Episode 286: High Performing Agency Teams with Laura Hicks

Ever wondered how top-performing insurance agencies attract and retain the best talent? Laura Hicks dives deep into the secrets of building unstoppable teams in our latest episode! Laura, a renowned trainer, speaker, business consultant, and author of The Blue Circles. Together, we explore the crucial components that contribute to building high-performing agency teams within the independent insurance industry. Laura shares her expertise on the indispensable steps of recruiting, motivating, and retaining top-tier talent, highlighting the critical role of personality profiling and leadership assessments in ensuring a seamless fit within your agency. We discuss how to tailor job ads effectively to resonate with today’s market demands and uncover the nuances of leadership skills that can elevate your team’s performance. With actionable strategies and in-depth analysis, this episode is designed to arm agency owners and leaders with the knowledge needed to cultivate a robust and thriving team culture. Tune in and discover how you can transform your agency environment for unparalleled success.

Highlights:

  • Understanding personality profiles to find the right fit for your agency roles.
  • Identifying critical hiring challenges including finding the right person, team motivation, and retention strategies.
  • Creating job ads that attract suitable candidates by highlighting your agency’s strengths and culture.
  • Utilizing specific assessment tools to evaluate candidates’ sales skills and fit for sales roles.
  • Recognizing different motivators among team members to effectively lead and engage them.
  • Exploring leadership competencies critical for agency leaders to improve team performance.
  • Tailoring job descriptions for specific roles to attract the most qualified candidates.
  • Matching behavioral styles with job requirements to ensure the right person for the right job.
  • Identifying and managing team members who exhibit a victim mentality to maintain a productive work environment.

About Laura Hicks:

Laura is a trainer, speaker, business consultant and author of The Blue Circles, which is a book about building relationships. Prior to starting her own business, she spent 21 years working in Corporate America in Sales, Marketing and HR, Pacific Bell.

Since opening her business in 2004, Laura helps business professionals:

  • Create/tweak ads to attract the right people to apply for your advertised position.
  • Has guidelines for the phone call and the in-person interviews or will do it for you.
  • Offers several different online assessments including behavioral styles, core values, critical thinking, sales skills and leadership.
  • Helps you determine if you have the right people in the right seats or not.
  • Works with you on team member conflicts and how to avoid or fix them.
  • Leads workshops in person or via Zoom on the topics above.

Laura has spoken at over 1000 events and led over 1000 of her workshops. She has been a member of ProVisors and the Group Leader for the South Bay Women’s Affinity Group since 2013. Laura has 3 certificates in her field:

  • Advanced Certified Practitioner (ACP)
  • Certified Professional Behavioral Styles (CPBA)
  • Certified Professional Motivational Analyst (CPMA)

Simply stated… she has spent a lot of time and money getting certified in many different types of assessments and has trained thousands of people.

When Laura is not working, she loves listening to smooth jazz, watching the NFL, the sun, boating, floating, going to the beach and Disneyland.

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://unstoppableprofitproducer.com/

Virtual Events: http://www.uppfaststart.com/

Podcast: http://unstoppableprofitpodcast.com

If you want to learn more about our Coaching & Mastermind Programs and how they can help you grow your agency business, schedule your private Agency Growth Session with Mike Stromsoe Now (click here)!

Episode 247: Job Descriptions and Leading Your Team

 

The power of job descriptions for independent insurance agencies. Let’s break it down. Today I chat about the crucial world of job descriptions and leadership within your team. Sharing my wealth of knowledge and experience in the necessity of job descriptions for successful team management. Also discuss how job descriptions will attract the right team members, improve employee satisfaction, provide clear guidance for performance, and match skills and talents to find the right roles.

Highlights:

  • Importance of leadership, goals, and expectations.
  • Encourage your team to write their own job descriptions.
  • Being clear in team expectations emphasized.
  • Use the P x Three program for job descriptions.
  • Clear leadership expectations drive skill improvement and productivity, anchored by core values and a culture of growth.

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://unstoppableprofitproducer.com/

Virtual Events: http://www.uppfaststart.com/

Podcast: http://unstoppableprofitpodcast.com

If you want to learn more about our Coaching & Mastermind Programs and how they can help you grow your agency business, schedule your private Agency Growth Session with Mike Stromsoe Now (click here)!

Episode 226: The Latest on Always Be Recruiting!!!

What topic is repeatedly brought up in my coaching sessions with high-performing agencies, you ask? It’s the importance of Always Be Recruiting. Your success in business hinges on the strength of your team, and to improve your weakest link, you must consistently recruit new talent. But where do you find these new recruits? I share strategies such as utilizing LinkedIn, having a career page on your website, leveraging your personal email list, and reaching out to key people in your network. So, if you’re ready to take your recruitment efforts to the next level and build a powerhouse team, then stay tuned for today’s episode of the Unstoppable Profit podcast.

Be sure to check out our upcoming 2023 Be Unstoppable Bootcamp, October 19-21, 2023 www.beunstoppablebootcamp.com

Highlights:

  • Strategies for business success; prioritize hiring and leadership.
  • Use your website’s career page to recruit new team members. Consider adding a unique URL for this page.
  • Spread the word and direct potential candidates there.
  • Utilize team member videos for career page and strategic promotion. Gather testimonials for credibility.
  • Saw hiring banner, don’t make excuses, use social media, show importance.
  • Always serve at a high level; recruiting is essential.

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Website: http://unstoppableprofitproducer.com/

Virtual Events: http://www.uppfaststart.com/

Email [email protected]

Podcast: http://unstoppableprofitpodcast.com

Virtual Training: http://uppfaststart.com

In Person Training: http://beunstoppablebootcamp.com

Episode 217: The Biggest Leap with Tim Gaspar Part 2

With an overwhelming demand, I welcome guest Tim Gaspar back for another episode. Today we focus on the power of three, because we both know that simplicity and taking that one step at a time is critically, critically important. Time shares the importance of addressing underperforming employees and coaching them to reach their potential. We break down the significance of building genuine relationships for business success and the benefits of working with ideal customers and prioritizing value and common interests in relationships. In today’s world there is an importance of differentiating online relationships from real ones and emphasizing the need for effort and interaction in the physical world. Join us for Part 2 with Tim Gaspar!

Highlights:

  • Building deep, meaningful relationships is the most effective way to prospect and obtain valuable business leads
  • The focus of relationships should be on adding value, with the relationship itself being the reward. Money is a byproduct of these strong relationships.
  • Don’t confuse online connections with genuine relationships.
  • Bad managers are the main reason employees leave, so self-awareness is important.
  • It’s important to be a great coach and see potential in others. Believe in them and they will achieve great things.
  • Building relationships with successful and ethical individuals is rewarding.

 

About our Guest:

In February 2008, Timothy Gaspar founded Gaspar Insurance Services, Inc. As of late 2021 Gaspar Insurance Services is one of the largest independent insurance firms in both Los Angeles City and the San Fernando Valley (as ranked by the LA and SFV business journals). The firm has multiple offices in California, Arizona and New Jersey. Additionally, in 2018, 2019 and 2020 Gaspar Insurance was ranked by Inc. magazine as of the fastest growing companies in America. In late 2021 Timothy sold Gaspar Insurance to Foundation Risk Partners (FRP) for close to $30,000,000. Timothy still runs the Gaspar Insurance Services offices as CEO under the ownership of FRP.

 

Committed to his community, Timothy has been involved with non profits in an around the Los Angeles area of many years. Current organizations and positions include;

  • Discovery Cube Los Angeles, Board Member
  • Metropolitan YMCA of Los Angeles, Board Member
  • West Valley YMCA, Board Member
  • Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, Former Board Member
  • California State University Northridge Nazarian School of Business. Board Member
  • Timothy Gaspar Entrepreneurship Scholarship at California State University Northridge, Founder

https://gasparinsurance.com/

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Website: http://unstoppableprofitproducer.com/

Virtual Events: http://www.uppfaststart.com/

Email [email protected]

Podcast: http://unstoppableprofitpodcast.com

Virtual Training: http://uppfaststart.com

In Person Training: http://beunstoppablebootcamp.com

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