On Monday, November 16th, 2009, Insurance Journal released the latest cover of their magazine. 

The colored montage of 17 photos of Astonish Results' CEO Adam DeGraide is entitled "The Face of Freakin' Agency Marketing - Kool Prophet Promises Astonishing Results."

As the positive media coverage continues for Astonish Results, earning the cover story from Insurance Journal can only mean epic things to come for them and their agencies! 

Congratulations to everyone at Astonish Results, and most importantly to the incredibly successful agencies who have made it happen! Pick up the November 16th issue of Insurance Journal to read the full story.

To learn more about the Astonish Results system, click here to take the 180-second tour, and be sure to schedule a personalized Virtual Presentation of the Astonish Results system today!

 
...And this year is shaping up to be the BEST dance ever. Of course, nothing actually happens at the dance. No one learns any new steps, no one "really" does anything spectacular, but that's not the point. It's a pointless, mind-numbing tradition that has existed between carriers and independent agents for decades.

Does this sound familiar...?

Rep: "Mr. Agent, you know how important this ‘relationship' is to us. We really are dedicated to helping you grow. I brought you your favorite coffee. Oh, and here's some delicious pastries for your staff. While I'm here, I wanted to discuss the new quotas we've established for you. They are designed to ‘push' your agency to achieve real growth over the next six months. Are you excited?"

Agent: "Well, that sounds great. How can you help me achieve real growth?"

Rep: "We're offering an incentive to help you ‘roll' this special niche to us."

Agent: "But that's not really helping me grow. It's just a short-term fix to a systemic issue. I'm not sure it's worth the time and resources to do that."

Rep: "I hear what you're saying, but you know and I know that you haven't grown in years. I know you could use the additional revenue, and I'm under a lot of pressure to hit my own goals. Now is not the time to try and grow anyways. You should wait for a return to more favorable hard market conditions and THEN worry about actual growth. That's just the way it is. What do ya say buddy? We're in this together, right?"

Agent: "Actually, I've decided to do something different. I'm going to aggressively market my agency to prospects in markets that make sense for us. I'm going to invest in training and education for my employees so they can learn how to serve the modern consumer. I'm going to build a powerful Virtual Insurance Office that will convert unique visitors into sales. I am going to LEAD my team with passion and enthusiasm, and actually achieve REAL growth that will increase my revenue and the VALUE of my agency. I am going to control my own destiny by re-committing myself to the ideals and principles that led me to start this agency in the first place. I am going to get psyched, fall back in love with my business, kick the crap out of my competitors, and create an agency that I can be proud of. Are you excited for me?"

Rep: "That sounds like a lot of effort with no guarantee that your strategy will work."

Agent: "You're right. And that is EXACTLY why I can't wait to get started. In fact, I'm calling Astonish Results RIGHT NOW. I'm going to take the 180-second tour, and I will do what I've always wanted to do: GROW MY BUSINESS."

To learn what the BEST and most AGGRESSIVE agencies are doing to double and triple their book in one year, visit www.astonishresults.com where you can request a free virtual tour and receive your own e-Business Plan for your agency. After all, HOPE is NOT a strategy!

As 2009 quickly comes to a close, now is the time to develop your growth strategy for 2010!  You can either stay with the status quo while your book of business dwindles, or you can use the Internet and a strong digital marketing strategy to help you FIND, SELL, and KEEP more customers profitably.

As I travel around the country meeting with agents just like you, I've found that procrastination is the main reason that agencies aren't growing in this down market.  Yes, commissions are lower. Yes, the economy is challenged. However, as Zig Ziglar says, "Recession is between your ears." 

The great news is you and your agency CAN BE recession-proof with the right tools, people, and processes in a down market by using the greatest digital marketing system in the world.  The system includes everything from Search Engine Marketing and Optimization to a multi-media Virtual Insurance Office, automated multi-media status-driven Email Campaigns, Phone Campaigns, Newsletters, e-Newsletters, and more. 

And the BEST part about it?  Astonish Results has everything in place to double and triple the book of business for agencies who are aggressive and eager for this kind of growth.  This system, however, is not a fit for agencies who are stuck in the old, traditional methods that are no longer effective in most industries, but especially insurance. 

With the Astonish Results system, agencies are using the tools to fish where the fish are, and to act NOW to pro-actively market to the prospects at the right time with the right message to effectively build value in their agency - now and forever.

Agencies from East to West are seeing exponential growth by creating an entire system for their Social Networking, Blogging, Internet, and overall branding strategies leveraging the web where we know most people are shopping for everything from cars to houses to insurance. 

Tony Allesandra, President of Insurance Solutions in Mission Viejo, California recently shared his success at the California Agents Alliance Annual board meeting.  There he announced that in his first 90 days of using the Astonish Results system, Tony was able to increase his online revenue by 775%!  Tony has transformed his agency and the way they are buying and selling insurance WHILE creating a sales-driven culture that is crystal clear. How has he done this? By the results and growth his agency has seen and the positive, motivated, vision-oriented team of people he has been able to build within his agency walls.

To learn more about how Tony and so many agencies all over the country are using the Astonish Results digital marketing system to grow their agencies in 2009 and 2010, visit www.astonishresults.com for a FREE virtual tour.  If nothing else, you will learn what the BEST agencies are doing to grow their business and make 2010 the BEST it can be!

As I travel the country speaking with the top independent agents, it's clear that having a specific strategy in place to consistently ROUND OUT existing accounts is a HIGH LEVEL PRIORITY.

Will technology replace your CSR's?

Astonish Results realizes that technology alone will not generate the optimum results; however, used properly, when technology is combined with training and the right processes, it can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your top salespeople.

Think of it this way: Who is the top producer in your organization when it comes to rounding out accounts?

Now imagine having technology and a strategy that would allow you to duplicate the processes and best practices of this person.

...EXACTLY. Imagine putting systems in place that would allow you to give this process (via training and technology) to all the CSR's and producers in your office. Visit Astonish now to find out how.

Imagine having technology that knows exactly what to say and when to say it in order to turn prospects' RED LIGHTS into GREEN LIGHTS every time.

Imagine not having to fight with your employees to stay on top of unsold (single policy holder) accounts.

Question: How much would you increase your agency revenue if you had a process to identify unsold policies, automatically send the right messages at just the right times, and continuously market to all active clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Call Astonish NOW to receive more information.
The Million Dollar Question: How many additional CSR's would it require to make this work?

None. That's the best part. Implementing the right technology and processes will help you to increase your business, better serve your customers, and make more money WITHOUT having to hire additional staff.

The Billion Dollar Question: Would your agency make more money with a system in place to educate business insurance customers and generate interest in your products the same way the system is being used RIGHT NOW to generate interest in Astonish products and services?

Call Astonish today and request a free online demonstration of the greatest rounding out strategy in the world. While you're there, request the free email gathering strategy. This alone will allow you to take your agency to the next level.

As I speak to independent insurance agents throughout the country about their businesses, one common theme emerges: they have lost passion for their business. They realize something is wrong, but they're not quite sure what. Business is off, their staff is demoralized, and they don't know how to fix it.

Does this describe how you feel? If so, at this point, you have two choices - give up or seek help.

Astonish Results is rapidly growing, and we're interviewing new people all the time. A potential new employee's last stop is my office before they get hired. As we sit together and talk about the details of the new position, I let them know one of the main characteristics we look for - teach-ability.
I learned long ago that being teachable was a surefire way to grow. Nobody knows everything.

Are you teachable? Are you open to new ideas, new ways of thinking? Do you seek out help when you don't know what to do? If your answer is "no," you may not survive.

Now here's the good news: IT'S NOT TOO LATE.

Astonish is focused like a laser beam on one objective: helping insurance agencies rekindle a passion for their agencies. The GREAT news is that many of our customers help EACH OTHER grow. How's that for teachability? Remember - you don't know everything!

If you'd like to get out of the rut you're in and really grow your agency, it requires you to have a teachable spirit and to step out in FAITH. There are agencies that are psyched about their businesses, and they share one common element: they're using the GREATEST DIGITAL MARKETING SYSTEM IN THE WORLD and have partnered with Astonish Results to help them FIND, SELL, and KEEP more customers profitably.

I encourage you to take our 180-second tour today and see what these progressive agents are doing at www.astonishresults.com.

"I've been going to member meetings for the Agents Alliance of California every year since 1972, and this year was the first year I wanted to be there."

This statement was made by a member following the Astonish Results keynote luncheon at the 2009 members' State of the Union in Palm Desert, California last month. It wasn't just the good food being served that brought every member into the 21st Century during the keynote. Instead, it was the REVOLUTIONARY theme that reminded agents to "STEP UP OR GET OUT" of the insurance industry before it's too late.

Following the keynotes given by co-founder & CEO Adam DeGraide and myself, the room was silenced and only heard one thing when Mike D'Arelli, Executive Director of the Agents Alliance, took the microphone back and said, "I don't know about you guys, but I think I need a cigarette!" If this wasn't enough to express what had just taken place in that ballroom, I don't know what is.

The presentation, attended by more than 700 agency owners and principles, spoke to the major issue confronting independent agents of all shapes and sizes:

How can I combat the effects of the soft market when my traditional approach to business no longer works?

After personally speaking with thousands of agents over the past two weeks, it's clear to me that most agents not only lack answers - they're not even sure what questions to ask.

While I was grateful for the incredible reception of our message, I remain very concerned that agents will struggle to translate knowledge into action.

Why? It's always exciting to speak with agents about topics such as social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, blogging, and world class sales cultures. Who wouldn't get excited? I've never seen agents pack into a ballroom like they did in the desert. Everybody wanted to hear how modern agencies are doubling and tripling their production. They all realize they must begin to incorporate these strategies into the DNA of their agencies. Intellectually, everybody gets it. The problem is that most agents don't know where to start.

Here's my advice: before you begin ANY sales and marketing initiative, ask yourself WHY you're doing it. Exactly WHAT are you looking to accomplish? Who is responsible, and HOW are you going to measure the results?

In Palm Desert, we described it this way: "If the ‘insurance genie' appeared before you and offered you three wishes for your agency, what would they be?"

What we've discovered is this: most agency principals aren't sure what they would ask for in clear, specific terms. And if they don't know, who does?

Astonish Results has created the greatest digital marketing system in the world for independent agents of all shapes and sizes. At Astonish, our mission is to get the system into the hands of every agency principal across the country who KNOWS WHAT THEIR THREE WISHES WOULD BE. Hope is not a strategy, and agents who are hoping for a return to a hard market (or) for the Yellow Pages to come back into vogue will have little chance for any lasting long-term success.

As it relates to growing your agency, here's what needs to happen:

1. Evaluate. In terms of potential to grow as an organization, where do we stand with our People, Process, and Tools?
2. Embrace the reality and start the difficult process of fixing weaknesses and improving strengths.
3. Engage where you need help and find the right people/organizations to achieve your goals.
4. Caveat. Don't seek the advice of people who either can't or won't help you. In other words, don't ask staff members if you should try something new. Most people hate change, and the mere thought of trying something new is enough to cause employees to throw a tantrum.

But if your name is on the sign, it's up to you to decide where you want to GO and GROW from here!

To discover how agencies across the country have regained control of their business and put processes in place to actually GROW in any market, take our 180-second tour at www.astonishresults.com. It will be the best 3 minutes you've spent in a long time. Ask yourself this: when was the last time you attended an insurance convention where people actually got psyched, had fun, learned progressive new strategies, and at the end of the day were speechless?

You know what you need to do. Will you do it?

Is Internet marketing a fad, or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? If Facebook were a country, it would be the world's 4th largest, and YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres have more Twitter followers than the entire population of Ireland!

As I travel around the country talking to independent insurance agents just like you, I've discovered the 90/10 rule. I tell the same thing to every agency: "The Internet Revolution is here, and it's moving faster than anyone ever could have imagined!"

However, 90% of you will IGNORE the fact that your customers have moved and they are no longer searching for you in the Yellow Pages or on the jersey of your kids' little league teams. That means that only 10% of people I talk to will actually DO SOMETHING about this shift in culture and the way you do business.

The question you need to ask yourself is this: Do you want to be in the 90% that watches your agency dwindle and fade into nothing, or do you want to be in the 10% that will DOMINATE the market?

At Astonish Results, we specialize in helping Independent Insurance agents find, sell, and keep more customers profitably using the Internet. We're up-to-date with the newest trends in the Internet and Social Media revolution, and we are helping our customers successfully DOMINATE the market.

Visit www.astonishresults.com to check out our FREE 180-second tour, and schedule a Virtual Presentation to find out how you can DOMINATE the industry and grow your agency - even in a soft market. Don't be the 90%! Change your life TODAY!

As I travel around the country and meet with agents just like you, it's clear that you are a very sharp group. You've achieved a great level of success, and your knowledge has helped you attain that.

In life, one of the things that I've discovered is that in situations, there's either a deficiency in knowledge or in execution. We just established that you are all very knowledgeable, so the question is: are you EXECUTING the things that you KNOW you need to?

We all KNOW you need to be creating a brand for your agency and leveraging the web to do that. A few best practices include email marketing, social networking, generating your own leads through referrals and other Internet marketing strategies, improving the training of your CSR's...and the list goes on. But are you EXECUTING these practices?

The insurance industry as we know it has changed. The Internet revolution is here, and it is alive and well! Internet marketing is a complex and comprehensive subject, and it's very easy to get frustrated when you don't have time in your day to do it all, or even develop a strategy to make sure you're doing EVERYTHING possible to effectively and efficiently brand your agency - both traditionally and on the Internet.

So why not partner with a company who knows WHAT you should be doing, knows HOW to do it, and who will do it WITH you? At Astonish Results, we have helped agency after agency grow their business exponentially. What all of these agencies share in common is their vision to Find, Sell, and Keep more customers profitably. They do this by creating a multi-media Virtual Insurance Office to build value in their people, process, and insurance products; multi-media email campaigns to drive a higher quality and quantity of traffic to their agency; search engine marketing and optimization; training and consulting, and more.

If you're ready to learn how the BEST agencies in the country are using DIGITAL MARKETING to double and triple their agencies, visit www.astonishresults.com and take the 180-second tour.

At the end of the day, it's your agency. It's your life. What will you do to join the revolution, MULTIPLY your business, and change the way the world buys and sells insurance?

Here's a simple question: When it comes to your customers, do you begin with the end in mind? Can you picture what a successful transition from prospect to a sold customer looks like? What about from sold customer to repeat customer? What about from repeat customer to a customer that gives you referrals? Do you know what you would say to your customers in each one of these instances?

For each one of those transitions, what would a successful conclusion look like?

Once you know the answer to these questions, the next step is to map out a simple process to achieve success. Note, I said "simple." Success doesn't always need to involve complexity and difficulty. Sometimes just doing the right thing at the right time is more than enough to succeed.

If these processes are not well thought-out, how do you expect your people to implement them?

I would submit that many organizations don't think this way. As a result, they have issues Finding, Selling, AND Keeping customers. To be effective, you need to break complicated systems (your business) down into manageable segments and map out a clearly defined process for each. That's where the fun begins!

Here at Astonish Results, we specialize in helping our clients segment and map out a clearly defined process in order to help them grow their business by Finding new customers, Selling more premiums to those new customers, and Keeping them as customers for life.

Visit www.astonishresults.com today to take the 180-second tour and discover how you can double the size of agency in less than 3 years!

Independent agents across the country continue to struggle with the combined challenges of the soft market and the growing demands of the modern consumer. As they pursue a winning formula to drive organic growth, several trends have emerged among successful agencies.

According to Marsh-Berry Consulting, the Best 25% of agencies achieved a 12% net organic growth rate 2006-2007[space](after leakage). Using the following list of Core Competencies, take a minute to honestly assess your agency's ability to achieve the same growth rate of the Best 25%. Knowing that you can only manage what you can measure, grade your agency on a scale of 1-5 in each of the following areas. Once you have your benchmark, you can put a process in place to constantly improve:

1. Strong leadership presence. Clearly defined vision.
2. Specific goals for sales and service. Measured on a regular basis with a process for improvement.
3. Working towards a "World Class Sales Culture." Everyone knows their role in support of sales.
4. Effective use of technology for management and marketing functions. What can be automated, IS automated.
5. Clearly defined process for new customer acquisition and cross sales. Deliberate, executed the same way EVERY TIME.
6. People management. Have a clearly defined process in place to recruit, hire, and train team members.
7. Leverage Internet and social media. Have a dedicated person focused on this segment of the market.
8. Compensation. Job descriptions and incentives that drive PROFITABLE new business.
9. Willingness to invest in marketing and growth. According to MarshBerry, 2-5% of annual revenues for growth investment.
10. Desire. A "WHATEVER IT TAKES" attitude to achieve desired outcomes.

If you're like most agency principals, after completing this assessment, you have discovered that it's going to take more than a hard market and more "REFERRALS" to compete with the best in your business. Research shows that there is a widening gap between the haves and have not's in the insurance industry.

What happens when the owners of an agency have no real experience or passion for driving these initiatives? People will do what they WANT to do, not what you NEED them to do. As a result, the agency will continue to struggle to achieve any meaningful growth.

Fortunately, Astonish Results has created a complete consulting and marketing system focused on helping agencies improve in EACH of the Core Competencies listed in the assessment.

Astonish has been featured in Rough Notes magazine as an Unfair Advantage. Recently, the Founder and CEO of Astonish Results, Adam DeGraide, was interviewed on camera by the CEO of the Insurance Journal. You can view this video here.

To find out how your agency can leverage the Astonish Unfair Advantage, take the 180-second tour www.astonishresults.com and discover how you can double the size of agency in less than 3 years. Call today!