Across the country, work and life as we knew it ground to a halt and we entered a radically different landscape. In the insurance and financial services industries, financial professionals have been faced with the need to adapt their approach to work to stay afloat.

At the beginning of the year (or your fiscal year) you set a budget, based on a certain run rate of sales to expenses. Whatever you run, you will guesstimate your sales and the expenses required to make those sales.

Success in the digital age has always hinged on the ability to adapt.  Now is the time for agents of all generations to consider how they can use social media and other new technology to prospect for new customers and nurture existing relationships.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many businesses to close their doors or operate at extremely reduced capacities. Those that have stayed open have done so by moving their workforce to a remote setting. That’s what happened to us at Brokers International. And here’s how we’re responding.

For business owners facing the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic, there is a way to move forward successfully. Lean on technology, manage relationships and reduce what overhead you can. We will come out of this — together.

Being authentic is probably the most important thing you can do in this business. I believe the ball starts to roll when your customers, friends, relationships, and community truly believe that you care and that you understand them. Once you get the flywheel of referrals going, that’s when the business becomes a lot of fun. It’s important take the time and effort to connect and prove yourself as authentic and caring.

Clearly the insurance industry is ripe for some major changes. If you look back over the last five to seven years, there has been an InsurTech and Fintech explosion. Here’s how Brokers International is helping professionals navigate that landscape.

I think one of the weakest links in the sales process for most agents is follow-up. As a salesperson, we make assumptions about our customers and act on those assumptions without asking people what they need or want. But if you don’t call your customers, someone else will.

After five years at Brokers International, what have I come to appreciate the most? The people, the programs, our business model … I could go on and on! In fact, I do!

Here’s a taste of what my interview with Terry covered: “Frankly, a lot of data is dirty. Everybody thinks data is the solution and the nirvana and therefore they can drop basic best practices of really doing advertising correctly. It’s really stimulated short-term-itis for many companies. Data is an important variable not the only variable.”

In the FinTech and InsureTech innovation space, how do you regulate innovation? Will there be debates on what insurance is in the future? What it is and who regulates it may actually be a policy debate in the future.

I recently had an interesting conversation with my former colleague Mike Kalen, CEO of Covr Financial Technologies. Mike is a frequent speaker on InsurTech and FinTech innovation and has extensive experience as a leader in the insurance and financial services industry.