Episode 109: Grow Your Agency with Craig Wiggins

This week on the leadership podcast, Bradley sits down with return guest Craig Wiggins.  They discussed changes in business operations, marketing, and hiring in a post pandemic landscape.  Craig shared his thoughts around what changed in business since the last time he was on the podcast.Craig Wiggins started his insurance agency in 1996 with 0 customers and 0 clients… Today he has built one of the largest agencies in the country with 4 locations in 2 states and over $40,000,000 in annual premium. Craig and his Agency consistently win top awards and recognitions year after year. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020. In this episode, he spoke directly to insurance agencies.  He encouraged owners to remember that coverage is more important than price.  After all, anyone can undercut a price, but not everyone can provide coverage that will serve their customers.  In fact, he noted that if an insurance agent doesn’t do a good job, they may set their customer up for major problems down the road.Craig also encouraged owners to remind their team members of this fact.  An insurance agent is the #2 most important person in someone’s life.  You need to remind your team that what they do matters!He has found that when marketing your business, traditional methods have become more effective.  This means that centers of influence, referrals aka introductions, and even direct mail have been offering some great returns.  This is in direct contrast to standard practices over the past few years that have emphasized online reach.Craig talked about how to find truly great team members. A lot of people will lull into thinking that it’s easy to just post a job opening and get a bunch of applicants.  However, the kind of people you’re looking for may not be on Indeed or Monster. Have a high number of applicants doesn’t always mean they are qualified.He and Bradley discussed the value of having a second in command. This person would be responsible for operations and implementation of the vision.  Craig used the term Implementor to describe this person.  Their conversation included the importance of knowing when it was time to hire for this role, and what compensation should look like.Ready to learn how to succeed in a post-pandemic business world?Learn more about Craig and his coaching at www.craigwigginscoaching.com