Business wisdom said, “The customer comes first.”

Terrible idea. Unless you’re a solopreneur, your customers are dealing with your employees. If your employees don’t feel valued, customers won’t have a good experience.

So the wisdom evolved: “We put our people first.”

I bought into that idea for a long time. It worked pretty well. But something about the either/or proposition never quite felt complete.

Then it came to me: the mindset necessary to produce satisfied, loyal employees is the same mindset necessary to produce satisfied, loyal customers.

It turns out that employees and customers are people. We’re in the people business.

How often do you hear about the importance of customer satisfaction?

And how hard do you and your team work to deliver it?

And how many customers leave anyway?

Way too many, I’m guessing.

The truth is that customer satisfaction doesn’t translate into growth and profitability the way the gurus say it will. Why? Because the customer sees a better price and assumes that the service will be good enough. And if they’re wrong, by the time they figure it out, it will be too late for you.

In the highly competitive insurance industry, brokers and agencies are constantly seeking new ways to drive growth. Agents must reach sales targets, and agencies must attract and retain high-performing talent. Fortunately, recent innovations in digital sales platforms are making these goals achievable.

John Boothman of NAIFA partner iLife Technologies will give you actionable tips on how to incorporate more digital solutions into your business to drive growth and keep up in today's ever-changing market.

Have you ever run into the same business challenge repeatedly and you just couldn’t get past it? If so, you are most likely on a production plateau and in need of a tool or technique to create a transformational moment. In other words, you need a Game Changer! 
 
Mickey Mantle, who had an impressive 536 home runs during his baseball career, said, “It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing all your life."

Let’s take a look at a few Game Changers that can have a lasting impact on your business.

Join NAIFA's Business Performance Center for a webinar on Wednesday, April 26 at 12 pm eastern as partner AccuPoint Solutions will help ensure you maximize your ROI when using data to brand, market, recruit, analyze, or update your CRM.

Gary Weber, Founder and CEO of AccuPoint Solutions, will share his expertise from over 35 years in the industry, where he has been both a user and supplier of data to help you increase productivity, and learn how to leverage data to maximize your results.

Profit is virtuous.

Yes, it is.

And profit—not revenue, not headcount—is the key to everything you want in your business.

By the time this article is finished, you’ll be thinking about profit all the time. You and your insurance agency will be much better off as a result.

Making agreements and the business sector are often portrayed in popular culture as cutthroat environments where everyone is looking out for number one. The reality is that trust is the cornerstone of fruitful business relationships and transactions.

Consider these six suggestions to demonstrate your integrity to prospective partners and business acquaintances.

How do you convey your message to a client without seeming “needy” in the process? By understanding how clients think!

Clients give referrals for two possible reasons. First, they want to help you grow your business. Second, they want to help friends and loved ones. Of these two reasons which one do you believe is a strong reason to give you a referral? If you said to help friends and loved ones, then you are right!

I know you have a ton of metrics to watch. Many of them don’t tell a story and don’t help you make critical decisions. They just stress you out.

This one will change your life: Custom Acquisition Cost, or “CAC”.

How will CAC make you smarter?

CAC answers 3 questions that you probably can’t answer today. And without these answers, you’re guessing about where to spend your money. The 3 questions are:

1. How much do I currently spend to get a new customer?

2. How long does it take me to break even?

3. Where should I be spending?

We've all heard the old adage, "knowledge is power." However, while knowledge is power in some situations, in others, it only becomes powerful once it is applied. For example, if you want to get in shape, knowing how to diet and exercise is not enough—you actually have to put that knowledge into practice.

In the financial sector, mental strength is also key. Just like physical fitness, mental toughness can be developed and strengthened with training. And like physical fitness, there are different exercises that can help build mental strength.