts to a larger picture of our lives. What does yours look like? What does it take to truly change and how long does that change take to really kick in?

If you're not familiar with the Compound Effect, it's time you listen in- it's a concept that will change your life. One degree. That's a tiny change now, an enormous change 20 years from now.

How your life looks down the road depends on the micro-adjustments you're willing to make (and sustain), starting today.

Let's talk about it!

YouTube version of this: https://youtu.be/Gso2eEsiF1g

Life insurance agents have two main tracks to run on: face-to-face or virtual.

Which one is right? Well, like most things in life...it depends.

This podcast outlines the pros and cons of each so you can determine what model best fits your circumstances. The bottom line, they both work. What matters most is your activity toward whichever model you choose.

Humans are magnificent creatures. Although there may be some limitations to what we can DO, there is certainly no limitation to the human SPIRIT. I came across such a story this week that I wanted to share with you. It kind of gets you thinking about your own self-imposed limitations and why we think too SMALL far more than we think too BIG. I hope this inspires you as much as it inspired me.

As a new agent, there's a lot to do. But there's also a lot to stop doing.

We tend to focus on what we should be doing. This one's against the grain. This podcast is dedicated to helping you understand and remember what NOT to do, which can be just as important to the success of your business. Link for the Raleigh Event mentioned in the podcast: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/equis-financials-2024-kick-off-event-tickets-753923675007?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

The appointment is simply a series of questions you ask your prospect. From the moment they answer the phone or the door, your job is to peel back the layers of why they're looking for insurance, what they want their policy to accomplish and, ultimately, what plan and price will best accomplish all of that.

Be a question asker, not a feature describer. The most successful agents are good at asking lots of questions in their presentation, positioning them as an expert rather than a salesperson.

Here are some good thoughts, along with a collection of some of my favorite questions I like to ask when on an appointment.

Link for the Raleigh Event mentioned in the podcast:https://2024kickoffevent.eventbrite.com

Here's the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/E1RXbim8nH4

A good life insurance agent has to be good at guiding his prospect through the process of going from greeting to closing the sale. Essentially, there are five main hurdles you need to get them through in order to ensure your success at the end of your appointment. Learn the outline of the appointment and apply it to any type of life insurance lead you are working!

Keep this in mind on your next appointment! :)

Link for the Raleigh Event mentioned in the podcast:https://2024kickoffevent.eventbrite.com

Sometimes I like to take a geeky, rabbit-hole dive into a spreadsheet full of numbers. But not just any numbers. These are numbers that COULD be an indication of my future- growth, income, etc.

So I took to the Spreadsheet gods this week and went in deeper than I ever have on what a gameplan looks like- the good, the bad and the ugly. This isn't just a fluffy, sugar-coated painting of what life insurance business looks like. This shows the ups, and downs, highs and lows and takes into account slow, steady growth...all based on very conservative numbers.

I hope it helps you gain a vision of what could be your future as an Agent for Life. :)

Link for the Raleigh Event mentioned in the podcast:https://2024kickoffevent.eventbrite.com

The sad truth is most life insurance agents do not hold annual reviews for their clients. But every problem is an opportunity for the right people.

If you can get good at doing a policy review with people, you now get to work with those who do NOT have coverage, but also those who already do have coverage. Most coverage reviews, if conducted properly, will reveal opportunities to put a client in a better position.

And, clients will appreciate that you're one of those agents who keeps in touch to review one of their most important documents.

This podcast dives down deep into how to do one, what to look for, what key questions to ask and how to uncover opportunities for writing more business as an insurance agent.

I hope it helps!

I've heard it said that "half the battle is showing up." While I feel that's a bit of an over-exaggeration, I do see value in the idea behind the advice.

Showing up gets you started. Showing up gets you engaged and it helps keep you committed. Ultimately, you have to do the work, but showing up is definitely one of the most important parts of your journey to success.

Here are three key areas where you need to show up as a life insurance agent. I hope this helps.

Scripts are super important. They're time-tested sets of words that work. And following them will help you succeed. You could say scripts are very important to success in our industry.

They're also the letter of the law. In this way they can be a blessing and a curse. If you get too caught up on the words and forget about delivery, you missed the boat.

HOW you say something is every bit as important (if not more so) as WHAT you say. In other words, when people feel your heart and your intent, they're much more forgiving if you mess up a word or two.

So, let's spend a little time today on delivery...

Since the time I've started my career as a life insurance agent, and throughout my continued study as a student of success, I've found there are just a few basic steps anyone must follow in order to achieve success.

I hope this helps you think about your journey to success with just a little more clarity.

Human potential is limitless. As a race, we keep breaking world records, and limits and doing what has previously been considered impossible. When our backs are against the wall and we absolutely MUST perform, we almost always do. And that's when the miracles happen.

Comfort zones are the enemy. If life is too good, we tend to NOT step into our potential, trading instead a quiet life of mediocrity, living well below our capabilities. Why? Because we don't have to.

The way I see it, we have two options:

1. Wait for circumstances to come that MAKE us step up to our potential or...
2. Make ourselves do it, in spite of being in our comfort zones.

The key to success is the second one.

So...what do you HAVE to do?

We work with about 20 carriers. Each one has an average of 5-7 products. Term, Final Expense, UL, Whole, etc. What's what?

If you're new, it can be very overwhelming. You want to do what's right for the client, but how do you know which product to use when. If that's you, this podcast is for you.

This is the verbal cheat sheet from the document with the same name.

I hope it helps you become a better underwriter. Or at least expand your mind a little more as to what's out there and when to use it.

Tough question, right? It's a wakeup call to those of us who have fallen prey to stinking thinking. If you're like me, you've been here many times, even recently! My message is that you don't have to STAY there.

I believe that falling into a negative mindset every now and then is human. I think we're all subject to that. But staying there...that's on you. That's entirely within your control.

Hopefully, this is the wakeup call you've been needing. :)

I had a really interesting appointment this week and I thought it might make a fun case study to share with you. I haven't done one of these before, so if you like this kind of thing, let me know and I can do more.

This particular case was interesting because the strategy included using an annuity to fund a whole life policy and the numbers just worked out such that she's essentially getting a $1K/month guaranteed lifetime income stream for free!

Appointments like this really help me appreciate what we, as agents, do for people!!

Possibly one of the biggest overlooked opportunities is writing child's policies. For some reason the kiddos get swept under the rug and we forget to talk about it.

I would venture to bet even most of your neighbors, friends and family do not have coverage on their children. And, like most things in our business, it's usually just a matter of bringing it up and talking about how it would benefit them.

This podcast is dedicated to the children. Why, what, which carriers and how to write policies on them. After all, those young whipper-snappers need to be protected, too!

There's no doubt that the road to achieving your dreams requires faith. Primarily because of obstacles.

Obstacles block our view and keep us from seeing the final product. Most often, we have enough visibility to see just a few steps in front of us, rather than the entire path.

I hope this gives you a little hope and comfort that if you're not seeing everything all at once, you're normal. Just take that next step. It requires faith, but faith has always brought about miracles, right?

See you at the top!

If you've ever run an appointment, you know how janky it can get. You say one awkward comment, it sparks an unusual question or concern you weren't prepared for and it's a downward spiral from there...all the way to an hour spent with no sale.

In this episode, I'd like to change how you think about your appointment just a little bit. I may not be the best at analogies, but hopefully, this will at least alter your mindset one or two degrees and help you gain a little more confidence and control during that precious 20 minutes you spend with a prospect.

I hope it helps you go out and create some new results this next week!

Not to add one more thing to your mental plate, but this one's kind of important. Many of our appointments either do not qualify or are not interested/don't need life insurance.

But almost everyone wants to get out of debt.

If you're not asking about DF4L on your calls and appointments, you're leaving money on the table. I recommitted to asking the questions again and booked four on the calendar. So far, two are excited and moving ahead. One said he thought it sounded too good to be true!

The DF4L program leverages the uninterrupted compounding interest inside of a specially designed insurance contract (i.e. knickname: infinite banking) to help get them out of debt much sooner than they otherwise would...while building a cash asset that will then help KEEP them out of debt throughout their lives.

Did you know life insurance could do that? And yes, YOU are licensed to help someone in that way!

Here's more training if you like what you hear: https://myagentbuilder.com/advanced-markets/

One of the best parts of this industry is that nearly everyone who's upright and breathing is a potential prospect for what we sell. That's mind-blowing. There are people all around us every day who could potentially need our life insurance products.

But how do we approach them?

Nobody wants to be pushy or salesy...

Well, it just so happens I came across a bit of sales training this week that I'm going to start implementing and I encourage you to do the same. I break down a very simple script and formula you can use to approach anyone you meet and potentially turn them into a customer.

Or agent. :)

One comforting thought I've always kept in the back of my mind is that there's only one way to fail. And, even better news, it's 100% within my own control.

So the flipside is also true: if you avoid doing this one thing, you won't fail. You still may not succeed as fast as you want but it removes failure from off the table. This can give you the confidence to keep moving forward even when everything inside you (or others around you) says that you should quit. :)

I hope this helps you in your hour of need.

Have you started working the $6 Ethos leads yet? If not, you're missing out. Listen in to this story.

Also, you may have heard of James Cameron. Arguably one of the most successful directors in Hollywood. He is the brains behind some of the most successful films of all time, including Avatar and Titanic.

But do you know the story of how he started out?

James had a dream and a drive. And some massive obstacles that would have scared anyone off. But not him. And they shouldn't keep you either. James rose from being broke, living out of his car to one of the most successful men in Hollywood. Not because of any special talent but because of his commitment to not allow an obstacle or excuse to keep him from his dream.

The same can and will be true of you. You were born with seeds of greatness. Believe in yourself, brush off your excuses and go get your dream!

When you see fear for what it truly is, it frees you up to take the action you’ve been wanting to take. Take action toward your dream and kick fear in the butt.

We often talk about ROI being a return on investment. But what about the inverse? What is the cost (or return) of your lack of activity? In other words, what might you be missing out on if you're not working as focused and intentional as you could be? Hopefully, this helps you see things in a new way. Let's grow this week by just a small amount!

For some reason, many new agents love the idea of hitting six figures in their first year. What does it take? What does the game plan look like?

Here, I break down the numbers, starting from income, down to what it takes every week and every day to achieve that goal, based on the averages and my own experience accomplishing that goal. Plus, if you look in your reporting sheets, you'll see a new tab at the bottom- so you can play around with different income goals and the game plan to achieve each.

I hope it helps!

If you joined the team call on Wednesday, you heard my wife talk about driving in a rut. Rain causes muddy dirt roads, and when folks drive in the same place over and over, they get into a rut.

Whether we're talking about life or a road, ruts are slippery and they try to keep you locked in. They're hard to get out of. Oddly, sometimes they're just "comfortable" enough that we stay there because the pain or discomfort isn't big enough.

If you're not moving as quickly as you'd like, it may simply be that your pain isn't great enough to get you to take the action you need. Listen in on this story and some teaching that will help you shift that mindset.

Have a great week!

The presentation is one of the most important things you will need to master as a life insurance agent. Think about it: you have a short period of time to build rapport and trust, educate, qualify and get your prospect to make a commitment right then and there.

That's a lot.

It can be overwhelming, especially for a new agent, to know what to say and how to structure the appointment so you don't leave something out or ramble on about something that's not important. This podcast will help you keep on track in a very simple way. Don't memorize an appointment, simply learn a basic structure and practice it over and over until you get good.

I want to issue a challenge: take this information and go out and run 10 appointments this week on whomever you can get in front of: friends, family, leads, Facebook followers, or your neighbor down the street. It doesn't matter. Just the practice alone will be extremely valuable. Taking massive action will cure almost any problem you have in this business.

Have a great week!

There are thirty seconds left on the clock. You're third and goal, 3 yards to go. What do you do? How did you get there?

In business, as in sports, it's all about execution. Goals are nice, shiny objects but they're simply a guide to point you in the right direction. They're a metric by which you can know if you've arrived at a certain point. A goal is the result of sustained, consistent execution. Without execution, goals are nothing. Point a boat with no motor or oars toward the harbor and you guarantee it won't end up arriving there. Execution is the engine. You have to know your game plan and run your plays every day, week, and month.

If you're struggling with your weekly plan, I hope this helps. Get a clear plan, set your numbers, and get obsessed with your activity.