Urgency and the production that it creates is AMAZING. In our Industry, Insurance and like many other Sales Industries we deal with commission cut-off dates, production and incentive cut-offs, etc. Yet, what I have found is that PRODUCERS produce and strive to PUSH to their limits up to the last hour of those cut-offs. Today, the focus of my conversation is to understand WHY this happens and HOW to create that energy more often.
I would like you to close your eyes for a moment…SERIOUSLY!!! Now imagine that you have an upcoming vacation for you and your family upcoming in three days. What thoughts start running through your mind? In my mind’s eye this is what happens for me: I need to complete my to-do list, I need to complete this task, I need to wake up early and get in to the office, I need to set up targets for my team, I need to FINISH everything so I can enjoy my vacation. And when I fast forward three days and prepare for that vacation, I look back and realize I completed in three days what normally would take 7 to 10 days!!!
WHY does this happen? Quite simply, I believe that people perform under pressure when motivated, stressed or limited in the time they have available. That Sales Cut-Off , that vacation, that family event will not change based on your lack of completion of the work. Your work must be completed in the time available for the reality of deadlines that cannot or will not adjust for your lack of productivity!!!
HOW then can you replicate this even when the deadlines don’t exist? I challenge you to consider two concepts that may create this in your life consistently:
- Create targets (not goals) specific, measurable and action based for every week
- SHARE THIS TARGET with an accountability partner, that you must report back to at the end of the week. And be the same for them. And determine the consequence for a Target missed
THOUGHTS TO PONDER TODAY: Your sales cut-off does not change, your scheduled vacation does not change and because of this you achieve more within 48 hours of those events then you do in the previous 72+ hours of production, this is true for every person in any career. Today, I challenge you to create that environment every week. What does that look like for you? Who would be a good accountability partner for you? Not a friend that will say “It’s ok, next time you will do it” but rather that person that says, “Why did you miss target, what are you going to do differently next time, if your vacation starts tomorrow would you have left this target unfinished?” And what is the consequence of missing these targets? I WILL SHARE FROM MY EXPERIENCE THAT WEEKS OF MISSED TARGETS, LEADS TO A LIFE UNFULFILLED, UNINSPIRED, LACK AND NOT OF INSPIRATION, GROWTH AND EXCITEMENT. You have the ability to create the urgency and thus the production to PUSH past the limits you currently hold!!!!
John Lucero, is a successful business owner with over 20 years of experience in multi-line insurance agency operations for several major National Brands. With an expertise in Recruiting, Educating, Coaching, Developing and Product Knowledge, his passion and drive to ELEVATE Insurance Agencies to higher levels of success is what keeps him inspired about the future and motivated about making a difference.
