2019 Best Practices Study

The Best Practices Study has succeeded beyond the founding creators’ wildest dreams. On virtually every measure imaginable, Best Practices agencies in 2019 are operating at levels unimaginable in 1993, when it all began.

There is a danger, however, that we will become complacent. Although we are far better off as an industry than we were in 1993, the insurance broker landscape faces challenges that would also have been imaginable in 1993: Insuretech, industry consolidation, the demand for value-added-resources to satisfy clients, artificial intelligence and a systemic lack of young talent entering the industry, to name a few. Had insurance agencies in 1993 been content to be average, even as compared to the Best Practices agencies at the time, the industry would not have achieved the remarkable improvements it has. We must continue to pass down the hard- fought lessons learned to the next generations of insurance agents and agency leaders. We are not as good as we can, and will, be. To realize this potential, we must continue to adapt to an ever-changing environment, with an eye towards continuous improvement. We trust these Best Practices fundamentals will help you to do so.

In order to make your application of these fundamentals more effective, we will offer two final suggestions regarding how to put these materials to the best use possible.

Dashboarding

In this review of Best Practices foundations, we have highlighted a few dozen of the most important Best Practices metrics. But should you focus on every single metric? Probably not. Good to Great author Jim Collins encourages readers to discover and focus on their “economic denominator.” He writes, “If you could pick one and only one ratio – profit per x (or, in the social sector, cash flow per x) – to systematically increase over time, what x would have the greatest and most sustainable impact on your economic engine?” Different companies will have different economic denominators. Collins’ encouragement is to take the time to understand your company’s unique DNA and focus relentlessly on the metric most likely to lead to economic success. Applying this same general principle to the topic of Best Practices , we would argue against a focus on a single metric, but agree that it makes sense to focus on the few Best Practices metrics that will serve your agency best. Over time, many top-performing agencies find that 8-10 metrics matter most for their businesses given their unique culture, challenges and aspirations. These agencies then focus on these metrics religiously.

To create a high degree of accountability and urgency, consider developing a quarterly dashboard to deliver to your shareholders and leaders to capture and report on the Best Practices metrics that matter most to your agency.

 26