The Connected Insurance Podcast

"Is Your Agency's Email Marketing Striking Gold, or Striking Out?"

Unlock the secrets of high-ROI email strategies in this electrifying podcast episode with Jay Schwedelson, the wizard of email marketing. As an independent insurance agency, it's time to stop blending in and start standing out. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) reveals a staggering $43 return for every dollar invested in email marketing - but the real magic lies in mastering the craft.

Join us for this riveting podcast master class, meticulously tailored for independent insurance agencies. Jay Schwedelson, the genius behind subjectline.com uncovers the covert tactics and strategies that make emails irresistible. Here's a glimpse of the gold you're about to discover:

• The "Three Dots Phenomenon": How a simple ellipsis (...) can skyrocket your open rates by a staggering 17%.
• "Emoji Enchantment": Harness the untapped power of ‘business icons’ to boost open rates by up to 28%.
• "Segmentation Sorcery": Learn a little-known technique that can amplify response rates by an unbelievable 760%.

Seize this rare chance to sit at the feet of two masters of the email marketing realm. Transform your agency's email approach from lead to gold. This is more than just a podcast - it's a treasure map to email marketing success.

Mike Alexander started his agency in a crisis. The ‘Great Texas Mold Crisis’ was sending agencies all over the state into a death spiral. He just purchased a small book with 400 clients.

One of his early - and critical - insights was that it wasn’t going to be enough to do a good job at insurance. He’d have to do a good job at marketing. Fast forward to today. 4000 customers. 20% annual growth.

Listen as Mike unravels the secrets to his insurance marketing success, including:

• How Mike fixed his agency’s ‘leaky bucket’ and created a seamless system to re-capture ‘lost souls’, convert unconverted leads and maximize Customer Lifetime Value.
• The simple pivot Mike made from ‘Main Street Agency’ to niche marketer (with an greatly expanded territory)
• His transition from ‘selling insurance’ (and always offering to ‘save, save, save!) to marketing to the deeper ‘what-keeps-’em-up-at-night’ pain.
• The critical way Mike learned marketing (and the network of peers that holds him accountable for performance).

Serious growth-minded insura-preneurs will want to make this conversation their highest priority of the week.

Arguably, the fastest growing family owned agency in America. Now, revealing the juicy secrets that have become insurance industry legend.

Meet Mike Mathisen. He bought a teeny agency with a few hundred customers, stepped on the gas and never hit the brakes. 30% growth for over a decade. Reliable, profitable - and, if you love growth yourself, deserving of your close attention.

In this podcast, Mike reveals the secrets of how he ‘did the impossible:’

• The system he uses to absolutely JAM his marketing funnel with sizzling hot leads!
• The processes he has in to earn maximum policy per customer AND a steady 93% retention! (And they say you can’t do that with tens of thousands of customers. Ha!)
• The unique internal system Mike employs to create a total ‘sales culture’ (with the numbers to prove it!)

Serious insura-preneurs: this is your wake-up call. Mike pulls the curtains back and lets you see the simple but powerful systems he installed to earn coast-to-coast recognition for ‘fastest growing agency!’

Just as his college career ended, Michael DeLaGrange tragically lost his father. And gained an insurance agency. A small, one-man shop that mostly sold financial products.

Fast forward to today. That small agency now has 50 employees. Five stores. And $20 million for expansion. In this episode, Michael shares:

• His “opposite” approach to a common industry trend—and why he went full boar on an unusual approach to a bricks ‘n mortar agency
• The reverse thinking he applied to the customer experience and how he made customers love buying insurance
• The unusual “look and feel” of how he delivers insurance (and what people hold in their hands when they leave his stores)

If organic growth gets your juices flowing, this story is so full of lessons you’ll want to have your pen and paper handy. Find out how he doubled his agency in one year when you listen to this podcast!

A different kind of podcast. This time, our host - and ‘marketing guru’ - Michael Jans joins in on the conversation. Michael is joined by commercial insurance sales expert and trainer, Randy Schwantz.

This unique blend of expertise will reshape your insurance business. Get ready for talent acquisition secrets, revenue-boosting strategies, and content marketing mastery.

Elevate your game, attract top producers, and position yourself as a problem-solving expert. Don't miss out on the transformative insights that serious insurance agents need to hear!

1️⃣ Talent Acquisition Reinvented: Master the art of finding the perfect talent with tailored personality profiles and a winning onboarding process.

2️⃣ Unlock Revenue Potential: Maximize customer lifetime value and watch your profits soar. Discover retention-boosting techniques and uncover new revenue streams.

3️⃣ Dominate with Content Marketing: Become a thought leader and captivate your audience with compelling content. Harness the power of AI in content creation and revolutionize your marketing game.

🎧 Tune in now and take your insurance business to new heights with this groundbreaking podcast conversation! Gain the upper hand in marketing and sales, reshape your strategies, and dominate the insurance industry. This is the podcast episode that serious insurance agents cannot afford to miss!

Jeff Teschke was the founder & CEO of Forge3, the top website developer for independent agents - until it’s recent sale to Agency Revolution. In this podcast, Jeff reviews key lessons for agents, learned over his 18+ years serving the industry. He shares his insight on:

• The value of ‘niching down’ for agencies
• How the industry has changed (and what agents should do to keep up with that change)
• The importance of ‘social proof’ to earn trust in the marketplace
• Why agents should be careful not to ‘hide’ behind tech and lose their humanity in the marketplace
• His insights on the ideal ‘marketing tech stack’ for today’s growth-oriented agency

Growth oriented agents will make this episode a high priority this week.

Your insurance agency makes money two ways. Now, as income. And later, when you sell.

Here’s the magic. The decisions you make now create the value you get later.

Few people know that better than our podcast guest, Michael Mensch, CEO of Agency Brokerage Consultants. Michael has assisted in over 400 M&A transactions and over 1,700 valuations of insurance agencies and brokerages in the US for privately-held businesses and lenders including Live Oak Bank, Westfield Bank, Crestmark Bank, ReadyCap Lending, and Oak Street Funding.

Those few but critical decisions can mean millions of dollars for the sharp ‘insura-preneuer.’ In this real-world and practical conversation, Michael helps answer questions like:

• What are the most important factors that determine ultimate value?
• What are the best kinds of customers and lines of business for value?
• What decisions should I make about carriers to create the most value…and much, much more.

Regardless of whether you’re selling in 20 months or 20 years, this will surely be one of the most important conversations you’ll listen to for your agency. Make this podcast a priority for your both your short and long-term strategy.

He was Safeco and Liberty Mutual’s Director of Agency Capabilities and Programs. He’s walked through the front door of thousands of agencies. He’s taught reliable methods of growth to agency principals from coast-to-coast. 

Chuck Blondino is a rare three-time encore interviewee because he always brings the goods. This time, Chuck shares the inside story of 11 actual agencies, actual steps to growth, and actual, real-world results. Drawn from his long, practical background and the extensive research he has done for his new book, The Remarkable Insurance Agency, Chuck shares practical secrets any agency can put to work for growth. 

• How these remarkable agencies generate up to 700% more referrals than the industry average
• The growing role of the marketer in the modern insurance agency
• Why it’s people, not technology, that drives disruption for independent agencies
• The simple trick these 11 steady-growth agencies used to boost retention an average of 4.85%

Every serious insurance professional responsible for growth should make this practical conversation a priority. 

Presented by Agency Revolution, the Connected Insurance Podcast provides bi-weekly opportunities for listeners to dive deep into the trends affecting insurance agents and brokers today and to gain proven strategies and tactics for agency growth. Our hosts facilitate thoughtful panels and 1:1 conversations with a variety of prominent thought leaders, with a focus on how to streamline and drive operational efficiency for your independent agency through the intelligent use of technology.

A message from our host, Michael Jans:

“I’ve interviewed over 225 top leaders in the insurance industry. I want to share the most important things they’ve said to me. I’ve analyzed those conversations. And as I organized them, some critical themes and messages were very clear, and they were all connected to six areas the serious insura-preneur must pay attention to… 

• Strategy
• Technology
• The Modern Consumer
• Marketing & Communication
• Entrepreneurship
• The Rapid Change of Pace

This episode will show you the lessons I’ve learned in each of these areas across hundreds of discussions.” 

Michael has conducted some of the most eye-opening conversations in the independent agency system, always guided by one principle: what should the serious insura-preneur know and do now to thrive in this industry?

Presented by Agency Revolution, the Connected Insurance Podcast provides bi-weekly opportunities for listeners to dive deep into the trends affecting insurance agents and brokers today and to gain proven strategies and tactics for agency growth. Our hosts facilitate thoughtful panels and 1:1 conversations with a variety of prominent thought leaders, with a focus on how to streamline and drive operational efficiency for your independent agency through the intelligent use of technology.