Putting Our Mentoring Where Our Mouth Is
By: Mike Miley
We all know the statistics. Every second a baby boomer turns 60. More than 60% of insurance professionals are over the age of 45, according to a survey by InVEST a few years ago. Clearly we have a lot of work to do in recruiting the next generation of independent agency professionals into our ranks. But what are we doing to mentor those young producers, CSRs and other agency employees who have already chosen us? If you have young agents on your staff, what are you doing to help them?
We need to do a better job of incorporating young agents into the culture of our agencies. They have a lot to offer us in terms of new ways of selling—social media is just one example. But they are looking to learn from us too. In the end, we know that our business is about relationships, and young agents realize those relationships need to be built in person as well as online. This recognition of a blending of sales styles is evident in plans for the programming at the Young Agents Leadership Institute in September. The educational sessions will cover traditional sales topics combined with sessions on “new consumer” profiles. The young agents are planning a joint session with the Agents Council for Technology (ACT) with remarks from Forrester Research on the changing face of the consumer, both from a demographics and technology perspective. But the national Young Agents Committee felt that social media has been “overdone” so they won’t be focusing on that area—they want to get back to sales basics. As an agency principal or seasoned producer, what are you doing to transfer your sales knowledge to the next generation?
Young agents are engaged in the industry and ready to learn. As I travel around the country to state associations and other industry events, I am always impressed by the level of involvement I see by young agents, particularly in government affairs advocacy. Young agents nationwide are doing a great job of meeting their fundraising goals for InsurPac as well as getting involved on the ground in grassroots activities. This year, the national Young Agents Committee awarded more scholarships for young agents to attend the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention than ever before. Young agent representatives from 32 states attended our association’s premier Washington, D.C., event on a $500 scholarship. And we also had more applications for the Young Agents Maurice Herndon $1,000 scholarship than ever before. The spirit, enthusiasm and dedication of these young agents is outstanding. The 2011 Maurice Herndon Scholarship winner, Darren Hasson of WHINS Insurance Agency in Encino, Calif., is a perfect example. In his application essay, he wrote:
“As a young agent and owner of an independent insurance agency, I realize how important it is to have a voice. I started out by working as a sales executive for AIG and 21st Century Insurance. Although I learned a lot about insurance policies and the industry, I knew that by working for a single insurance company and selling only one company’s products, I wasn’t providing my clients with the best service possible. Most of all, I knew that I needed my own voice. This need for expression, for a voice that might reach the community, propelled me to start WHINS Insurance Agency, an agency where everyone deserves to be heard. Honestly, beginning my own company was not easy—it took a lot of hard work and determination, but inspiration kept me motivated. The Big ‘I’ Legislative Conference will help me understand more about the politics of insurance thus allowing me and my new insurance company, WHINS, to be at the forefront of the insurance industry. I know that just like me there are voices throughout the nation that need to be heard.”
We need to encourage young agents like Darren to become even more involved in the work of the industry and the association. And we’re working toward that goal. There is now a young agent representative on the Agents Council for Technology. Young agents will be intimately involved in the education effort and launch of the Consumer Agent Portal. YAC Gives Back: A Fundraiser for InVEST Scholarships just raised more than $35,000 for students looking to pursue a career in insurance. And young agents now have their own online collaborative workspace where they can share ideas about what’s working and what’s not for the young agent programs in their state.
What are you doing to further the career of a young agent you know? The future of our industry depends on it.
—Mike Miley, Big “I” chairman
We need to do a better job of incorporating young agents into the culture of our agencies. They have a lot to offer us in terms of new ways of selling—social media is just one example. But they are looking to learn from us too. In the end, we know that our business is about relationships, and young agents realize those relationships need to be built in person as well as online. This recognition of a blending of sales styles is evident in plans for the programming at the Young Agents Leadership Institute in September. The educational sessions will cover traditional sales topics combined with sessions on “new consumer” profiles. The young agents are planning a joint session with the Agents Council for Technology (ACT) with remarks from Forrester Research on the changing face of the consumer, both from a demographics and technology perspective. But the national Young Agents Committee felt that social media has been “overdone” so they won’t be focusing on that area—they want to get back to sales basics. As an agency principal or seasoned producer, what are you doing to transfer your sales knowledge to the next generation?
Young agents are engaged in the industry and ready to learn. As I travel around the country to state associations and other industry events, I am always impressed by the level of involvement I see by young agents, particularly in government affairs advocacy. Young agents nationwide are doing a great job of meeting their fundraising goals for InsurPac as well as getting involved on the ground in grassroots activities. This year, the national Young Agents Committee awarded more scholarships for young agents to attend the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention than ever before. Young agent representatives from 32 states attended our association’s premier Washington, D.C., event on a $500 scholarship. And we also had more applications for the Young Agents Maurice Herndon $1,000 scholarship than ever before. The spirit, enthusiasm and dedication of these young agents is outstanding. The 2011 Maurice Herndon Scholarship winner, Darren Hasson of WHINS Insurance Agency in Encino, Calif., is a perfect example. In his application essay, he wrote:
“As a young agent and owner of an independent insurance agency, I realize how important it is to have a voice. I started out by working as a sales executive for AIG and 21st Century Insurance. Although I learned a lot about insurance policies and the industry, I knew that by working for a single insurance company and selling only one company’s products, I wasn’t providing my clients with the best service possible. Most of all, I knew that I needed my own voice. This need for expression, for a voice that might reach the community, propelled me to start WHINS Insurance Agency, an agency where everyone deserves to be heard. Honestly, beginning my own company was not easy—it took a lot of hard work and determination, but inspiration kept me motivated. The Big ‘I’ Legislative Conference will help me understand more about the politics of insurance thus allowing me and my new insurance company, WHINS, to be at the forefront of the insurance industry. I know that just like me there are voices throughout the nation that need to be heard.”
We need to encourage young agents like Darren to become even more involved in the work of the industry and the association. And we’re working toward that goal. There is now a young agent representative on the Agents Council for Technology. Young agents will be intimately involved in the education effort and launch of the Consumer Agent Portal. YAC Gives Back: A Fundraiser for InVEST Scholarships just raised more than $35,000 for students looking to pursue a career in insurance. And young agents now have their own online collaborative workspace where they can share ideas about what’s working and what’s not for the young agent programs in their state.
What are you doing to further the career of a young agent you know? The future of our industry depends on it.
—Mike Miley, Big “I” chairman
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