Andy Barclay, producer, The John A. Barclay Agency
Years at company: 8
College: Texas Tech University
How does technology fit into your work strategy?
I own an iPhone; in fact, I have owned several of them. iPhones allow the young producer to be out of the office meeting clients or networking and to know that they will not miss that important phone call or e-mail. Being able to respond quickly with a smart phone gives me that competitive edge. Also, new applications for the phone come out every day that make working mobile easier. I have found the Jotnot Scanner iPhone application useful in scanning documents when out of the office.
What are your main priorities as a young agent?
I'm big on being part of a community. I grew up in the city where I work, although I went away for college. When I came back four years later, the city had grown and I had to build new relationships. Being an active participant in my community allowed me to meet my wife, help others and earn a living. Giving back is huge, especially in this business. The phrase "you get what you give" is definitely true. I am a Rotarian and it has changed my life. I have met so many good people through Rotary and it made the city seem like a small town and allowed me to build strong relationships.
What is an important lesson you learned when joining a professional working environment?
You have to give respect to gain respect. You also have to work hard. When folks who have twenty years in the business see this, good things happen. You try and help make their lives easier in the office, and they reciprocate. It's also important to be humble and realize you have much to learn as a young person in a professional working environment.
Where do you hope to take your career? What direction would you like it to go in?
I would like to lead an agency one day. I have spent as much time as possible in the community gathering leadership experience. I am the President of my Rotary Club this year. I believe that the leadership skills learned and experience working in an agency for a number of years will allow me to reach that point in the future.
Many young agents enter this industry because other family members work in insurance. What advice do you have when working with family?
Set aside a time each week for family and, if at all possible, try not to bring up business. We generally have a low-key family dinner on Sunday nights.
What skills do you think young agents will need next year?
Industry knowledge is key. Paying attention to trends and reading industry publications is extremely helpful to know what is going on. Often these publications will give the young agents ideas on how to use new technologies to achieve the competitive edge, and give agents an idea how to better relate to customers in an age where it is easy to underestimate the value of personal relationships.
What do you see young agents struggle with in their first years in this industry? What advice do you have?
Young agents may not sell much in the first six months to a year in the business and it is easy to get discouraged. I think these are the best years to soak up knowledge and learn the business of insurance and people. I recommend that young agents increase their visibility in the community by joining and being active in organizations and focus on building their personal brand.
What do you see as your biggest strength in this industry?
I am a people person. I like interacting with individuals and being active in community organizations. I like to think I can strike up a conversation with anyone in the industry and build relationships with company underwriters and marketing representatives. Since insurance is a "people" business, I think being able to build relationships is key.
Similarly, what is your biggest weakness? How have you addressed that weakness?
In the beginning, when I first became an agent in my early twenties, I was very hard on myself when a prospect did not end up doing business with me. Naturally, being a people-pleaser, I wanted everyone who was interested in buying insurance to do business with me. I realized that being a good agent takes time, focus and perservence. Having a good mentor really helped during this time as did having a solid support group outside the work place.
Andy Barclay was featured in the February 2013 issue of AA&B. He is a producer for The John A. Barclay Agency.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.