Agent Link - December 2020

Agent Link - December 2020

DECEMBER 2020

The benefit market has two unique groups that we’re currently surveying: small group agents and those who seem to only focus on the 50- plus group. Indeed, we are ensuring our sample closely represents the proportions of agents in the different segments of our industry. Those who most benefit from our findings are those clients using Agent Link currently to grow their distribution. We help our clients with a variety of services, including strategy consultation and turnkey marketing programs. One of those programs is called the Producer Referral program. As we continue to talk to agents and advisors, we are reaching the goals of our quantitative study, but we are also able to help producers experiencing the type of challenges that we know one of our clients can handle — and we are happy to make introductions and create win- win situations. This is quite an organic way of helping the industry in more ways than one. So, as we turn the corner and head into 2021, we are very excited to continue this initiative, one that really helps us achieve our purpose: to empower those who change lives for the better. -Stu Gramajo INSIDE 1. 167 Producers Reveal Critical Issues and Speak About Their New Outlook 2. 4 Tips for Navigating Big Business Changes 2. A Message of Hope and Determination 3. Free Recruitment Articles and Resources 6. Want to Make Your Holidays a Little Easier?

167 Producers Reveal Critical Issues and Speak About Their New Outlook

virtual setting.The trend he sees developing is technology and social media taking an even bigger role in procuring new business. Then there’s Teresa from Florida, a producer who works on insurance part time yet wrote over 200 cases last year. She focuses on the senior market. Her biggest challenges entail maintaining a positive mindset despite the current environment as well as the time management required to be highly productive. She has a strong desire to help her community. She feels that her numbers were not particularly affected by the type of year we had, and her focus for 2021 is achieving a higher level of independence while writing a lot more life insurance. We also learned from Pablo in New York, who is currently with an insurance-based BD and does financial planning as well as writes life and annuities. Pablo’s numbers are definitely those of an elite producer. He has found it frustrating to connect via Zoom meetings in 2020 and feels it’s just not as effective as in person.The pace of his practice has definitely decreased, as “meeting new people is hard,” he shared. Finally, John in Texas writes permanent life products including IULs; he says that how slow his underwriting seems to move, coupled with not getting the rates for his clients he’d like to see, are easily his two biggest frustrations in business. While John is a six-figure producer, he still shares that finding qualified prospects is also top-of- mind frustration for him.What he desires most in practice is “really successful, satisfied clients.” Speaking of trends in his segment of the industry, he sees explosive growth and said many more advisors are going to be needed. He raised the question — who is bringing new blood?

The way we see it at Agent Link, nothing quite informs our strategic and operational plans like a fresh, thorough, unbiased look at market trends and their potential implications. And as part of that process, we examine both objective facts and statistics as well as the subjective side of things: how producers see it from their point of view. That’s why, on the eve of a new year, our team has launched yet another effort to assess just what is currently top of mind with active producers in every segment of our industry, and what their outlook is today as we all come out of a ground-shaking year, 2020. Make no mistake, our survey is not some simple email poll. We take our surveying very seriously and have a well-trained team conducting interviews for this quantitative study. We are thrilled about our findings from those conversations we’re having with agents and advisors, like the one we recently had with Eugene from Oregon. He’s a FINRA dually registered advisor who focuses on retirement planning and writes Life, Annuities, DI, and LTC. Eugene is in the process of transitioning to a more independent setting, so he told us he was open to a conversation with a new firm. While Eugene does well — evident by his high production numbers — marketing continues to be frustrating in his practice, and he would like be more efficient converting prospects to clients. He wants partners that provide more than just back- office support and product knowledge — partners that offer strong client acquisition support to him. In reference to how 2020 affected him, Eugene shared that because of the size of his firm, operational changes in 2020 were implemented slowly. However, he adapted comfortably to a

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When Change How Do You Navigate It?

As a business leader, you’re likely well-versed in making decisions, but in the midst of a global health crisis, a political minefield, and environmental disasters, planning for the upcoming year is different territory for even the most seasoned business professionals. So, how do you make the right decisions for your 2021 plans? Start with these three steps. No. 1: Look at the >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6

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