Tips to Maximize Business Productivity

5 Ways to Maximize Business Productivity

Boosting sales productivity is a popular business goal for insurance agents but one of the hardest goals to achieve. For Farm Bureau agents, it’s the little things they do each day that help them accomplish their goals while protecting the communities they serve.

Insurance Agent Productivity Tips 

1. Stick to the Plan

An insurance agent’s daily schedule can easily get off track. Having a plan helps make the most of every day by prioritizing the tasks that need to be completed. For example, power through emails and tedious tasks during peak performance times to get the clutter out of the way. Schedule high-level tasks after the morning chaos is resolved to focus on one thing at a time. Consider this work hack: check email three times a day vs. whenever something new comes in. This avoids going down rabbit holes every time the email pings and allows you to focus on larger tasks. 

2. Make Meetings Count

We all know the feeling. We open our calendars in the morning and see five meetings staggered throughout the day. Identify which meetings can be done out of the office and face-to-face on the client’s turf. Getting out of the office is a good way to get energized for the meeting and for the remainder of the day. For internal staff meetings, consider making them “stand-up meetings” for just 20 minutes. Holding these meetings while standing can encourage all team members to provide brief, succinct updates, allow you to schedule meetings back-to-back and lead to a more productive day.   

3. Take Care of Yourself

Though it’s often overlooked, your health can directly contribute to increased sales productivity.

Be sure to stay mindful of self-care to maintain good health and a positive attitude. One quick tip: when you need an energy boost during the day, a walk around the block and a bottle of water can have the same effect as sugar- and caffeine-loaded drinks – without the energy crash that comes later. 

4. Feed the Funnel

Nurturing prospects is a vital element of increasing insurance sales productivity. Every day, have a goal of reaching out to a set number of prospects. That could be a personal phone call requesting a meeting or an email asking a prospect a specific question. Being present for your prospects shows you are available for them when they need you and that you care, both for existing clients who trust you and new business that comes your way.

5. Set Realistic Goals

Setting attainable goals and developing clear processes to reach those goals is more likely to lead to greater productivity than working more hours or trying to reach a pie-in-the-sky goal. Little wins build momentum and can eventually lead to big wins. If you set your expectations too high, the opposite effect could happen in the chaos that follows. Always keep the SMART principles in mind when setting goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-based.

Let Us Help

Farm Bureau has the resources to help agents be productive every day, supporting agents’ growing businesses by providing support and guidance to make the most of each day. If you are ready to learn more about becoming a Farm Bureau agent, connect with the District Manager in your area.