Support and coaching. No matter what goals you’re trying to reach as a business owner, those two elements can play a critical role in the success of your new business. As you move into new markets, you might find a need for support. What are some of the keys to business growth that will help you move your agency forward into a promising future?
Connecting with Peers through Networking
Having people to talk with about running your business is key to your success. These people are like your insurance friends. They understand the challenges of running a business, and they can help you reflect on your mistakes and successes. Effective leadership is even more effective when people who have been there and done that, can give you advice about how they dealt with specific situations.
Where can you find these peers? You can go to your area’s business networking meetings. An insurance network can also help you build connections within your field. By connecting with people in online workshops, networking meetings, and conferences, you can expand your network within your field.
Business Know How suggests that instead of belonging to many networking organizations but participating only a little in each, to focus your energy and “select a few key associations or organizations and participate actively.” This allows you to build stronger relationships with others in those select organizations.
Seek out leadership coaching to strengthen yourself and your team.
Leadership Coaching Strengthens Your Leadership and Your Team
According to Forbes, “When executed properly, coaching provides greater intrinsic motivation—in other words, inspiring the self-directed willingness to try new things and make new discoveries.”
If you’d like to become a better leader, work with those who are able to coach you to improve yourself and your leadership style, so that you can work effectively with your team to make better business decisions and inspire your employees.
Forbes also states that coaching is “collaborative and empowering,” rather than directive. As your business expands, you and your employees need to feel empowered to make the decisions necessary to move that business forward, rather than stopping and asking for permission. When your team members can work both independently and together to make wise decisions, this will help your business move confidently into new insurance markets.
Direct Assistance with Insurance Marketing
As you begin to advance into new markets, working with an organization like the American Agents Alliance can help you build your book of business. At the American Agents Alliance, we work with California insurance agencies to create new opportunities for you to grow your client base through our preferred market carriers. Our Preferred Market Access program services include:
- Teaching you how to earn direct appointments with quality preferred carriers
- Underwriting and guiding you through submissions
- Working with carriers so that you can move towards writing direct with them: your book of business is owned by your agency
As you grow your insurance agency, this kind of direct support can help you move from being a beginner to developing confidence in your agency’s future in that aspect of the insurance field.
The American Agents Alliance provides a support system for members with new and existing agencies. As you move into new markets or start a new business, we can help with insurance support, tips, and coaching. Talk with us today about our preferred market access program.
