Mastering Your Daily Planner for Insurance Agents: Tips for a Successful Day
Some of you have a hard time writing a journal, I know I do as of late. But then you are asked to keep a daily planner for insurance agents, at work? WHAT? YEAH, oh I thought so too. But a planner can help you or your staff stay on track. Now that cell phones have become part of our bodies it is crucial that we “disconnect” from it and connect to our day and our role in the agency. Yes, you read that correctly, disconnect from your cell phone and connect to your day, your week, and your month. So, here we will review what type of planner an insurance agent should use, the structure of their day, and managing tasks effectively. Let’s jump in.
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One size doesn’t always fit all! We know that, especially when it comes to learning, growing, and staying on track.
When Looking for a Daily Planner for Insurance Agents, These Are 7 Highly-Recommended Features
- Hourly Layout: A planner with hourly slots can help in scheduling appointments, client meetings, and follow-ups efficiently.
- Prioritization Sections: Look for planners that include sections for prioritizing tasks. This can help you focus on the most important activities each day.
- Goal Setting Pages: A planner that includes space for setting long-term and short-term goals can help keep you motivated and on track to achieve your targets.
- Reminders and To-Do Lists: Planners with built-in reminders and to-do lists can help you remember important tasks and deadlines.
- Portability: Choose a planner that is portable enough to carry with you throughout the day, whether you’re meeting clients in the office or on the go.
- Customization Options: Some planners offer customizable layouts, allowing you to tailor the design to suit your specific needs and preferences.
- Durability: Opt for a planner that is well-made and durable to withstand daily use, especially if you’re frequently carrying it around with you.
Now you can also create your own agency planner or use the “Bullet Journal Method”. Bullet journals are a type of planner that allows you to create your own page layouts and designs. They usually include pages for daily, weekly, and monthly planning, as well as space for goal setting, habit tracking, and journaling. However if you do go with this methods, everyone’s planner will be different.
Digital Daily Planner for Insurance Agents
How about going digital? This is HIGHLY recommended because insurance agents use computers all day and this keeps everything at their finger tips. They can even be on their phones, and we all know their phones aren’t far away from them. However if you are trying to have them avoid the phone distractions, then digital may not be the route you want to take.
Ultimately, the best digital planner for an insurance agent will depend on factors such as ease of use, integration with other tools, and compatibility with existing workflows.
It’s a good idea to try out a few different options to see which one works best for you. PLUS, APP recommends that your management system is where everything about a client should go, as it is accessible to the entire team, in case you win the lottery at lunch (come on, you know you dream about it!).
Here are some digital planner examples:
- Microsoft OneNote: OneNote is a versatile digital notebook that allows you to organize your notes, documents, and tasks in a customizable way. It’s great for creating sections for different clients, policies, and tasks.
- Evernote: Evernote is another popular note-taking app that offers robust organization features, including the ability to create notebooks, tags, and reminders. It’s excellent for keeping track of client information, meeting notes, and to-do lists.
- Notion: Notion is a powerful all-in-one workspace that allows you to create databases, tables, and kanban boards to organize your work. It’s highly customizable and can be tailored to suit the specific needs of insurance agents.
- Google Workspace (formerly G Suite): Google Workspace offers a suite of productivity tools, including Google Calendar, Google Keep, and Google Docs, which can be integrated to create a comprehensive digital planning system.
- Trello: Trello is a popular project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to help you organize your tasks and workflows. It’s great for tracking leads, managing policies, and collaborating with team members.
- Asana: Asana is another project management tool that offers features like task lists, due dates, and project timelines. It’s ideal for managing client communications, policy renewals, and other ongoing tasks.
- Todoist: Todoist is a simple yet powerful task management app that allows you to create tasks, set deadlines, and organize them into projects and sub-projects. It’s great for keeping track of daily to-dos and reminders.
Routines and Habits
One of the biggest changes in my work/life balance has been routines and habits. I did them before just not as defined and “protected” as they are now. Everyone MUST have a morning routine, both personal and professional, in my personal opinion. It launches you properly into your day, spiritually, and mentally (regardless of religion).
Here is an example of a daily routine (times will be a bit different depending on agency start time):
- 6:30 AM: Wake Up – Start the day early to prepare for upcoming tasks and appointments.
- 6:45 AM: Exercise – Engage in a quick workout session to boost energy levels and promote physical health.
- 7:15 AM: Breakfast – Have a nutritious breakfast to fuel the body and mind for the day ahead.
- 7:45 AM: Commute/Prep.
- 8:30 AM: Review Schedule – Check the day’s appointments and tasks, making any necessary adjustments or preparations. Also review next 3 weeks of same day (example: if it is Monday, check today and the next 3 Mondays). Be sure to use “EAT THE FROG” mentality and get the hard stuff done first!
- 9:00 AM: Administrative Tasks – Take care of administrative duties such as paperwork, updating client records, or organizing files.
- 9:30 AM: Respond to Emails – Address any urgent emails, inquiries, or client requests received overnight. First-call resolution (if you can get the item done in 2 minutes, do it!).
- 10:00 AM: Client Follow-Ups – Reach out to existing clients to follow up on ongoing insurance matters, address any concerns, or provide updates on policy changes.
- 10:30 AM: Prepare for Meetings – Review materials, gather necessary documents, and finalize presentations for upcoming client meetings or presentations.
- 11:00 AM: Outbound Calls – Make proactive calls to potential clients or leads to introduce yourself, discuss insurance options, and schedule appointments.
By following a structured morning routine like this, insurance agents can start their day on the right foot, ensuring they are prepared and organized to tackle their tasks effectively.
Other suggested to-do items:
You should have time blocks throughout the week for items like the ones below:
- Prospect Research – Spend some time researching potential clients or leads, gathering information to tailor future interactions.
- Networking – Attend networking events, connect with other professionals in the industry, or participate in online forums to expand your network.
Make sure you are using your management system and that you have activities and follow ups that you enter into the system. We are at a point where we are in a digital age and it is important that you use technology to your advantage.
Use tasks and/or activities in your system to keep up with things that need to be done. Use automation as much as you can as well, this helps free up time elsewhere. The system can help with to do lists and reminders. Sometimes the extras the systems do are endless, you just have to learn how to do it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, work life integration is important. You need to make sure that your personal life and your insurance career work well together. Starting your day with a morning routine and ending it with a shut-down system is ideal. Sometimes with families, the routines cannot always be the same, and that makes sense. But the more routine and structure you have in your life, with your personal and professional lives, the happier and more stress free your life will be.
A daily planner for insurance agents can help with this. Take it from someone who was a single mom for 13 years and an insurance agent for about 15, with the last 10 of those being in management. I now find myself as an empty nester and wish I knew a bunch of these strategies sooner.
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