Getting to The Top

But producers are always telling me about the obstacles that keep them from reaching this production level:

• Demands on their time from paperwork and client service, etc.
• Not being able to get in front of enough quality prospects.
• Competition for clients' insurance dollars by other local agents and online offers.
• Overwhelming family demands that limit their time.
• Not knowing what to do.
• Not having enough energy to do more than they've done

Unfortunately, these obstacles are often excuses for two larger underlying challenges:

Not wanting it badly enough, and not having systems and strategies that can sufficiently increase your level of production.

When you're 100% committed to a goal, you figure out how to get the paperwork done and meet client service needs with a minimal investment of your time. You develop a plan to find more and better prospects. You find a way to position yourself to make competition irrelevant. You find a way to provide your family with the love and support they need without being overwhelmed, and you figure out what you need to do and how to raise your energy level.

And, you have strategies and systems designed to get you there. Here are some of the strategies and systems I've observed in producers who propelled themselves to the Top of the Table:

1. They focus intently. Each of the TOT members made it to the top in his or her own unique way. That's over 2,000 different ways to the top. But the thing they all have in common is being intensely focused on serving more and better clients.
2. They establish daily success routines. Many TOT members will tell you that getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and making healthy eating choices have impacted their ability to get to the Top of the Table and stay there. They have their own daily success routines, including start-of-the-day rituals, setting time for daily or weekly learning, personal development, and self-care.
3. They set and pursue goals. Getting to the Top of the Table is one of many goals top producers have. They usually have other, even bigger, longer-term goals. And they learn to "chunk" those goals down to smaller, short-term goals so they can keep track of their progress in increments.
4. They protect their time. To maximize their production, top producers need to maximize their time. They say "no" to almost everything that doesn't directly help them reach their goals and delegate less important work to others.
5. They specialize. Most top producers focus on one type of client or one type of service or product need. It brands them as specialists in their field and increases referrals to their specialty.
6. They build marketing around an ideal client. Top producers identify their ideal clients and build their marketing around them — in referral conversations, in how they introduce themselves, in their seminars and written content, on their web sites, and in social media.
7. They create a powerful team. It's rare that someone gets to TOT without an exceptional team behind him or her. They invest in great people, train them well and learn how to delegate everything that does not directly generate revenue.
8. They create systems for everything. The more top players can automate their processes — from prospecting to client service and reviews — the more they are able to focus on their goal of qualifying for Top of the Table.
9. They get a coach. This is not a plug for my services — it's a fact. A great number of TOT Members have utilized the services of a business coach to help them achieve their results. Nothing helps you keep your focus than a third party whose only agenda is to see you get the result you want.

Heading for the Top? Commit to doing what needs to be done and take the action you need to take.