Episode 260: Celebrate the WorkAVersary of your Number One Customer

Welcome to the Unstoppable Profit Podcast. This podcast will give independent insurance agents all of the tools to grow your business and live life on your terms. Wherever you are today, if you're starting with nothing or well on your way to the success you desire, with the right people, processes and promotions in place, you will be unstoppable. And now I'd like to introduce your host, Mike Stromsol.

Greetings and welcome to the next episode of the Unstoppable Profit podcast. I'm going to share something with you that I've never shared here before, and it's never been as robust as it is today because the arsenal keeps growing. And this was inspired by last week's group coaching sessions, which were off the hook, by the way. And one of the members wanted to talk about team member work anniversaries or team member anniversaries. And it inspired me to bring you this very special podcast because what's your answer to this question? Who's your number one client? And if you're thinking in your mind, if it's one of your actual insurance agency customers, I would challenge you to think that again. Because what I learned years ago, our number one customer is our team. Together, everybody achieves more. There is no I in team. But your number one customer is your team. Because who serves your customers? Who serves your prospects? Who serves the communities around you alongside you? Who gives it every single day? Who gives it five days a week, six days a week, in some cases, maybe even seven days a week? Their best eight hours of the day, or nine or ten, Whatever it is, it's your team. Because people crave praise and recognition more they do than sex or money sometimes.

So we got to make sure that spontaneously. And that's my great encouragement. Spontaneity, Spontaneity, spontaneity. Make it happen. Surprise them. Just bring it to the table. And my great encouragement as you begin to build your team anniversary or team work. Aersary funnel. Change it up every single year. Don't do the same old, same old every single year. Be creative. Think outside the box. Be paying attention. Right now, this podcast is airing in 2024. You should always. You should already start thinking about 2025. What can you do in 2025 that's even more creative, more outside the box, more phenomenal than it's ever been for your team, start right now. So this gives you a great head start for the coming year. Super, super important to identify. This was born Years ago, over 20 years ago, we started identifying and praising and recognizing team members on their work anniversaries. It started small things like a big cake with candles and singing and balloons. At a minimum, of course, it had a card signed by every member of the team with something meaningful written inside of it about that team member. And then we made it. In subsequent years, Jane Smith Day. It was the day all about Jane. And then as our marketing and promotion empire started to expand, via the newsletter, via email, nurturing the whole nine yards, we promoted to the world. It was Jane Smith Day at the agency. Why? Because it was her day. And we started telling stories about the impact that Jane Smith had made, not only for her teammates, but for the clients that she touched. And all of that. That's the stuff that people love. And then I started thinking to myself, how can I make this even better? Of course, we had signs and everything and big placards that it was Jane Smith Day and all of that, but we needed to elevate it to another level. I'm going to suggest there's. I'm going to only share two or three years, and I'm going to pop some ideas on you to spur your creative thinking and so forth on the podcast. And of course, I encourage you to just think outside the box yourself. Be looking for ways that you can make it better than it's ever been before. So I. I learned this is probably 15 years ago or so that.

You know, on a scale 1 to 10, with 10 being the best, what's your best day ever look like the best day of your life on a scale of 1 to 10? So I learned that thought process, and then I learned what would happen if it was an 11. What would your best day look like? I mean, imagine for a minute it's the best day of your life. Incredible, memorable, never forget days. And if it was a 10, what would make it an 11? So we were very much into team meetings at that point. We were meeting weekly. Our culture was fantastic. We were growing as a team. We were learning together as a team. We were celebrating wins together as a team. And I brought this thought process in one of the team meetings because I was going to ask the team, by the way. So let's imagine I had 10 team members around the table in our conference room. Okay. So I would bring them in for the team meetings, and I say, team, before we get started this morning, I was thinking about you guys, and I would just love to learn the answer to this question. And we were big. We had flip charts in the conference room and had my markers, and I was always teaching Visually, in the whole nine yards. And so I said, team, I'm just going to go around the horn now. That's a strategy that I use for a ton of things. Around the horn, around the horn, around the horn. No right or wrong answer. And I'm just trying to pull out of them what they're thinking and feeling. So I said, team, imagine. And I told them the same story I just told you on. On your best day, your best day ever. Just lean back and close your eyes and think about that. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best, your best day was a 10 day. Oh, pause. Let's say it's even better than a 10. Let's say it's an 11.

Can you share with me just in 10, 20 seconds what that day looks like? And I'm writing it on the flip chart and I'm. They don't know what I'm doing this for. Okay. And so I started writing down, I mean, things like, oh, I want to go on a tour in wine country. I just want to be sitting by the pool with my boyfriend, enjoying a great day. I want to go on a shopping spree. I want to do this, I want to do that. So I'm documenting for every team member with their 11 day looks like. And so I had that list. So the next year I said, you know what? I've got this list for every team member on what their best day looks like, and I'm going to make that happen for them. So we set a budget, and we set the budget. I think it was $200 per team member. And I know you might be thinking, wow, that's a lot of money. Well, let me ask you this. What's a good team member worth? What does it cost to recruit, interview, and hire a good team member? Bigger than that. What's the cost of losing a great team member? It's a very small investment in great team members. So with that being said, we started getting creative. And so the person who wanted that extravagance in wine country, well, we just happened to insure a limousine company at that time, so. So of course we made the wine country extravaganza happen with the limo. The gal who wanted to just lean back by the pool with her boyfriend, we went out and we bought towels. We went and got a food gift certificate at a grocery store, some suntan lotion, like all that stuff. So we got super creative. But here's how we delivered the package. At that point, we had learned about wow Packages and the USPS Flat rate boxes. So we started putting boxes together and we would strategically ship the boxes out in the right amount of time. So it arrived about two days before their work anniversary with the note in there. We had a probably a thumb drive, portable thumb drive. And we put a video on there and it would be a video from the team. Just sharing a little bit from the team on that person and how awesome they were and how much of a great team member they were. I mean it was all there, absolutely incredible. And you know, they would talk about that for years to come because that was their day. That's what it's all about. Everybody's playing their favorite radio station, wiifm. What's in it for them? So what are you doing to make it their day to celebrate them and everything they contribute to the organization? We had a list and I've got the list in front of me of all the things that we have done to recognize people over the years and it just keeps going on and on. So I'm going to share with you where it ultimately came to came to. As the team continued to grow, as we continue to get better as an organization. So just think outside the box. There is so many things that you can do. By the way, if you're looking for something online, a digital tool to assist you, go to Tribute Co. Tribute Tribute Co. That's another place that you can also add on a digital flare to your team member recognition. So the, the things that you know, you're able to add on on a spontaneous basis. We brought in, you know, clowns as an example one year where, where they're just recognizing that person and it just caused for a lot of fun. Everything from Masse's.

Just so many things, one after the other after the other. So as we fast forwarded into the future, we started bringing in balloons and we started bringing in special recognitions on a singing telegram basis into the agency. We would write things on the balloons and it got to the point where our team had grown and we went through a rebranding process. So our brand became Inspiring Happiness. Inspiring Happiness. We got the Inspiring Happiness balls and after going through the branding process, it was determined that we inspired happiness in, in people's insurance programs and everything connected to us. So we're thinking, how can we take our new brand and elevate it to our team workiversary recognition? And we're thinking, we're thinking. Then it came to us. We thought we are going to create the Inspiring Happiness Recognition our team Inspiring Happiness Recognition. And it's going to happen once a year. So what we did is we.

Created a plaque that it's called the Inspiring Happiness Award. And each team member had their own Inspiring Happiness award plaque. And it was a nice plaque. I mean, we invested some money in it. And so for every year that they were on the team, they had a placard space. And of course there's people that got to more than 10 years. So of course we had to have two placards. But I mean, those are people who invested after time. So the Inspiring Happiness Award was just one thing. We gave them another piece for their placard every year on their work anniversary. Then we had to think of something again to add on to that to further recognize them. And one of the things that was one of the most memorable years was.

I decided, and it was after we had a great year in the agency, very profitable, doing well, I decided, you know what, we've got to continue to invest in our team. We have to continue to give back to our team and recognize them in an all new way. So I thought, I know what I'm going to do. And I'd started doing this years and years before. Just spontaneous again, I can't emphasize that enough. It's got to be spontaneous. And they have, you have to do something they don't see coming. So vitally important. So I thought, I'm going to start, I'm going to give every team member $100 bill for each year they've been on the team. Yes, there were people that have been on the team 11, 12, 13, 14 or more years. And that was a good day for some of them. Even if they were on the team two or three years, it was still a good day for them. But we could and we did. And the.

The stories, the effect that that had still to this day still lives on. And the team members.

Their responses, from tears to shouts of joy to the whole nine yards, just absolutely fantastic. So that was a great year as well. The 11 days were a great year and everything in between. So I hope this is inspiring you to come up with some other ideas. Let me share with you another thought process. And this is.

Once we, once we have videos leading up to team members anniversaries, we started creating a video series. And like the hundred dollar bill, another thing we did one year we created a video.

Talking about something that that team member did for each year. So yes, some team members, it was a lot more videos, but that would be a, a link. What we do is we take all the videos. Okay. And we would once we recorded them all from all the team members. We'd send it back to our, our marketing team and they would put them together and it would create a video collage, if you will, celebrating them and correct. Congratulating their teammate on the important milestones that they earned. And it's important that team leaders as well be included in those very, very important. So as part of. And it would be shown in team meetings and the whole nine yards. There's just so many things at a minimum, you know, make it their day, make it all about them, recognize them in some way and worst case scenario based on the number of years as well. If you needed to add something on.

Here'S, here's a tip for you. There's something that we created years ago called a getting to know you forum. And on the getting to know you forum there's a place on the form it says, how do you like to be praised and recognized for a job well done? How do you like to be praised and recognized by for a job well done? So that always had information that's very helpful in this particular recognition as well. I remember a work anniversary for a team member and we're putting together in addition to the inspiring happiness award, in addition to all the hoopla, in addition to the balloons and the recognition and you know, the team celebration at the moment and getting the pictures and being in the newsletter and being in the email, nurturing and being the profile, etc. Etc.

This particular team member, we're taking the picture and I'm, I'm thinking to myself, we gave this team member western videos and, and other associated things. And I'm like, I said to one of my leadership team members, I said, what's with the western videos? And they said, we went back and looked at their getting to know you sheet and that's what they wanted to be recognized with. They, they love western videos and anything related. I thought, hey, if that's what they want, then give them what they want. So that getting to know you form super, super important. How does a team member like to be praised and recognized for a job well done? The sky's the limit as far as what you can do. And just make sure you take lots of pictures. Make sure that you keep a historical list of the things that you've done and it will continue to inspire you. There is so much material out there. I mean I'm looking at a list a styrofoam cake for, for their month. You know, we all had name badges for the fact that we're celebrating Jane Smith. Today we. There was a year we had hats. You know, today is Jane Smith Day.

You know, every time somebody answered the phone, hey, you know, welcome to Somso Insurance Agency. By the way, before we get started today, can we let you know today is Jane Smith Day. I mean, there is so many things that you can do to make people feel very, very special. It's their day. It's their day that will live on for infamy as part of your team. So what can you. You do, what can you do to celebrate your team members? What can you do to make their day special? It does take planning in advance. It does take forethought. So, you know, that's why I encourage you right now. Start your plan possibly for the coming year. We're already in the middle of a year. We're not quite there. Or if you're already doing something special, how can you elevate it? How can you elevate it another level? Because like the great Maya Angelou said, people forget what you said, they'll forget what you did, but they'll never forget how you made them feel. How can you make your team members feel recognized, special on their day? Again, I h. I can't encourage this enough. Because once I recognize this, a lot of years ago, 25 years ago, maybe more than that. That. Wait a minute. These teammates, they're giving us their best eight plus hours every single day, at least five days a week, their best hours of the day. They're giving it to our business, to our clients, to our prospects, to our communities. They're giving it everything and their loyalty and their dedication and more. So make sure that you recognize them during this special day and make it so memorable they will never, ever forget. And that brings to mind another thought as well. Talk to your team members, find out what's important for them, and I'm going to pull something up. I just thought about this. It's from one of my leadership.

Books that I'm currently studying. This came up just the other day.

And I hope this helps your thought process in this particular realm. Most people who are dissatisfied and discouraged feel that way because they haven't grasped a vision for themselves. So maybe your team members haven't grasped that vision for their future as a leader. Help them discover it.

You may already recognize much of the potential that people you're. You're leading have in this particular realm. Right. Okay. This is for thought process and conversation with your team members.

But we need to know more about them and to help them recognize not only their destination that they're striving for, but how we as leaders can help them achieve it and what really matters to them.

Find out the following three things.

What do they cry about?

To know where people truly want to go, you've got to know what touches their hearts. What do they cry about? Secondly, what do people sing about? In the long run, people need to focus a lot of energy on what gives them joy. So what do they sing about? And the third, what do they dream about? If you can help people discover their dreams and true what they truly believe in, you can help them become who they were designed to be. So what do they dream about again? If you can help people discover their dreams and truly believe in them, you can help them become who they were designed to be. And that's just part of the reason, part of the reason why I'm encouraging you to not only do this, to do it at the highest level. I mean, if you've got a large enough team and you have the ability, maybe you have clients who can help you in this realm, you know, maybe it's a restaurant client who can shut down a portion of the restaurant for a celebration to celebrate those team members. I mean, just be looking at opportunities out there. There are so many. Of course, gtsing it can help you really expand your mind. If you don't know what that is in our world, that's Google that stuff or whatever your word is. But, you know, just start thinking about them, thinking about how you can praise and recognize and there are so many books out there, videos, I'm sure. But just make an intentional, intentional effort. By the way, intentionalities, very, very important. And intentional, spontaneous effort to praise and recognize your team. I hope this has helped you, I hope this has helped you think outside the box about team anniversaries or team work anniversaries and how you can elevate them to another level. I just realized that I squirreled a little bit. So if you want to start with something simpler and you or you need a filler for future, you know, if a team member likes a certain gift card, you can give them X amount for every year. You can give a multiple of 10, a multiple of 20, a multiple of 50, whatever, or if your budget is robust enough, give them a multiple of a hundred on the gift card itself. So just be creative. That's what we were always. We were always creative. We were always thinking outside the box. We always wanted to be spontaneous. We always wanted to be intentional. And our culture, it became so strong.

So strong. And people did not want to leave.

And some we did move on for various reasons. That's a whole nother training. But I hope this has helped you. I hope it's helped expand your mind and most importantly, helped you know how vitally important it is to praise and recognize your team on their very special day. Not birthdays, but work anniversaries every year. So start getting your list together, start getting your ideas together, pull your team on things as well. I've just given you a lot of ideas to help you and if there's anything more that we can do, please let us know. And if you're actually watching this video via our YouTube channel and you have the ability to, please leave us a comment in the area below. I would love to see what you do to praise and recognize your team on their very special day every single year. And let's get that that collaboration going so we can up the levels of, of recognizing our team members on their very special day. And if this is your first time on the podcast, welcome. My name is Mike Stomo. I'm widely recognized as a leading author, speaker and coach for the independent insurance agency industry. You can learn more about what we do to help agents across North America and beyond atunstoppable profit producer.com and if you're interested in attending one of our virtual events, please visit our virtual event portal@upfast start.com that's up fast start.com everything that we do, everything that we teach is all designed to share with you some of our best money making strategies developed over 36 years of research as a proud 100% of the time independent insurance agent. All designed to help you grow your business, create wealth so you too can have more freedom to live life on your own terms. That's all we want for you. That's all we want to do is help you grow, help you flourish, help you create that culture and that team that is so rock solid it can't be broken. So I hope this has helped you. And if you haven't yet, please go to unstoppable profit podcast.com unstoppable profit podcast.com go up to the top. Make sure you click subscribe so you don't miss one valuable episode of everything we share here to help you grow your business, create wealth and have more freedom to live life on your own terms. And if you got great value out of this podcast, please share it with somebody else. You know, another agent, another industry partner that you care about. Just send them to unstoppable profit podcast.com encourage them to subscribe at the top so we can continue to help people everywhere or just forward them this link as well. And the podcast is available out there on all the channels including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, our YouTube channel, Amazon and more. I hope this has helped you. And remember, you can't be great if you're content being good. And it makes me so happy that that's not you, that you are relentlessly pursuing greatness. So good luck with that. There's anything more that we can do to support you, please let us know. Shoot us an email Post a comment here VIP life.com VIP life.com Just let us know how we can help you. Make sure you put podcast in the subject line until our next episode. You got this? I believe in you. I'll see you in the next episode.

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