How can agency owners manage these concerns and create a company culture that embraces the transition? A few best practices include:

Be proactive: An agency owner needs to be able to effectively communicate to their team why this new approach is necessary, what it will look like, and the end goal in a way that addresses their concerns and showcases how this can lead to even greater growth. For example, carriers may be concerned initially that they will see fewer submissions. Agency owners should proactively reach out and let their carriers know they may see fewer submissions in the months to come, but the quality will be much improved and lead to greater growth. Similarly, an agency owner would need to speak with their underwriters. Let them know to expect fewer quotes and submissions, but to also expect higher close ratios. This transparency can help mitigate stress levels ahead of such a significant shift in strategy.
Focus on the benefits: Framing the conversation correctly is critical to a successful transition. Let producers know this is a growth accelerator and not a process that will limit their options. At my agency, I was able to provide concrete examples from my business with colleges and auto part stores. I told my team how my closing ratio was 80 to 90%, while theirs were only around 30%, and shared how the difference in our approach made up the difference.
Celebrate the right wins: Stop celebrating how many quotes team members have and focus on wins that are relevant to an ROT approach. Focus on improved close ratios, how long it takes to quote business, and how many times you need to reach out before binding the business. Team members will see these wins and take pride in their work. This is what will drive the culture shift.
Measure correctly: Tracking the right metrics can help prove the efficacy of an ROT mindset. Close ratio is critical but there’s more to consider. In an effective ROT system, revenue per client and retention rate should consistently increase while the time to service accounts should decrease significantly. Although this may not be as measurable, team stress should also decrease because team members will have much greater capacity in their workloads.

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