I like to inspire. I like to challenge the norm. I like to push buttons. And I've seen too many businesses getting stuck in the comfort zone.
When I consult with insurance agencies, I push them to do things that they haven't done before. We discuss new ideas and challenge the traditional ways of doing business, where initial excitement is quickly followed by the "deer in the headlights" expression on their faces. It's the expression of fear.
Why is there fear? Because, although they may agree that changes need to be made and believe in the vision, they don't know exactly how to do it.
I recently listened to speaker Paul Martinelli discuss goal setting and he said something that was music to my ears: "You don't have to know how, you just have to know how to get it."
Insurance agencies get frozen in "the how."
I hear statements like:
-
"We know we should grow our digital presence, but we don't know how."
-
"We know we need to attract and train young producers, but we don't know how."
-
"We know that the consumer has changed and we need new methods to reach them, but we don't know how."
And all too often, that's where the conversation ends.
Nobody knows how to do anything until they actually do it. The greatest business successes have come from those companies that didn't let "the how" stop them. Until you actually try anything, at best, it's an educated guess.
Take inspiration in the following examples:
-
The Wright Brothers didn't know "how" to fly a plane, but they did it.
-
Jeff Bezos didn't know "how" to sell books online, but he did it.
-
I don't know how to write a book, but I'm doing it.
