I'll be the first to admit I'm not much of a football fan. But this year's Super Bowl game has a lot to teach insurance agents about their practices – everything from better marketing to practice management lessons. Although there really is a lot you can learn from watching football (if you know where to look), here are the three most important things agents should take away from the big game.
- In marketing, simplicity is best. Did you see that amazing Google ad? If not (or even if you have), take 53 seconds of your time and click here. This ad was, hands-down, my favorite ad of the evening, and after it aired, my Twitter feed was abuzz with talk about how it was perfect and beautiful in its simplicity. I'll admit I even teared up a little when I watched it on YouTube the next day. I know that I will remember the ad for a long time. Why? Because it is a great example of reaching out to the target audience in a simple, easy-to-understand way. There were no gimmicks, no fine print, no flashy promises. Just a simple message: This is what we can do for you. That is the kind of marketing you should strive for, especially in an unstable financial world. The best thing you can do is stand out by stripping down.
- If you've lost a few games, you can still have a history-making season. At the start of the 2009 season, the New Orleans Saints were unstoppable. After years of recruiting the right talent and training hard, they won their first 13 games. But then, inexplicably, they became the first 13-0 team in NFL history to lose their last three games – first to the Dallas Cowboys (24-17), then to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20-17, in overtime), and finally to the Carolina Panthers (23-10). But their previous standing before the losses allowed them to clinch the No. 1 position in the playoffs, where they ran undefeated right through to their first-ever Super Bowl win against the Indianapolis Colts. What can that teach you? Think about your sales year like a football season (this works especially well if you have a specific selling season, like in Medicare sales). You might start off strong or weak, but no matter how well or poorly you do at first, the tide can always change – and only you have the power to change it back. If a prospect turns you down, or even several prospects in a row turn you down, just keep making calls. Eventually you're bound to win one.
- Sometimes, you need to take a well-positioned risk. The Saints won the Super Bowl by taking a huge gamble. Their onside kick to start the second half was the key play of the game – and one of the most audacious calls in Super Bowl history. But that doesn't mean that you should take risks blindly. The New Orleans Saints' Coach Sean Payton only took that risk because he felt confident that he would succeed. So whenever you see an opportunity to take your business to the next level, don't be afraid to put yourself out there, even if there is a risk involved. Coach Payton will no doubt earn millions of dollars in endorsements and contracts thanks to the Saints' win. If you want to earn millions too, you must be willing to take some risks.
Heather Trese is the associate editor of the Agent's Sales Journal.
