Toops Scoops: Create Your Ideal Agent Education Program

Believe it or not, I'm still getting mail about some blogs and articles that looked at agent education. (It all started here: “Agents: Are you smarter than a plumber?”)

I won't reiterate all that was said, but the core discussion focused on why in-depth agent training requirements and basic education programs are lacking in our industry. (Before anyone starts yelling, I'm not overlooking or denigrating professional designations and all the fine education programs that are currently available. This question focuses on independent insurance agent “basic training.”)

In the early days of fast food, Burger King started a revolution by offering customers the ability to customize their burgers. (Remember the jingle? “Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce…”)

In a similar vein, Jim Mahurin, a risk assessment consultant suggested I start a discussion about what elements you would insist on if you were designing an entry-level education and apprenticeship program for independent insurance agents — and the correlation between education and a high-quality agent.

Jim reminded me that extensive programs existed back in the day, supplied by the national carriers and National Underwriter:

In the late 1960s and early 1970s new agents took National Underwriter home study courses that required about 30 hours' preparation time. They worked in an office a few months and were sent to an insurance company home office school for a few weeks.  Insurance company employees had a similar route with more classroom training. But what type of program would best work today? 

With that in mind, consider these questions about existing programs. Don't focus on the name of the program, but on the type of curriculum and instructional format. Remember, the final goal is to create an educational program that will develop highly functioning, autonomous employees.

• What educational programs best help teach the new agent to think critically? 
• What helps them learn what they don't know?  (A big deal in any field.)
• What programs best prepare the new agent to meet with a client on a complex account and serve the client well?

And while education is important, Jim reminds us that along with basic training, an individual's background can also be a factor in future success as an agent. Consider the role background plays in the quality of attorneys, based on Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings. Jim writes:

The ratings are based on peer review…The V means there are no ethical questions in the attorney's career. A C rating is for young lawyers on their way up. A B rating is largely for highly regarded, more mature and mid-career attorneys. An AV rating is the best of the best lawyers in America…Not all attorneys are rated, and very few are rated AV. 

An observation among the highly rated attorneys is that they share common characteristics. They all graduated from college and law school. All of them passed the bar exams. But other factors are fascinating. A surprising number of AV-rated attorneys are combat veterans, a tiny segment of the population but a common item among the highly rated lawyers. Most are heavily engaged in leadership roles in their communities. Many spend an enormous amount of time educating their peers. 

Using this criteria as a template, what are some of the common characteristics among the best independent agents you know? We're come up with a few, but you might want to add to the list:

• Business acumen
• Sales skill
• Insurance knowledge and skill
• Long-term client relationships
• Long-term carrier relationships
• Community leadership roles
• Insurance industry leadership roles
• Insurance education roles

Can you name 5 of your peers who exemplify the best of the agency business? If so, what role do you think education played in their development? Do they have:

• Formal education beyond high school
• Insurance company training
• Insurance company employment
• Insurance agency training
• Insurance agency employment
• Formal insurance industry education

Please let me hear from you, I'd love to compile the results for future discussion.