I was recently invited to Las Vegas by Intersure to discuss health care reform and how agencies are preparing for change. For those of you not aware, Intersure is a consortium of brokers across the country that share ideas and strategies with each other. I have been attending their meetings for more than 10 years and I can tell you it is one of the finest organizations in the industry. Egos are checked at the door, weaknesses are admitted, and discussions about leveraging strengths and strategies go late into the night.

This year, we discussed the high-level aspects of the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. I had a Zywave attorney with me to lead the discussion. (Contrary to popular belief, Zywave does not require that I have an attorney by my side every time I go to Vegas!)

During our presentation, I discussed what we, as an organization, are observing. I illustrated the strategies and tactics that brokers are using to advance in our changing industry. It is a long laundry list and encompasses everything – from brand differentiation, to sales tactics to management. The brokers in the room understood the mountain of a challenge, but also saw the opportunity.

To understand the opportunity, think of it this way. There are more than 30,000 brokers out there. How many will survive and adjust to the changing times in our industry? Who will move in to handle the clients of those brokers who do not endure? The opportunity facing brokers today is considerable, but how that business will be awarded is shifting. Agencies will need to adapt. If I could be permitted to use a Wisconsin analogy, even Vince Lombardi could not coach an NFL team today. The world is changing and brokers need to adjust accordingly.

Most of the brokers at the presentation were already making some of these changes. There was remarkable conversation about what is working and what is challenging. After the presentation, I was approached by a broker who appreciated the observations but recognized the list was long. He wanted to know if there was one factor that we observed that was critical for success. As I thought about all the successes I have seen, I realized the answer was easy. The key to success starts at the top.

Without question, firms that drive organic growth have the top principal engaged. He or she is not afraid of change and is driving growth strategies through every aspect of the organization. These principals are redefining their mission statements. In the past, these organizations placed and serviced insurance. Today, they have evolved into SALES organizations that happen to sell and service insurance. It is an enormous difference and a game-changer.

Agency principals are more critical than ever to the future of an agency. They must be prepared to:

1. Redefine their mission statement
2. Demand accountability from salespeople
3. Demand accountability from account managers to not lose money on accounts
4.  Implement training to make people world class
5. Use financial benchmarks to make corrective measures
6. Institute pipeline management and a sales process
7. Spend time truly understanding their brand differentiation
8. Collect and analyze sales statistics like closing ratios and stalled opportunities

The list goes on and on. These are dynamic times and the book has not been written yet on how to succeed. Thomas Edison once said, “Hell there are no rules here, we are just trying to accomplish something!” Many firms will put their head in the sand and continue to do things the old way. Producers who want to make money will soon leave those firms creating a death spiral. Many agencies will sell at discounts. Many will simply not make it. But for the firms that do, I can guarantee that you will be able to look back and see it was the agency leadership that made it happen. The focus on organic growth starts at the top.

If you are at the top and want great ideas on how to get started, just look through the AgencyFuel or Zywave.com site. We continue to peruse the industry for great ideas and forward thinkers and put their information on this portal. You can also join us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest and greatest happenings in the industry – all geared towards agency growth.

We will never profess to have all the answers, however as we continually learn what is working, we remain committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information.