Personal & professional
development
“Brokers delivering the most value to their clients are those who anticipate the needs of their clients and learn about their goals, past experiences and future hopes for their health benefit solutions.”
—Thomas Sass, Gravie
“Get involved in any way you can with fellow agents, carrier reps or others in the industry. Put yourself out there, get involved and learn.”
—Stephanie Berger, Centered
“How are you differentiating yourself? There are a lot of ways to highlight the good things that are happening. How can you spread the word every single day?”
—Lester J. Morales, Next Impact
“When you make gratitude a habit and recognize the value of the contributions of your colleagues, you encourage them to strive for greater results. And your business will inevitably grow as your team members champion your brand.”
—Michele Bailey, The Blazing Group
“From a mentorship perspective, it’s important to teach assertiveness, persistence, resilience—and, truthfully, working harder than your male counterpart.”
—Robyn Tikia, Risk Strategies Company
“Just be genuine and intentional. When you’re looking for partners, you don’t need another person to take you to dinner, you need someone who will get the job done.”
—Eric Silverman, Voluntary Disruption
“You’re an expert business consultant and the C-suite needs you. Realizing that is huge for your self-confidence.”
—Nick Hansen, PSG Washington
“Your reputation is everything—both to your employer clients and to the carriers. Don’t make false statements, and don’t exaggerate just to land a deal now and risk losing trust with your employer client later.”
—Brian Freeman, Mployer Advisor
“If you get involved in your community and do good work, customers who are looking for ethical business partners will research your actions. Stating your organization’s values is important; living them is essential.”
—Marty Traynor, benefits consultant
“Stay connected with people who are having success. Maybe it’s 10 at-bats before you get someone who understands what you’re presenting, but in between, you’ve heard from four of your peers at an event who were talking about their successes. It’s a good reminder that it is happening around you, even when it’s not always happening directly for you.”
—Michael Lutz, Compass Benefits Group
“What you have to be asking is ‘What is the message that separates you? What can help you break through the noise?’ There is so much complexity in your marketplace and people cannot expect you to know it all. And if you tell them that you do, they won’t believe you.”
—Matthew Pollard, professional sales speaker
Design by Chris Nicholls