The Role Nobody Designed - that agents actually needed#

My first insurance agency was in a building that used to be a candy store in Geneva, Illinois. It was 2011, I had no book of business, and I was learning every single thing the hard way.

One of those things I learned was what my Field Sales Leader was actually there to do.

At the time, I thought the FSL was supposed to be my business coach. Someone who understood my market, could help me build systems, and would walk alongside me as I figured out how to turn a blank agency into something real. That’s what the recruiting pitch implied. That’s what the org chart suggested.

Stop Telling Agents What To Do - Consultative > Prescriptive Coaching#

There’s a conversation that happens thousands of times a week across the insurance industry. A field leader sits down with an agency owner, reviews their numbers, and says some version of: “Your close rate is low. You need to quote more. Your retention needs to come up. You should be cross-selling more.”

The agency owner nods. Maybe takes a note. The field leader leaves. Nothing changes.

The Agency Review Meeting That Nobody Wants to Have#

I’ve sat through hundreds of agency review meetings. Some on the agency owner side of the table. Some on the field leader side. And I can tell you with confidence that almost nobody looks forward to them.

The agency owner knows what’s coming. Their field leader is going to pull up a dashboard, point at the numbers that are below benchmark, and ask what the plan is to improve them. The agency owner is going to nod, say they’ll work on it, and silently wonder why they blocked 45 minutes for this.