Successful insurance agents know that in order to keep their business growing and thriving they must continue to raise the bar each year. Maintaining the status quo will never be enough in this competitive field. Setting well defined goals can create a road map for success, keeping you motivated, focused and accountable.
Review Your 2024 Goals
A good place to start when setting your goals for 2025 is to review your 2024 goals. Take the time to analyze what went well and what didn’t. Did you meet your goals in some areas and not others? Were your goals realistic? Did unexpected outside factors play a role? By answering these questions, you can identify opportunities to better define your goals for the coming year.
Narrow Down Your Priorities
Setting too many goals creates an unrealistic scenario that can set you up for failure. You need to identify which areas of your business to focus on that will bring the most benefit. Your goals should be meaningful for both your business and your personal growth.
Set Specific and Measurable Goals
In order for goals to be effective they should be specific and measurable. Once your goals are determined they need to be broken down into actionable tasks. For example, if one of your goals is to increase sales this year, you might want to further define the details of that goal by answering the following questions:
- How much of an increase you can realistically expect? Is it 10 percent, or 20 percent?
- Which particular lines of business do you think you can generate this increase from?
- What percent will come from increasing client retention and what percent will come from new business?
- How will you generate the leads and referrals you need?
- What is your outreach and marketing plan to each of these audiences?
- How much time do you need to schedule each week to achieve this goal?
When you clearly define a goal you can start to plan the steps you must take, as well as the time and resources you need to achieve them.
Identify Challenges to Meeting Your Goals
You might already be aware of potential obstacles to meeting your goals. Perhaps you need to add more products to your portfolio. Or you know you would benefit from additional training so you can sell these products more effectively. When you anticipate challenges you can create an action plan to address them and eliminate any barriers to success.
Don’t Forget About Personal Development
As you set goals to grow your business, you want to be sure to include goals for personal growth and development. These goals might be to improve certain knowledge or skills that will benefit you both personally and professionally. These might include:
- Education – identify courses, product training, licensing and certifications that will help further your career.
- Technology – become proficient with tools that help improve your efficiency and productivity.
- Communication – improve your networking and presentation skills, learn how to build an effective marketing strategy including social media.
Put Your Goals in Writing
Once you have developed your goals you need to write them down in a clear and organized manner. Include specific tasks and timelines associated with each goal. Review your goals periodically to check your progress. You might want to do this quarterly. Your goals should be flexible and adaptable, allowing you to adjust them if necessary due to any unexpected circumstances.
The dedicated team at PTT Financial is here to support you in achieving all your goals. Contact us today.
