3 Old School Sales Tactics that Still Work

As producers, we’re always trying to reinvent the wheel and come up with the craftiest way to get in front of people. But today, I’m going to talk to you about three things that you can do that are proven tactics in the sales game that still work today, and I’m going to give you one way that you can embellish them and bring them into the 21st century.

Why are we trying to reinvent the wheel? Producers are looking for ways to get in front of people every single day. And I feel like sometimes there’s a rat race to figure out who can come up with the trendiest new sales tactic. Guys, I got to tell you something. Occasionally, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel in our jobs. Three things have worked for as long as I’ve been in the sales game that still works today.

Cold Call Marketing Drops

Number one is the marketing drop. Cold call marketing drops still work. Now I understand that COVID has affected that to a certain degree. Nevertheless, suppose you’re in an open area and feel comfortable with it. In that case, people want to see other people, whether consciously or subconsciously, you will get an audience that you may not have expected to reach. Use the cold call marketing drop where it’s appropriate and assure you that it will get you great results.

Banging the Phones

The second one is using phones. Telemarketing works. The problem is, we try and close the deal instead of closing the appointment. Keep your telemarketing script simple, and ask for an appointment. Here’s my thing, buyers don’t understand how to buy insurance. They didn’t take a class in college called Procuring Insurance for my Business. Where did they learn? They learned from guys like you and me. We taught people how to buy insurance. So they’re used to getting those phone calls 60 to 90 days before their renewal asking if we can meet with them. Embrace that, don’t push against it. Keep your call simple. Tell them you’re calling to meet with them about their upcoming renewal, and that’s it. Get the appointment that way.

Handwritten Notes

Then the third thing, and this one requires a little bit of effort on your part, is handwritten notes. People understand that you put forth extra effort when you take the time to write a letter to them by hand. Please do it. It doesn’t take that much effort, and it’s not that expensive to get yourself some nice personalized stationery, so you hit home when they get that special piece of mail, open it up, and take the time to read it.

Implement Video

Now, I told you these are tried and true, and you don’t need to do anything special, but if you want to take this to the 21st century, you have to incorporate probably the fastest growing area where you can market and interact with your prospects, and that’s video. Let’s look at each of the three things we talked about, and I’m going to share a quick tip on what you can do to incorporate video to take your success to an entirely different level.

First, cold call marketing drops. Have it set up so that when you get back to the office, an email goes out with a thumbnail that, when they click, links to a video that you have created for that person thanking them for their time and letting them know you’ll be back in touch with them. It doesn’t have to be over the top. Please keep it simple. If you didn’t see the decision-maker, do the same thing. As long as you have the email address, send an email with the thumbnail that says, “Hey, sorry, I missed you today. But Sally at the front desk gave me your email address, and I want to let you know I’m going to be around in the next couple of weeks, and I’m going to reach out to you beforehand to set up a time for us to talk and meet in person.” Easy enough to do.

On the phones, once you book that appointment, have a video ready that goes out. Send that prospect a meeting request to lock it on their calendar, but in that meeting, request have a video. “Hey, I just wanted to tell you, thanks so much for agreeing to meet with me. Here are some of the things I plan on discussing when we meet. If there’s something you’d like for me to add to that list, feel free. If there’s something that you’d like me to take off of that list, I’m happy to delete that as well if you don’t find it to be valuable in our conversation.” But use the video to create that personal touch and human interaction, even though they’re not interacting with you yet.

And the third one’s a handwritten note. This one’s easy. Write the handwritten note, whether it be congratulations, whether it be thank you, whether it be just thinking about you, or maybe you saw an article about that prospect in the business journal, and you wanted to memorialize that with a handwritten note. Why not create a video message to go with that where you include the link to a video that you created just for that person to deliver that same message with maybe a little bit more flair, and they can see how you operate so that they can make that personal connection?

If you do those three things, you’re going to be great. But if you add a video to the mix and enhance that experience, you’re going to absolutely kill it in commercial insurance.

Maximizing Revenue with Surety Bonds and Niche Contractor Insurance Strategies

August 5, 2025 No Comments

The middle market commercial insurance landscape is evolving at a rapid pace. Agencies that once relied solely on traditional property and casualty products are now discovering untapped revenue streams by embracing surety bonds and specialty coverages. By understanding how to position niche products—such as drone insurance for contractors—alongside licensing and permit bonds, agencies can capture high-intent leads, accelerate earned premium, and foster deeper client relationships.

In this post, we’ll explore a comprehensive bonding-first growth strategy: from the fundamentals of surety bonds to advanced marketing funnels, partner ecosystems, and actionable implementation checklists. Whether you’re a seasoned producer or a rising agency principal, you’ll walk away with a playbook to maximize revenue, differentiate your brand, and become the go-to resource for contractor clients.

Reclaiming Time and Building Efficiency: How Technology is Reshaping Insurance Servicing and Agencies Growth – A Conversation with Colby Tunick

August 5, 2025 No Comments

In the world of independent insurance agencies, servicing existing policies often overshadows the pursuit of new business. It’s estimated that 80% of agency time is spent servicing renewals rather than generating new opportunities. With the average cost of servicing a policy renewal totaling around $135 per policy, agencies are dedicating significant resources simply to maintain the status quo.

This servicing burden presents a major scalability problem. For every thousand policies on the books, agencies are effectively employing two full-time account executives just to keep up. The result is a “tyranny of insurance” where agency growth becomes harder as success increases. This challenge is even more pronounced for agencies focused on the middle market or attempting to backfill their books with small commercial insurance and personal lines.

Scaling a book of business while trapped in administrative quicksand isn’t just inefficient; it’s unsustainable. Agencies need a way to break free if they hope to thrive in today’s competitive and evolving market.

Maximizing Middle-Market Workers’ Compensation Success: Data-Driven Prospecting, Compliance Wedges, and Claims Excellence

July 31, 2025 No Comments

Middle-mazrket businesses face unique challenges when it comes to managing their workers’ compensation programs. Unlike large enterprises, they often lack dedicated in-house resources for safety, compliance, and claims oversight; yet unlike small businesses, their scale subjects them to more sophisticated regulatory scrutiny and larger potential losses. In this environment, commercial insurance producers who master an integrated approach—combining precise prospecting data, impactful compliance applications, and exceptional claims handling—can both win new accounts and build lasting client relationships.

Strategic Market Access for Independent Agencies: Unlocking Growth, Stability, and Profitability

July 31, 2025 No Comments

In the most challenging insurance market many of us have ever seen, independent agencies are grappling with a familiar foe: limited carrier access. Whether you’re a former captive agent trying to break into the independent space or a small agency trying to grow your commercial book, the obstacles are real. Direct appointments are hard to come by, especially for shops under $5 million in revenue, and wholesale markets can feel intimidating or like a last resort.

But they don’t have to be. With the right partner, wholesale and brokerage relationships can become a strategic advantage, not just a stopgap. This post explores how agencies can leverage smart market access to grow confidently, preserve profitability, and position themselves for long-term success.

Building High-Performing Remote Insurance Teams: Core Values, Hiring, Onboarding & KPI Strategies

July 30, 2025 No Comments

The insurance industry is undergoing a profound transformation as middle-market agencies recognize the benefits and challenges of embracing a fully remote workforce. No longer viewed as a temporary workaround, remote models offer the potential to tap into nationwide and offshore talent pools, reduce overhead, and increase flexibility in an increasingly digital world. Yet, flipping the switch to virtual operations can expose gaps in documentation, dilute corporate culture, and strain traditional oversight mechanisms. In this post, we’ll explore the four pillars essential to building a high-performing remote insurance team—core values, hiring practices, onboarding processes, and KPI strategies—while also delving into best practices for managing domestic versus offshore employees, ensuring data security, leveraging productivity tools, and fostering trust and autonomy.

Captive Insurance Strategies for Middle Market Success: Empowering Independent Agents with Risk Control and Profitability

July 28, 2025 No Comments

In today’s hard commercial insurance market, middle market business owners are more open than ever to solutions that give them greater control over their insurance costs. While guaranteed cost programs remain the default option, they often lack the flexibility and long-term savings that high-performing businesses crave. That’s where captive insurance comes in—a powerful but often misunderstood tool that enables clients to turn insurance from a sunk cost into a strategic asset.