By Denise Lones M.I.R.M., CSP

Agents are always looking for “The Plan.” You must have heard of “The Plan.”  It’s that super secret 1-2-3 magic set of instructions that if you just plug it in, it will magically catapult your business to the next level.

Newsflash: This just in.  There is no “Plan”!  We do not live in a cookie-cutter world.  There is no one “magic pill” that will work for everybody.  Everybody is different.

On the Safari At Sea last week, again I was amazed at how different we all are.  So many different personalities.  So many different ways of doing business. 

The theme of the Safari at Sea was “Find Your Formula.”  It’s different for everybody.  One of the reasons why it’s so important to embrace differences is that every agent requires a different plan-a different formula for success.

What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.  Why is it that so many agents are doing different things to be successful?

Because some people’s personalities are better suited for one method over another.  This is why The Lones Group is focused on creating custom solutions for our clients-because what works for Agent A may be a disaster for Agent B.  Cookie-cutter solutions don’t work.

And this point was driven home on the Safari at Sea for me when I saw how many different “formulas” are out there that actually DO work.

Cookie-cutter solutions don’t work for most people because their very existence is to create profits for the author/creator.  For example, we’ve all heard the “send-this-postcard-campaign-out-and-it-will-bring-you-riches” spiel.  These programs are misleading because sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t.  It all depends on your target market, your local population, and other factors beyond your control.

It frustrates me when a client says to me, “Denise, I’m nervous to do anything with you because everything I’ve done so far hasn’t worked.”

But the reason those things haven’t worked is because that agent hasn’t taken the time to get to know themselves.  They’re listening to an outsider who says, “This works, do this,” but it might be something that agent doesn’t like to do and will be unable to maintain in the long run.

Each one of us has strengths and weaknesses.  If you think you don’t have any weaknesses, then you are in denial.  Which is why I encourage agents to do what you do best and hire the rest out.

To even further drive home the “Find Your Formula” message, we did an interesting exercise on the Safari at Sea.  It certainly raised a few eyebrows.  Each participant sat down and answered 482 questions-yes, 482 questions!  Talk about dedication to uncovering the truth.

Not one of them came out alike.

In terms of how they approached their businesses, each one had unique ways of implementing their marketing, managing their files, and contacting their clients.  We discovered business styles, personality types, tolerance levels for work, and prospecting abilities that were all over the charts.

The 482-question Business Analysis we did on the Safari at Sea was enlightening in more ways than one.  Not only did we highlight the different personalities and strategies of agents, but we also clearly saw what each agent needed to do.

It was like finding a personalized roadmap for each agent-detailed directions to a destination of success.

This is the part where I toot my own horn.  The Safari at Sea was the primary introduction of my new Business Analysis.  I know that it sounds daunting to answer 482 questions, but think about what you’ll learn!

Once you answer them, it will be clear-crystal clear!-what will work for you and what will NEVER work for you.  Without discovering who you really are, you won’t know what strategies to implement.  And which ones to avoid!

Not sure?  Then just call me at 360-527-8904 and let’s chat.  I won’t bite.  I’m very easy to talk to.  Prefer e-mail?  So do I! Then drop me a line at [email protected].  I’m happy to answer any questions.

I’m here to help you succeed.  And I’m excited to bring to you my new Business Analysis.  Be one of the first agents who has a personalized road map to success-based on who you really are.

Stop looking for “The Plan.”  Instead, find what you’re good at.  Then, find what you’re NOT good at.  Use what you learn to create a formula that works for you.