Feb 14, 2018
Today's episode is on new marketing and training platforms for
multiple line agents. Lance Johnson is the co-founder of IA
Trainers, (Insurance Agent Trainers). Learn more at MarkMiletello.com. Note: “Where
The Insurance Pros Meet” is an audio podcast and is meant for the
ear. A transcript of the audio is provided for referencing a
particular section or for you to follow along. Listen to the
episode to get the most out of our show. We use both speech
recognition software and human transcribers to create the
transcripts so they may contain errors. If you’re going to quote us
in print, please be sure to check the corresponding audio.
TRANSCRIPT
Speaker 1
Where the Insurance Pros Meet, episode one.
Lance Johnson
If you could help someone get what they want, you're going to get
what you want.
Speaker 1
Where the Insurance Pros Meet is a podcast that brings the greatest
talent in the world together. Managers, coaches, and producers. The
very best experts the insurance and financial services industry has
to offer. Get ready to change the way you do business to have your
most successful year ever. Now, here's Mark Miletello, a top one
percent producer, manager, and your host of Where the Insurance
Pros Meet.
Mark Miletello
Welcome. I'm Mark Miletello. Today we're going to discuss new
marketing and training platforms for multiple line agents. We have
on the show with us co-founder of IA Trainers, that stands for
Insurance Agent Trainers, and my partner in the development of the
new dynamic training platform MarkMiletello.com. Welcome, Lance
Johnson to the show. How are you?
Lance Johnson
Well, I'm doing great, Mark. Thanks a lot for having me. I
appreciate you having me on board today.
Mark Miletello
Well, I'm excited to have you on board, and some of the things that
I know you're going to share with us is really revolutionizing the
industry. Lance, you know I'm a golfer, right?
Lance Johnson
That's correct.
Mark Miletello
There's nothing better than to walk up to the first t-box and right
off the bat crush a drive down the middle of the fairway while
everyone is looking and waiting. The rest of the game may not go so
well, so while everyone is listening and waiting, I'd like to start
the show the same way with valuable information that will just
crush it. Lance, for our insurance and financial services
listeners, can you give us a quick tip right off the first box?
Lance Johnson
Yeah, you know my first tip to anybody in business is it's all
about getting people what they want, providing things to help
people get what they want. The first rule of thumb I go by is if
you can help someone get what they want, you're going to get what
you want if that makes sense.
Mark Miletello
It absolutely does, and I totally agree with that. I'm excited to
dive into this today to find out more about that. But first Lance,
let's go to some industry news. Right now, the insurance industry
is going through some crazy times. Training in the industry right
now is news that auto insurance losses are climbing at an alarming
rate. Many insurance companies have been caught off guard by this
trend, some in a major way like I said, and consumers, of course,
want to know why? For some time, auto insurance rates were trending
consistently down, believe it or not, competition among other
things. Since the great recession, since '08, '09 this trend has
reversed. Rates again are on the rise; the reasons are there are
more and more cars on the road. Those cars are driving much more
annual mileage than before. There are higher medical costs, which
always seems to be a factor, but also higher repair costs have been
a major trend as well. Lance, I know you. You drive all over the
state, and I know your commute. You drive a lot of miles, annually
right?
Lance Johnson
Yeah, I do. I put the miles on because I love being on the field
working with clients.
Mark Miletello
I know, and I think most of us if we look at the mileage we drive,
and maybe you and I are just from a larger city, but I think people
are driving more as the economy picks up. Also with the age of
smart cars, the technology is supposed to be there to help with
wrecks, right? Self-driving cars, things like that. What's going on
here? It's really Lance, it's the other technologies that are
causing more wrecks. Everything I guess cell phone related,
navigation apps, texting, calls, et cetera. All this including
those higher miles that are driven seems to be causing more wrecks,
and guess what, the more wrecks that are happening from cars that
are now much more expensive. Either way, as it stands, the industry
right now cannot raise rates fast enough, and consumers, of course,
are not too happy of this trend. They want to know why. It's
difficult times not only for the companies but also for agents.
That's what I'm excited to have you on board to help us hear some
professional tips and strategies and things that the agents can
control. We can't control the claims, and the trends, and the
rates, but it does make things more difficult for us in the field
of course. Before we jump into that, I want to hear some
professional strategies from you. This is where the pros meet, and
you have shown that you're a pro in the age of technology and
things like that. Lance, can you tell me a little bit about how you
became successful?
Lance Johnson
I've become successful by really analyzing what successful people
do, and trying not to reinvent the wheel. My dad, he was a
successful doctor, and he told me, "You know what, you've got to
find what you like to do, get up every day and just do that same
thing every day." For example, as you know me, I rode motorcycles
professionally. I got up, I trained, and I became successful. I got
into real estate. I got up every day, I did real estate. People
knew that Lance Johnson did real estate loans. When the crash
happened, I went back into technology. As you know, we
revolutionized the car industry with some nifty technology, but if
you talk to anybody, Lance Johnson was the automotive technology
guru. Now my biggest tip is just get up, find what you like to do,
and just get up every day and do it.
Mark Miletello
That kind of brings us to today, and again, I know you from the
automotive technology, which was really the leading, one of the
leading minds out there in that and you had some tremendous success
in that arena. Of course, you and I got into dirt bike riding. I
know that you were on all the magazine covers back in the day, but
that kind of led us to grow together in this new venture called
insurance agent trainers or IA Trainers. Tell us how your
technology background led to that discovery.
Lance Johnson
Well, you know I'll just get a little personal. My wife is an
agent, she works for one of the top agencies, one of your agents.
About a year ago, she came back from an appointment, and the loan
officer, which you know, when it comes to agents selling P&C,
the best referrals she can get are from loan officers. She was
asked to go to lunch, the loan officer was 15 minutes late, was on
the phone for 30 minutes and then he hangs the phone up and says,
"What are you going to do for me? I already get coffee and donuts."
I just tried to put my head together, how do I give an insurance
agent something of value to where they can have an answer to, "What
are you going to do for me?" With the technology out there, I came
up with the concept of using our agent marketing software to give,
it goes back to that tip of the day. If I can give a realtor what
they want, they're going to give a loan officer what they want, and
now that we can help the realtor and the loan officer get what they
want, we as insurance agents are going to get what we want, which
is referrals on home and auto.
Mark Miletello
Lance, I've had the luxury of really being with you from the
beginning of this process as a partner in growing this concept, and
watching you have the success. Some of those struggles that you
have I think is when you say that, yes, I agree, and anyone would
agree that if you help others get what they want, you get what you
want. I think one of the challenges that you've had is relaying
exactly. Can you pinpoint as exactly as you can the technology, how
the technology helps others get what they want, and in fact benefit
the insurance agent?
Lance Johnson
Yeah, so for example, in the insurance, real estate, loan officer
world, the loan officer real estate relationship is a fruitful
relationship, it's a proven relationship, it's working now. A
realtor’s best referrals are loan officers, and a loan officers
referrals, his best ones are from the real estate agents. The
insurance agent, it may maybe have a great relationship, they may
get referrals, but a lot of times as you know are last minute. By
providing a real estate agent with the most advanced and automated
system to market their properties, you're helping them sell their
properties sooner, giving them technology like text codes and
websites that automatically make themselves, you're not only
helping them sell their property sooner, you're giving them things
to make their job easier. Then for those realtors, when you sponsor
it through a loan officer, that loan officer is looking, the
realtor is looking to that loan officer as that loan officer gave
him something to make his life easier. To cap it off, if you can
sponsor the loan officer and the realtor through an insurance
agent, it connects the insurance agent like has never been done
before.
Mark Miletello
Well, I've been obviously part of that process, and I guess to add
more to that, what I saw, and again it took you kind of pounding it
into me, it from an insurance agent standpoint, typically we're not
known as the most tech-savvy people in the world, our industry, and
I think you'll laugh and agree at that. You've had that challenge
of the first 70, 80 people that have signed up for your program, I
think you've had the challenge of really kind of helping us grasp
that concept. What I'm excited about is, and I've told you my story
before, I had a card mailing system that I offered real estate
agents for sending me their referrals, and loan officers as well.
The rest of the story is that I ended up becoming the top agent
with one of the largest companies in the nation with a card mailing
system. This is a full suite marketing platform that gives a real
estate agent everything they want to market. Social media, print
advertising, everything they want to market that home, right?
Lance Johnson
That's correct.
Mark Miletello
It's a full suite of everything that they would want, so if a card
mailing system worked on my behalf, I guess how much greater do you
feel this program works?
Lance Johnson
Like I said, a card mailing system, it's something that may work,
but it goes back to how often do we open our snail mail anymore. If
we don't get a bill electronically, we don't open the snail mail,
so we're just taking a card mailing system and turning into the
21st century by turning it digital, turning it into something
that's automatic and very advanced.
Mark Miletello
Again, the first thing you start off with is helping others get
what they want. I think a lot of us missed the link as for how are
we going to benefit from giving a real estate agent marketing
software?
Lance Johnson
Well think about it. What does it start with a P&C agent? It's
the home insurance, correct?
Mark Miletello
Correct.
Lance Johnson
The captive people looking for homes, their first point of contact
is going to be a realtor, and realtors have a lot going on. They
must show homes, they have to do open houses, they have to go try
to get new clients. If you can create a technology package that
works automatically for them so when they input their properties
into whatever system they're using, and a product can create a
website, a mobile site, a YouTube video, a virtual tour, a text
code, other social media posts, give them all the print materials
they need so they can print them, and do that automatically, you're
going to make their life easier. That's the starting point is
starting with the realtor, and once again, if you can have a loan
officer work with that realtor, it goes back to helping everyone
get what they want. A realtor gets to sell their home quicker,
they're going to have more clients to give to the loan officer, the
loan officer's going to get loans, and now your best referral as a
PNC agent is a loan that needs insurance from that loan officer.
Each level, the realtor's getting what they want, they're selling
their homes. The loan officers are helping those realtors, so now
they're getting referrals, and now you get a chance, and you're
very clear. You want to quote everything that comes across that
loan officers desk, so you have referrals. Each level, they're
intertwined where you guys are all working together and it's the
same goal. You're all getting what you want, which is building your
networks and building more business.
Mark Miletello
Then we finally have circled back around to that first tip I
believe that point blank, you've developed a concept and a software
platform behind that concept to make the insurance agent part of
that food chain. I guess we were part of that food chain, but not
in the referral stages. We were a necessary part of that home being
sold, and then having a loan, and then, of course, you need
insurance, but what you're saying is the insurance agent is now a
vital part of that process from a networking standpoint right off
the bat, right?
Lance Johnson
That's correct. Basically, we've taken the insurance agent and made
him, probably because the insurance agent can sponsor loan officers
and/or realtors, you become the most important part of the
relationship.
Mark Miletello
Well and I have obviously invested interest in this concept because
you and I have developed it out together, but I've got to tell you
Lance, and I've told you this before, 27 years of being licensed
and being one of the leaders in this industry, I've never seen a
marketing concept that has opened, and you know me. I must go out
and prove something personally before I, number one; endorse it,
and number two; recommend it to my own agents. You and I went out
for several months marketing this concept just to see is it as good
as we thought it was, and so tell us a little bit maybe about some
of the mistakes that one might make in developing this, but also, I
want to just say that it is one of the most dynamic concepts that
I've seen in my career.
Lance Johnson
As you know, this is something that even took you, who's been in
the insurance industry for your whole life a couple weeks to get,
and what we've been trying to do is really, in the beginning I
thought we sold all the features and all the benefits to it, which
kind of glazed the eyes of the insurance agents over. Really what
we're doing now is we're just, this system allows a seasoned
insurance agent like yourself, or somebody brand new to go out and
talk to any real estate or loan professional and try to network
with them. They can set an appointment, I think Mark you can tell a
story about one of your counterparts that he was trying to get in
front of a bank for a year, with the software he got the
appointment and you had to remind him to be selling himself. Do you
want to tell them that story?
Mark Miletello
Yeah, I mean I could tell tons of stories just like that, and so
can you where this software opened the door. First, you're giving a
full suite platform marketing, you're giving it away to become a
networking partner, so if you can't sell free, then I can't really
help you. You're giving away a program that they need, want, or are
already paying for. Once that door is open then the lead flow, and
the connections and the relationships are built. I want to tell
you, but you mentioned loan officers and real estate agents have a
lot going on, but Lance, you have a lot going on. Tell us in
addition to the IA Trainers technology, and training, and webinars,
you help people connect with loan officers and real estate agents.
The software connects them with real estate agents in their
community and a lot of other things that they can get by following
you after this show. Tell us some of the other things that you're
working on that we're working on together, but I want to hear it
from your perspective what your thoughts on the full platform, the
training platform that you're developing and about to launch?
Lance Johnson
The agent marketing IA Trainers is the first piece of this, and as
you know, I do a lot of research. When my wife became an agent, I
kind of, I started looking and typing insurance agent training. I
saw Geico, I saw Progressive, I even saw dog trainers. I even saw a
dog trainer show up for insurance agent training because it was
insurance and training for a dog. That was a keyword. I really
looked at there was nothing new. There's so much technology, so
together with industry experts like yourself, we're developing
presentation tools so you could overcome objections, so the price
isn't an issue. Groundbreaking, revolutionary ways to sell life
insurance where it's not even a sale, it's a discussion where we
have agents coming that used to get $100, or $200 a month in
premium, they're getting $900 to $5,000 a month in premium now
using technology. Tools with webinars and videos that are easy to
use and to practice. You don't really train, you practice these
techniques. I'm excited in the next coming months along with these
podcasts, we're going to have some revolutionary, life-changing
technology and just common-sense pieces to bring to agents.
Mark Miletello
Yes, and of course your host Mark Miletello, that's what the full
suite is being launched under. MarkMiletello.com. You've talked
about the life insurance discussion, the life insurance trainers,
LIT, and you've also maybe touched quickly on the value sales
presentation because really when I think of training agents, there
are three areas that agents need the most help. First is marketing.
I believe anyone can do this business if you can get in front of
enough people, right? I mean that's really any business. I think
that's the first challenge that I think you and I've tackled with
your vision and your concept of how do you get in front of more
people, and how do you get leads today, and how can you afford
that? Because we know what the cost is for the old platforms of
generating leads. If we can handle the marketing, that's I believe
the first big hurdle. Number two is our pricing is all on the
board. We talked a little bit about the industry news auto rates
going up. Our rates are going up. There are some companies that
don't take increases, or we take increases, and so your neighbor
may in the old days your kind of new where you fit. Now, you could
have one client insured and then the very next neighbor is double
the rates. There's no rhyme or reason. It's all the thousands and
maybe millions of factors in rate sophistication of these days.
Number two Lance I think, and that's kind of where I'm leading is
helping agents deliver a presentation and maybe win that client
regardless of price. Can you kind of tell us a little bit about the
value sales presentation, and what your thoughts on how
professional that makes an agent look?
Lance Johnson
Here's the thing. A lot of agents can have their own Excel
spreadsheets or their little four squares that they compare. What
the value sales presentation does is it illustrate value. it's very
easy to use, it's updated, the software is very, very intuitive. It
puts in a nice comparison in a professional presentation of apples
to apple comparison of what they have coverage wise, and what you
are recommending. When this software's used correctly which is, as
you know it's been developed so anybody can use it, it really
overcomes any objections that anybody may have if it comes to any
type of price, so-
Mark Miletello
Well said, and that's the goal is for it to help you win at any
price. Number one is marketing, number two is closing the sale, and
with pricing being all over the board you must have the psychology,
and the training, and the tools behind the value sales presentation
to win almost, hopefully, win every time. Number three you
discussed is a life insurance transition, which is where us
multiple-line agents struggle the most. I'm excited to see
the early results, and you're right, we're seeing agents go from
$200 to $300 a month to thousands of monthly premiums in permanent
life. The term is dropping the bucket in this new life discussion
training. It's a full platform suite, and I've never seen anything
that has been out there like this. Lance, I want to tell you to
thank you for your vision and helping me put together I believe a
state of the art, you and I went to an industry meeting together,
and I think you were kind of shocked that there really hasn't been
anything new in the last decade or two, right?
Lance Johnson
Yeah, and I mean when we went to that industry meeting and we found
that we were the first new thing in what, seven or eight years with
a new booth at this meeting, it blew me away.
Mark Miletello
Yeah, so I just want to say that I appreciate what you're doing for
our industry, that the agents live that are changing either young,
in the business, or veteran alike has reported back tremendous
success in marketing. Two of my own agents including your wife, in
general, has doubled, if not tripled their production with the IA
Trainers piece. The value sales presentation has continued to help
them succeed where pricing is difficult, and now the early success
over the last two months of launching life insurance trainers is
just unbelievable. Thank you for those tangible, those three
tangible products, and technologies, and tips that you've given our
industry.
Lance Johnson
Let me just say a couple things here. As you know, with technology,
we have built this company to be very agile. As we get input from
our members, our subscribers, we make changes. We don't know it
all. That's what makes I think me, our partnership is great because
you know what, we learn something new every day. Anytime we see
something new, or anytime we hear about something that's effective,
we'll be able to incorporate it into our platforms, so we'll always
be something that's ... We want to make sure something's number one
effective. We want to make sure something's affordable, and most of
all, we want to make sure that something is actionable where you
can go out and get things done and get leads today.
Mark Miletello
I love that because you have researched. You and I both have
researched other training sites, right? How's yours differ?
Lance Johnson
Well honestly, we have it in such a way, a flow that it is ... Like
I said we don't train people, we help people practice techniques to
be successful. Everything is a very easy flow. Our training and
practice videos are written and done in a way where you can
understand it in real language, so it makes sense. When you're
practicing presenting in front of everyday people, they're not
insurance professionals, right?
Mark Miletello
That's right.
Lance Johnson
You need to talk in their language. We're always fine-tuning these,
so-
Mark Miletello
What I love about the things that you put together is first, it's
state of the art, it's easy to use like you said, but also the
people that have really been initial users of your concepts and the
things that I've helped add to that have really produced immediate
results, like the same day an agent. One of my agents got into
seeing 75 realtors. The other one got in to see 500 realtors the
day they signed up for this program. It's immediate results of
connections and referred leads, relationships that are built right
off the bat. I think that to me is the most exciting thing about it
because when I work on something and this collaboration you have
had, I really want the listener or the user to be able to implement
something immediately. I'm excited that you've built it in such a
way that it can immediately help agents with their agencies change
and change lives.
Lance Johnson
Like I said, I have a really quick story before we wrap it up. I
spent a couple weeks in St. Louis, signed up some district, a
pretty large insurance company and the next day, I signed up three
loan officers, 50 realtors under one insurance agent's software.
It's something that most insurance agents already have the
connections, now we're putting those connections to work where
everyone wants to give each other referrals.
Mark Miletello
Great point, Lance. How can someone find you? What's the best way
to get in touch? Lance Johnson: We're very easy to find. We're at
IATrainers.com. So InsuranceAgentTrainers.com. All the
information's there. Also, MarkMiletello.com is kind of the group
site where we're building this up because Mark you know, my vision
is to make you an industry leader, a spokesperson for the new way
to connect people and connect agents. It's either IATrainers.com or
MarkMiletello.com would be great.
Mark Miletello
Very good. I want to thank the listeners, and I hope you picked up
something in this podcast with Lance Johnson. If you'd like to hear
more on this show, please go to iTunes and review, and rate us so
that others can find us. I just want to say continue driving on.
Lance Johnson
Okay thank you. Like I said, to all our listeners, don't hesitate.
If you hear something you think effective or neat, or something you
think we could benefit from, reach out to us and let us know.
Mark Miletello
Well, you've listened to Mark Miletello podcast Where the Insurance
Pros Meet. See you next time.