Overview:
Competitive insurance rates, friendly customer service and knowledgeable agents are the cornerstones of Cross Insurance Agency. They work with only the best regional and national carriers to provide their neighbors in Washington state with insurance to meet all their needs. Their desire as an agency is to continue to grow and be able to adjust with the changes the insurance industry throws at them. They value their customers above all else.
Location:
Cross Insurance has six locations in the state of Washington: Centralia, Marysville, Olympia, Port Angeles, Tacoma and Vancouver.
Name of President:
Andrew Cross has been the owner and CEO of Cross Insurance Agency since 1998.
Number of Team Members:
Five members participated in the AppX Sales program.
Types of Insurance Sold:
Cross Insurance specializes in small to medium size commercial business and personal home, auto and life insurance.
Reason Why They Purchased:
After the Agency Assessment that Agency Performance Partners performed for Cross Insurance, Kelly Donahue-Piro and Andrew Cross realized that there was no sales process in place. They decided to convert from everyone selling and servicing to identifying a new business team that focused on the AppX Sales strategy.
AppX Sales Overview
The six-month AppX Sales program is hyper-focused on the only metrics that matter: increasing the quantity and quality of your sales. The goal of AppX Sales is to transform your agency so that your culture reinforces the value of high performance and driving sales. Most sales training has temporary results, but building a sales culture sets your agency up for long-term success.
With training workshops and bi-weekly calls, we will teach your team the best sales practices so you can increase your written premium.
Learn more about how AppX Sales has improved sales metrics for its clients here: https://www.agencyperformancepartners.com/services/appx-sales/
AppX Sales will provide you with the following once you’ve signed on to the program:
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Training
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Two Onsite Training Days
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Designed Content
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Interactive Session
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Tracking
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Bi-Weekly Metrics to Show Results
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Review of Metrics with Your Team
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Tools
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Scripts
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Role-playing
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Worksheets
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Coaching
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Bi-Weekly Coaching Calls
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Workbook
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Plan of Attack
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Team Feedback
Initial Responses:
Although some of the agents we surveyed were apprehensive about another change to their current process, most were excited to start the AppX Sales program because it was something new that could improve their sales numbers and their prospects’ experience.
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“Something’s got to change and I am ready!”
How They Felt a Few Weeks Later:
Most of the agents felt that the AppX Sales process was tough in the beginning, but got easier once they’d been practicing it for a few weeks. They also stated that they were selling faster, selling more multi-line accounts, and that speaking about quotes over the phone rather than emailing them has improved their process.
What Was the Hardest Part?
Many of the agents stated that the hardest part of learning the AppX Sales process was having to switch gears after doing things a certain way for so long. Developing a personal pitch and remembering to approach sales in a different way is difficult at first, but the Cross Insurance agents became more confident in themselves and achieved better results once they got used to the AppX Sales process.
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“As Kelly was teaching the do’s and don’ts of selling I realized that I did ALL of the DON’TS. All I could think of was me using those exact words and realizing why I lost that business. It was hard to switch gears and apply a new process after so many years of doing it wrong. However, after implanting the new process I have better results and feel a lot more confident in myself.”
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“The personal pitch”
What Was the Best Part?
The most common response to our question about the best part of the AppX Sales program was how much it helped the agents to have a process that everyone could understand and follow. Being on the same page helped them work together better as a team, gave them more confidence and improved their closing ratio.
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“The best part of the process is it is a process designed to help agents succeed that teaches them the tools to do so.”
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“A process for everyone to follow.”
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“Having a process. Being able to sell in one call so you don’t have to deal with the back and forth. Creating expectations for you and the client. [Knowing] that persistence truly does pay off.”
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“A streamlined service and sales process that anyone can follow.”
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“Higher closing ratio.”
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“Faster, over-the-phone quotes with more confident, knowledgeable agents.”
Recommendations to Other Agents Starting the Program:
The Cross Insurance agents agreed that belief in the program and in yourself as an agent is the key to success with AppX Sales. What we do is give you the tools you need for success. The rest is up to you. Change is never easy, but if you put the work in, it will pay off!
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“Believe in the program. It will pay off.”
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“Use the scripts, raise your hand, take advantage of golden hour, and know that having a pitch creates a level of professionalism and also trains your clients on how to introduce you to their referrals.”
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“Change is good. Growth and success in your career is up to you. Do it!”
Thoughts from Cross Insurance’s Team at the Completion of AppX Sales
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“The best part of the process is it is a process designed to help agents succeed that teaches them the tools to do so.”
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“Change is good. Growth and success in your career is up to you. Do it!”
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“As Kelly was teaching the do’s and don’ts of selling I realized that I did ALL of the DON’TS. All I could think of was me using those exact words and realizing why I lost that business. It was hard to switch gears and apply a new process after so many years of doing it wrong. However, after implanting the new process I have better results and feel a lot more confident in myself.”
