As an insurance agent, you’re most likely pretty used to having a hectic schedule. Day-to-day responsibilities can regularly change, but keeping up in the fast-paced environment is crucial to your success. In order to stay on top of things, and continue to strive to be your best, time management must play an essential role. With that said, managing your time effectively is easier said than done. To get the most out of each day it takes commitment, planning, goal-setting and prioritization. While it’s easy to get used to your normal way of doing things, there are a number of simple changes you can make to increase productivity.
By learning how to properly allocate your time so you can focus more on high priority tasks, you will be able to soar to new heights and will experience industry success. To make this process easier for you, we will be exploring a variety of practical techniques. So that you can optimize your time and be a better insurance agent.
Set Goals and Rank Priorities
The first step in being an effective time manager is to set clear goals and priorities. Think about the things that you want to accomplish in the long term and the short term. For the short term goals, go an extra step further and break them down into manageable tasks. Following this you can then rank those tasks based on their level of importance and priority. If any of the tasks have specific deadlines attached to them be sure to include that information.
After ranking your goals and priorities, you can start to tackle some of them. A great productivity tip is to take care of the most important and the easiest tasks first. By most important, we mean the tasks that are the most urgent. The easiest tasks refer to simple things, like returning emails, phone calls, or communicating with a co-worker. Oftentimes people will put off these easy tasks (that usually take only a few minutes). But if you get them done right away, you’ll have more time to focus on time-consuming problem solving. Though ranking and prioritizing daily tasks is often overlooked, if you get into the habit of doing it, you will feel more organized and accomplished each time you check something off the list.
Many people don’t consider the fact that organization is a skill, and like any skill there are levels to it. When it comes to being a productive agent, improving your organization is one of the most important things you can do. The busier a person’s schedule is, the more crucial this skill becomes. That’s why every insurance agent should brush up on their organization methods.
1.Keep a Schedule
Almost every professional can benefit from utilizing a schedule, and insurance agents are no different. It’s up to you whether you want to do it on paper or electronically. But it’s crucial that you use it consistently and include detail. Here are some things that you may want to include on your schedule:
Appointments
Deadlines
Meetings
Calls (with clients or anyone else)
Projects
Other events
Travel
While it may seem obvious to schedule appointments and meetings. People often fall short when it comes to scheduling things like time blocks dedicated to projects. By physically blocking off time on a calendar, you will be more likely to commit to these tasks instead of putting them off for another day. Additionally, instead of setting your schedule for the next few days or week, try to schedule as far forward into the future as possible. These scheduling practices will help you to stay on top of your workload, and to have a clear vision of what days ahead will look like.
2.Use Automation When Possible
Another way to be as efficient as possible is to automate tasks when you can. If there is work that can be done by software, take advantage of it. This way you’ll be able to spend more time doing pressing, hands-on work. Systems like customer relationship management (CRM) programs will help you to do just that. CRM’s can automate plenty of tasks such as email marketing and data collection. Additionally, CRM’s will be able to track all of your client details, and automate appointment setting, so that you never have to forget about a meeting. Other tools include artificial intelligence programs that can help with marketing copy, auto reply to messages and more.
3.Set Reminders
Even with a well-structured calendar, it’s still very possible to overlook an event or appointment. To negate this from happening to you, we suggest that every agent also sets reminders for particularly important events. This could be on your phone or on your computer, and it will usually include an alarm or vibration that goes off around the time of the event. A good tip is to set the reminder for about 15 minutes before the actual event, so that you have plenty of time to prepare if necessary. If an event is extremely important, you might even consider setting reminders on multiple devices or applications.
Keep Your Physical Space in Order
Since insurance agents wear so many different hats, it can be easy to feel like your desk or computer is cluttered. While it may be tempting to fall back on old habits, keeping a tidy and well-organized area will put your mind at ease.
1.Eliminate Clutter
When you are looking at your desk you want to get into the routine of saying to yourself, “ do I need to have this item nearby or not?” It’s likely that the answer for most of the stuff will be no. If that’s the case, then get rid of it! Whether it’s old paperwork, extra office supplies, office supplies that you never use, or anything else, you want to get your area down to the bare bones of only what’s vital.
2.Organize Client Documents and Keep Backups
The longer you are in the insurance game, the more clients you will acquire, and with lots of clients comes even more paperwork. In order to make your client interactions as smooth as possible, you’ll want to sort physical documents alphabetically, and store them somewhere safe like a filing cabinet. If you are using digital documents, store them in some type of secure database that you can easily access. With all documents, but especially digital ones, you should be sure to keep a backup copy stored in a separate location, this way if data is ever lost, you’ll be covered.
3.Sort and Label Your Desk Items
It will be worthwhile for you to invest in some organization tools for your desk. This could include cubbies, folders, bins or any other tools to cut down on the clutter. You should also keep items grouped together. For example, make sure paperwork that goes together is stapled or paperclipped, and keep all of your pens in the same place. While this tip may not seem super important, you’ll thank us later when you are in a bind and you don’t have to spend extra time searching your space for anything.
Set Aside Time For New Clients
Prospecting for new clients can be time consuming, but it’s very important. It will pay off to set designated time blocks so that you will be sure to work your leads to the best of your ability. When you put these time blocks in your schedule, make sure to include an actual amount of time. For example, you can dedicate from 2pm to 4pm to prospecting. Another idea is to have a number of people in mind that you wish to contact. You may have to play around with this number, to make sure it’s realistic. No matter how you schedule time for new clients, with a physical time and goal, you will feel more accomplished when it’s all said and done.
Limit Distractions
One of the advantages we live with in today’s world is technology. It helps all of us on a daily basis to expedite tasks, but it can also serve as a huge distraction. Habits such as constantly checking your email, text messages, or social media can all get in the way of actually being productive. Though you have to use these modes of communication as an agent, it will help you to limit the amount of time you do so. A great technique is to set up small blocks of about 15 minutes to check and reply to emails.
You can do this in the morning and then maybe once in the middle and once at the end of the day. Other helpful tips include muting the notifications on your phone or email platform, and setting reminders for emails that don’t need immediate attention. It can be easy to get caught up scrolling through messages, but by taking breaks and limiting your use, you will have more time to focus on important tasks like customer service.
Give Yourself a Break
Another overlooked tool that contributes to productivity is taking proper breaks. Don’t feel like taking a break is lazy, instead view it as a time to recharge your batteries. In an industry that is so fast-paced, when breaks aren’t taken on a daily basis, you’ll risk becoming tired or worn out. Self-care is one of the most important things when it comes to our mental health. If you don’t have a clear mind, everything you do will seem more strenuous.
Conclusion
Every insurance agent has their own way of doing things, but their own way may not be the best way. In order to boost your productivity to be more successful, you must set goals, prioritize accordingly, use schedules and automation, and regularly set reminders. Additionally, when your physical space is in order, you will be less stressed and more confident knowing that everything has a home. It’s also crucial to pay attention to your mental health by limiting your distractions and giving yourself sufficient break time.
While making some of these changes will be easy. Depending on your work style, some of them may require some effort. If you are able to implement these tips into your daily work routine, you will find yourself getting more accomplished and feeling better overall about your business. So, what are you waiting for? Become a master of time management, and you will in turn become a master insurance agent.
If you are an insurance agent who is in need of leads to boost your client base look no further. At Benepath we specialize in insurance lead generation, where we offer data leads and inbound phone calls for several products. Including individual health, group health, Medicare, life, and commercial insurance. All of our leads are exclusive and produced in real-time. So you’ll be the only one working every lead that you purchase. If you are interested in our lead generation services or want to learn more, fill out a form or give us a call at 888-684-3121.
