Should We Prospect New Business During the Corona-pocalypse?

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Speaker 2 Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the show. Today is kind of a special episode, I guess you'd say.
It is actually an episode of The Inside, which normally I release via YouTube video.

Speaker 2 And this time, I decided I wanted to share the audio with you. So, this is going to be a shorter episode,

Speaker 2 but I felt that there were some important questions.

Speaker 2 The video got quite a bit of run, and I wanted to make sure that you, the podcast listeners, who may not have had a chance to watch the video episode, also got a chance to hear this and share your feedback on the topic.

Speaker 2 It's something I feel fairly passionate about,

Speaker 2 but I think there is some intrigue. I think there is some conversation that needs to be had.
And I think that's cool. And there's been some via the video.
And I hope there is some via the podcast.

Speaker 2 So with that, I want to get on to the episode.

Speaker 2 Guys, if you are not subscribed to this show, please subscribe wherever you're listening right now just hit the subscribe button and uh let you know just that way you get the newest episodes and i've been a little quiet lately but uh you know it has been a zombie apocalypse so i feel like you shouldn't give me such a hard time but uh yeah either way i think this is an interesting episode a good episode please reach out let me know what you think hit me up on facebook instagram linkedin whatever your preferred network is i'm on all of them and uh i'd love to just hear your thoughts so with that let's get on to today's episode.

Speaker 2 Should we prospect new business during the Corona Apocalypse?

Speaker 2 What up guys? Welcome back to the inside.

Speaker 2 I'm happy to be back. It has been a minute.
It's been five weeks actually.

Speaker 2 You can see I'm channeling my inner Nick Airs and Matt Namoly here for this late night session with the flat brim, kind of cockeyed. That's how those dudes do it.

Speaker 6 I just, I look,

Speaker 2 I look like a crazy person in a hat, but

Speaker 2 I got Corona, work from home, chasing two goons around the house all day, head, and I figured I'd throw a hat on. So here's the deal.
Like,

Speaker 2 you know, basically,

Speaker 2 it has been a major grind for all of us, right?

Speaker 2 I was grinding hard trying to launch a scratch agency, launch Rogue, had these big plans, going after large, small commercial and middle market,

Speaker 2 working with David Carruthers and his program Killing Commercial, which is absolutely the balls, by the way. If you're interested in taking your commercial insurance game to the next level,

Speaker 2 check out killingcommercial.com. Talk to David Carruthers.
Like he's changed my whole mindset on what it means to be a, on what it means to be a CBK, a cold-blooded killer. And

Speaker 2 I am excited to get that part of my business going. Right now, just like you, I'm in full scramble mode, right?

Speaker 2 Like, I'm three full months into the business of insurance and I have not sold a policy yet. So I always told you I'd be transparent.
I'm three full months in.

Speaker 2 I'm three weeks of being like officially able to sell with appointments

Speaker 2 and

Speaker 2 I haven't sold a policy yet. Like everything I had in my pipeline has dried up.
Everyone I've reached out to

Speaker 2 has been just nothing. I've been nothing.
Now I got some things that I'm working. I got some quotes in.

Speaker 2 Cyber has been an interesting thing, you know, because, you know, the day that I launched my business, Trump came out and

Speaker 2 started the lockdown. So it was just like whack day one, nothing.

Speaker 2 So this has just been, it's been wild. It's been wild.
And look, I'm blessed.

Speaker 2 My wife and I are good with our money. You know, she does well.
I was smart about preparing for

Speaker 2 launching this business. So it's not like, you know, it's not like we're on E, it's not like we're even in trouble.

Speaker 2 You know, I knew that there'd be some tough times. I knew there'd be a ramp-up period with the fact that I was going after,

Speaker 2 you know, middle market commercial was going to be one of my targets, you know, because Carruthers' program was a huge part of my strategy. I mean, that's where I wanted to be.

Speaker 2 That's the type of value provider I wanted to be. And

Speaker 2 I just,

Speaker 2 I wanted, you know, I knew there was going to be a ramp up to that. So, you know, I put plenty of money away.
So that's beside the point. But in full transparency, I've not sold the policy yet.

Speaker 2 So what's had to happen is a week into

Speaker 2 the corona apocalypse, like I was in a pretty dark place, right? I mean, I started a business on the day of the lockdown. And look, there are many people who are laid off.

Speaker 2 I mean, obviously, I'm not making any money either, but that feels a little different because it was kind of by choice

Speaker 2 to a certain extent than actually being laid off, which is terrible. I've had that happen to me twice, and it's not fun in any regard.

Speaker 2 It's a confidence shaker for sure. So we want to be supporting everyone in our community who's going through that without a doubt, supporting our communities in general.

Speaker 2 Buy local beer, buy takeout food, help people,

Speaker 2 you know, whatever you can do, right? Support your local hairdresser.

Speaker 2 You know, no one's talking about hairdressers, but every single person who cuts hair, barbers and hairdressers, you know, they can't cut hair anymore so at least in new york uh so so my point in saying to all this is like it's a crazy messed up time

Speaker 2 and uh i'm not where i thought i was was gonna be at this point um

Speaker 2 but

Speaker 2 i guess what i wanted to share and what kind of drove me to

Speaker 2 um to do a video to come to come do a video here after being gone for so long was uh some things that I've been hearing out out in the different Facebook groups and in in Zoom chats and stuff about, you know, is this really the right time to be marketing or selling?

Speaker 2 And I'm going to tell you, like, absolutely, like, yes, it is. Like, go get your business.
You are in a position as an insurance professional that your business isn't shut down, right? And

Speaker 2 to just sit back and to play it safe right now, I think is absolutely the wrong move. Now, this is 100% true if you're in a position like me.

Speaker 2 Like, if you're a producer, if you don't own the agency and you're not sitting on a big book of business, you need to go sell. You need to go be marketing.
Like, you have to, this is not a time to

Speaker 2 kind of pussyfoot around. Like, you need to go.
You need to put it in gear and go forward. And, and, and the other part of that, and I apologize, I'm stumbling over my words.

Speaker 2 It's, it's late and I just feel passionate about this topic, is that this is,

Speaker 2 it, this is a terrible crisis, terrible, absolutely terrible crisis. And I don't mean this to sound callous in any way, but

Speaker 2 for your business and the future of your family and your life, this is an opportunity to step out front and be a leader, be a voice, separate your business from everyone else.

Speaker 2 And that can be through marketing, through sales. It could also be through community support, being a connector of people, helping, you know, giving to charity, donating your time.

Speaker 2 If you're young and healthy and you feel confident, maybe putting yourself in a position that other people are unwilling or unable to do,

Speaker 2 you know, maybe taking on some exposure in order to let those who might be in other positions

Speaker 2 or maybe more vulnerable to the coronavirus not have to put themselves in those positions.

Speaker 2 Like, there are a million ways that you can step out front and get your personal brand and your business brand in front of people so that when all this crap is over, or at least we understand what the next iteration, what the new normal is going to look like, you've separated yourself from the pack.

Speaker 2 Because here's what most people are doing, turtling. Most people are turtling and making excuses.
Well, no one wants to hear from me right now.

Speaker 2 Well, in some cases, that's true, but in many other cases, that's not true. You know what's absolutely killing it right now? Personalized insurance.
You know what I've pivoted road risk to?

Speaker 2 A hardcore personalized agency. We're going to be driving massive personalized revenue moving forward because that's the only thing that's that's moving right now.

Speaker 2 Now, yeah, you probably sign a couple commercial accounts if you have a nice pipeline and people are still talking to you, but if you're coming in cold, that's just not happening.

Speaker 2 It's not happening right now. Like I've tried it and the initial, the few initial responses were enough of a of a

Speaker 2 test case to feel fairly confident that now is not the time to be cold, cold

Speaker 2 prospecting new business stuff,

Speaker 2 new commercial business. But in personalized, that's completely different Because know what a family who's going through hardship could use some savings on their home and auto insurance.

Speaker 2 You know what?

Speaker 2 A family who maybe has some concerns about the future of just their life, they want to take control of some stuff, maybe helping them reposition their program so that it better fits their needs, maybe adjusting some coverages, maybe getting them an umbrella insurance if they didn't have one, maybe helping them with life insurance, maybe finally getting them to understand that

Speaker 2 their HO2 policy could be upgraded for, you know, I mean, I'm just talking at this point, but there's a million ways that you can be a value provider and drive business and help people and not seem like a sleazy car salesman.

Speaker 2 Like, you're only a sleazy car salesman if you act like a sleazy car salesman. But if you believe that what you're doing actually helps people, now is the time to step forward.

Speaker 2 Now is the time to come out of the shadows, start doing videos, start helping people better understand their life,

Speaker 2 or their life, geez, start better understand

Speaker 2 their their insurance and how it impacts their life right like this is this is our job and uh i just you know i i'm i i can't even tell you the the the rabbit holes that i've gone down to find places to generate business because you know what i'm not gonna let do i'm not gonna let rogue risk fail I'm not going to let that happen.

Speaker 2 So, and my point in telling you that is not because any of you should care because you should give two flying craps about rogue risk. That's my business, right? That's my concern.

Speaker 2 What I'm telling you is you should not feel guilty for wanting to grow your business or at least wanting to sustain your business. Like you should not feel guilty for that.

Speaker 2 Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for wanting to push because I believe now more than ever is the time to push. Because most people will not do that.
They'll be scared. They'll be nervous.

Speaker 2 They'll be turtling like everyone else. They'll just be the same way they always have, which is non-existent.

Speaker 2 And if you can step out front and with confidence and with caring and understanding for the people in your community,

Speaker 2 that can't be denied. That's what sticks in people's head: that you were there.
And they may not even know what you do, but they know your face. They'll know the colors of your logo.

Speaker 2 They'll have an idea of what you believe in. And there's just a million ways that you can skin that cat.
So

Speaker 2 I wanted to give a big shout out to Austin Moorhead from Lava Automation too.

Speaker 2 Austin has been just a tremendous resource in helping me build out Infusionsoft, which is my marketing automation and CRM system.

Speaker 2 And I want to give a shout out to Rick Fox at Vertifor for helping me put together QQ Catalyst, PL Raider are going to be the agency management system and rating system that I use.

Speaker 2 And Rick, who's been a buddy of mine for a while,

Speaker 2 helped me better understand that product, better understand what I was trying to do. And

Speaker 2 for I think, I think a lot of really good reasons, I'm very happy with that decision. And I'm very happy to be doing business with Rick because I like doing business with people that I like.

Speaker 2 And I think that QQ and PL Raider for me right now are absolutely the perfect fit.

Speaker 2 So I'm happy about that decision. And

Speaker 2 I'm just excited for this next chapter. You know, I've pivoted pivoted to pushing cyber insurance and I and I have like six or seven cyber policies in the pipeline, which is cool.

Speaker 2 So hopefully next time I talk to you, I will have sold a policy and

Speaker 2 I've positioned, repositioned my business to personalize and pivoted there, which were things I planned on doing six, 12 months from now, that now I've just pushed forward because

Speaker 2 like I said, I'm not going to let rogue fail. And

Speaker 2 mid-market commercial right now, for me, is not an option because I've done zero prospecting up until this point. Zero real prospecting.
I had only been in business for a week, like I said.

Speaker 2 But

Speaker 2 I'm just, I'm excited to get going. I got cold emails going out.
I'm got

Speaker 2 19 point automations on new leads. I'm running Facebook ads, YouTube ads.
I'm doing

Speaker 2 hard mail drops in various communities in the area.

Speaker 2 I'm not going to slow down because,

Speaker 2 you know, it was too much work just to get rogued to where it is. And I've only been doing this for three months.

Speaker 2 And I'm certainly not going to let the corona apocalypse stop me from being where I want to be. And I hope you won't either.

Speaker 2 And if you have any questions about what I'm doing, you know that I'm always available to you, that I love you guys. I love you for watching this.

Speaker 2 You know, I've had to make a lot of really tough decisions in different ways, sometimes frustrating things, um sometimes saying that i wanted something they have to call somebody and be like tell them i didn't really want that uh it's it's it's a difficult it's been difficult for me i overthink a little bit um but i feel like i got things started i feel like i'm starting to get everything lined up and uh and i'm i'm starting to cook starting to cook a little bit so like i said you have any questions about what i'm doing decisions i've had to make um thoughts whatever uh let me know um i'm gonna try to get back to doing these updates every week um just because i feel like it's kind of cathartic.

Speaker 2 Hopefully, you find some value in them. And I wish you nothing but the best.
Stay safe, stay healthy.

Speaker 2 For as much as I despise the way that the traditional media is handling the reporting of the coronavirus, I do think

Speaker 2 it's a very dangerous thing. And, you know, we need to be very smart about the way that we handle ourselves.
So I wish you nothing but the best. And I'll catch you on the flip side.
I'm out of here.

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