How Will You Grow Your Book of Business in 2017?

One of the most common questions that I receive, and I'm sure is very common among many insurance agency leaders and insurance producers, is the common question of how do I grow my book of business? Well, I'm going to discuss that in today's Biz Growl, and my answer may surprise you. Hey there. This is Brent Kelly of Bizgris with another daily Biz Growl. So how will you grow your book of business in 2017? Now, I want to answer that question with a quote. And it's a quote that I heard from the late, great Jim Rohn many years ago, and it was this. He said, work hard on your job, you can make a living. Work hard on yourself, you can make a fortune. Now, when I first heard this quote about 14 years ago, I wasn't really sure what to make of it. I was 25 years old, recently married, had a child now on the way, and I just wanted to make a living. I wanted to pay my bills, I wanted to take care of my family. It wasn't that I didn't want to build a large book of business or make a fortune. I just. I really didn't know when where to start. And that year began the start of my personal growth journey. And I didn't even know it at the time, but it did. And I was a property and casualty agent that year with a terrific growth agency. I was surrounded by great training, great resources, but I was still struggling to gain momentum. And then I started to understand firsthand the true meaning of another one of Jim Rohn's powerful quotes. He said, for things to change, you have to change. For things to get better, you have to get better. And it's funny, when I heard that, it was like he was talking directly to me because I was frustrated, I was challenged, and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't gain traction. And I kept looking at things around me to make things better. And all of a sudden, I realized the true power, the true change, would have to come from me. So how do you, as an insurance professional, change? How do you get better? Now, it's true. Today when I work with insurance agency leaders, I work with insurance agency producers, they're often looking for something external to make their agency better and to build their book of business. Now, please hear me, don't get me wrong. External resources such as new ideas, better marketing systems, helpful sales techniques, those are all great things. There's nothing wrong with that. However, too often we think that something from the outside will be the key that unlocks our growth and success. A new idea. A new idea may be the catalyst for growth, but growth is, is a process. And real growth can only occur inside of you. See, there is no potential, no potential in any teaching, any training, any technology. There's no potential in those things themselves. The only real potential is found within you. So again, the question is, how will you develop your potential? How will you change? How will you grow in 2017 and far beyond? Well, it starts by developing and maintaining a personal professional growth plan. Leadership expert John Maxwell says it so well. He says this many people only learn from the school of hard knocks. Difficult experiences teach them the lessons the hard way and they change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. The lessons are random and difficult. It's much better to plan your growth intentionally. You decide where you need or want to grow and you choose what you will learn and you will follow through with discipline, going at the pace that you set. If I ask every insurance leader and producer across the country and beyond, hey, Mr. Producer, Mr. Agency Leader, hey, what's your personal professional growth plan for 2017? I would guess that over 95% of the responses would range somewhere between none and what's a growth plan? And I understand this completely because I was exactly the same way in my insurance career, early in my insurance career. And even though I started my growth plan 14 years ago, I didn't even know that's what I was doing. And I'll also tell you that from that time, there's been many ups and downs, days and weeks and months where I was being very successful in intentional growth and days and weeks and months and even years within that timeframe that I've struggled mightily in my growth. See, there's no perfection. There's no utopia. The power and your potential is truly in the process. So again, how will you grow in 2017? How will you get better? How will you achieve your dreams and, and goals? It's, it's simple, but it's complicated. It starts by being intentional about your growth and development. You've got to make a plan for you. Where do you want to improve? How will you get better? And find a way to start now. If you're looking for help in reaching your potential for growth and development, I've got a brand new ongoing program starting called the Insurance Producer Growth and Development Plan. I started this because I'm passionate about helping insurance leaders and insurance producers have a plan for the growth and development. And let me tell you, it's not for everyone. I'm very clear about that. It's not for everyone. But if you are serious about challenging yourself and making positive changes long term positive changes to grow yourself and grow your book of business, go to my website, it's brentmkelly.com and you'll see the Insurance Producer Growth and Development Plan. They're on the homepage. Thanks for listening Again. This is Brent Kelly of Biz Griz with another daily Biz growl. Challenging and encouraging you every day. Go face your grizzly.