COVID has completely changed the way we communicate going forward. It’s never going to be the same. That’s what I want to talk to you about today. Three things COVID has done to change the way we will communicate for the rest of our lives.
Look, it is no secret that COVID has changed the way that we’re going to communicate for the rest of our lives going forward. In the intro this morning, I was wearing my mask, and that’s the first thing that I want to discuss. Talking to somebody about business items when they’re wearing a mask is excruciating. What it’s done is it’s forced us to become world-class listeners. We have to listen as hard as we can because of muffled voices. Diction is not there. It’s just really, really tough, and if you’re in an environment where there’s background noise, you might as well scrap it.
But here’s the other thing. I was talking to my buddy, Jason Cass, about this a couple of weeks ago. You can’t get a read on somebody when they’re wearing a mask. You don’t know if they’re happy if they’re sad. Are they smiling under there? What’s their emotional state right now? And as a salesperson, we rely so heavily on body language and facial expressions when we communicate, and when we listen, that this COVID thing has thrown everything for a loop.
The second thing that it’s done is it’s forced us to hit the phones. Now, I know that for most salespeople that I talk to, they hate the phones. The phones are the worst. The phones are the devil. They’re the enemy. They want nothing to do with them, but they don’t have a choice right now because you can’t just email your way into all of these accounts. You got to pick up the phones. You have to work with them. Honestly, sometimes that’s easier than having the in-person conversation with somebody wearing a mask. You can hear inflection very well over the phone, but you got to tighten up your game because everybody is hitting the phones, and everybody’s working to tighten up their game. So stay tuned, got another post coming out about that real soon.
The third thing is we have to use the internet. We haven’t had to adapt much in my firm because we’ve been using video proposals for several years already. But when you throw in video proposals, video conferences, educational webinars, and all of the things that the internet brings to us, if you adapt to that, that is a huge advantage that you will have. And guess what? People realize that they like it, and it’s stuff that’s going to continue going forward.
So we definitely, will continue to use the internet and its power as much as we possibly can, even though we miss talking to our clients in person. If you haven’t recognized those three things, hopefully, it sheds some light on what you need to do to adapt and bring your game to the next level. And when you do, you’re going to kill it in commercial insurance.
Influence is one of the most powerful tools we have in business, leadership, and personal life. Used well, it inspires people, builds trust, and creates ethical results. Used poorly, it can slide into manipulation and self-interest.
Reinvention is one of the most powerful themes in the insurance industry. Some of the best commercial producers in the country did not grow up wanting to sell insurance. They did not study risk management in college. They did not come from an agency family. They found this industry after they tried something else. They found it after life pushed them toward a career where performance, autonomy, and mindset determine the outcome.
The most successful producers in the middle market did not get there because they quoted faster, smiled bigger, or knew how to talk longer. They got there because they learned how to differentiate themselves so clearly that prospects had no choice but to see them as trusted advisors. They learned to operate like businesspeople first and insurance technicians second. They learned how to tie operational mechanics to insurance outcomes. They learned how to control their time, their pipeline, and their future.
In commercial insurance, the most dangerous threats to your book of business aren’t always visible on the loss runs. One of the most overlooked vulnerabilities for middle market producers is ignoring the personal lines needs of their business owner and executive clients.
The commercial insurance industry is one of the few professions where someone can enter with no experience, no connections, and no background in risk management and still build a long, lucrative career. But success is never automatic. It requires hunger, humility, curiosity, and the willingness to keep showing up even when the process feels overwhelming. That is why the story of Pam Seidler has already started making waves among new and aspiring commercial producers.
In an industry where tradition often outweighs innovation, artificial intelligence and automation are slowly but steadily reshaping how independent insurance agencies operate. The push toward smarter, more efficient workflows is no longer a matter of if—but when. While many agencies are still evaluating how AI fits into their operations, early adopters are already reaping the benefits of streamlined submissions, faster processing, and actionable data insights.
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