I know we are always looking for new ideas, yet most of the time, we haven't put the most basic ideas into practice.

Here's a reminder of some of those basic ideas and best practices we need to implement every week:

Quick reminder #1: Schedule your time

As a sales organization, we have two basic goals: to keep the clients we have and to get the ones we don't. This means we have two types of work: sales work and service work. And to predictably achieve both goals, we have to schedule (yes, on the calendar) time for both.

Quick action — Get every producer to block out an appropriate number of hours on his/her calendar this week for prospecting/sales activities.

Quick reminder #2: Identify client needs

Your prospects and clients aren't different people who value different things; they are the same people who value the same things. You're simply meeting them at different stages of a relationship. As a business/organization, what prospects/clients value is having their needs met.

Quick action — At some point this week, have a team conversation about what those client needs are and how you are able to address those needs.

Quick reminder #3: Know your value proposition

Your value proposition (VP) answers the question of what your clients get as a result of working with you. The VP must be extremely clear to everyone on your team and be discussed on a regular basis. If not, you will never be able to deliver on it successfully.

As an example, here's our VP: We enable agencies to take control of their business by helping them to take control of what they deliver to their clients and control of how they get paid for doing so.

Quick action — Ask each member of your team what they believe to be your VP.

Quick reminder #4: Build an online presence

In today's online world, buyers are somewhere between 60% and 90% of the way to a buying decision before they meet with a salesperson. What they learn about that salesperson during their online research will largely influence whether or not a face-to-face meeting ever takes place.

Sure, it takes time and consistent effort to truly build an online brand, but this week is your next best opportunity to get started and/or take that next step.

Quick action — On your social medium of choice, find an article to share, comment on an article, or share an original idea of your own.

Quick reminder #5: Focus on the most important

We all know what we need to do in order to be more successful; the struggle is in the execution, in taking that first step. However, once we break through with the first step, the next becomes easier, and the one after that even easier.

Quick action — Write down the one most important thing you need to accomplish. Now, write down the absolute simplest first step to move you forward and put it on your calendar.

What drives our success isn't rocket science guys; it's simply about consistent execution of the obvious.

Game on!

Kevin Trokey is founding partner and coach at St. Louis-based Q4intelligence, a business, sales and marketing consulting firm working with insurance agencies. Contact him at (314) 436-7171 and check out his LinkedIn profile and follow him on Twitter @kevintrokey.

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5 quick tasks insurance agents & brokers should do every week

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