A few tips to be happier in 2017

Remove apps – social media – from your phone!

How many times have you been having a rough day – be it personal or in the field – and you turn to dear old Facebook for inspiration? You start scrolling and you get more depressed because you see people at a party, on a vacation, etc. That’s a bummer. Try getting rid of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Stop being negative!

Every time you catch yourself saying something negative STOP! Correct yourself and think about something positive. We are what we think about most, so it makes no sense to think about negative things and outcomes. Ask your closest friends to keep you accountable as you try to eliminate the negative stuff in your life.

Read, Think and Grow each morning

OK, nobody enjoys waking up to an alarm and exercising their body and their brains. OK, some special people do, but most do not. It’s more a habit than something people enjoy. Decide that you are going to read, write, listen to audio and exercise every morning and then start doing it consistently. You will feel better physically and mentally.

BONUS: Try to go to bed at the same time each night too!

Clean out your closet

If you have too many clothes, get rid of them. If you wear the item often, keep it. If you don’t wear the item, let it go! Find a person you know that will use the item and appreciate that you gifted it to them. We all probably have way too much stuff even if we don’t want to admit it. Consolidate your wardrobe.

Be a better friend and co-worker

People can always be nicer. Show them by being a good example of what a nice person is like. Encourage people. Talk to people. Show people that you are genuinely interested in what they are doing in life. Write letters of appreciation. Tell people what they mean to you. Be a better friend and person in general. It takes effort, but the reward will be far worth it. Make an investment in people.

Learn something new

We all make the mistake of not growing, so we need to learn something new. Do this as much as possible. Don’t spend hours on something that is useless, but learn new things. If you don’t know about something, but you want to find out more then find a person who can teach you about that topic. This helps you grow and it is fun!

We hope you have a great 2017 and our tips help you become happier than ever this year!

Why the holidays are a great time to be in sales and recruiting

Thanksgiving is over and the turkey has all been gobbled up. You’ve made it through one of the three end-of-year holidays.

Many people consider this time of year to be a period when sales and recruiting experience a low point. Why do people think that way? Many assume that people are not looking for a new job because the season is so busy with gatherings and functions. This is just not the case.

People are always looking for a better opportunity. It doesn’t matter if Santa Claus is coming to town or not!

Smart sales people and recruiters flourish at this time of year. They know this is the time of year when you can separate yourself from being good to being great at what you do.

People are home more often during the holidays, which means you can get them on the phone or in person. People are out shopping and running errands all the time too. Just go to a local mall and start talking to people because they are out there. You will find people who are interested in what The Alliance does through insurance.

Don’t get sucked into the “go to every party” trap! But, if you do go to a party then talk to people about what you do and see if they are interested. If you are going to be at the party, you might as well make it productive.

The holidays are about spending time with those you care about, but that doesn’t mean you should take the month of December off from work. In sales and recruiting, you have to do it for 12 months a year to be truly successful. When you see other people wasting time, let that be a reminder to you that you need to get back on the phone and talk to people.

If you have to set a goal for each day or week, then do it. Make it fun. Make it like a game. Incentivize yourself to keep selling and recruiting. You can go from having a good year to a great year if you are committed to closing out the year strong. There are 365 days in a calendar year NOT 334! Make the most of all your days. It is OK to be merry and bright, but you will look a lot better if you have a “cash-flow glow” about you because you kept working to close out the year strong.

If you really need to be motivated, find an accountability partner who will help cheer you on. Maybe you even compete against them. Whatever it takes, do that!

Don’t underestimate the potential to hire a bunch of people at this time of year. Keep your activity on pace with what you did up to this point. It’s OK to take time off for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but you don’t need to stop working all together.

Don’t let the holidays be the excuse for why you didn’t have the kind of year you wanted to have. You can enjoy family and friends and still keep your business on track. Somebody is waiting to hear from you, so stop postponing action and pick up the phone. Keep chopping wood and the tree will eventually fall down for you. Stay focused and consistent.

Think about the rewards you will enjoy down the road for the work you are doing now. If somebody is going to do the job, it might as well be you?

Be thankful for all your blessings at this time of year, show gratitude and appreciation to other people and keep doing the tasks that helped you become as successful as you are right now.

Once the year ends and you look back on the work you put in, you will be thankful you finished out the year with a bang!

Are you the Christopher Columbus of insurance?

The second Monday of every October, the United States celebrates Columbus Day in honor of the explorer credited with colonizing the New World.

The first Columbus Day celebration was held in 1792. Christopher Columbus’ goal was to find Asia so he could easily get spices for trading, but he never did.

Columbus set sail on Aug. 3, 1492 and found land on October 12 of that year. He found the Bahamas, Cuba and Hispaniola. He left men behind to colonize the land. Depending on what you read, Columbus wasn’t the nicest person in the world.

Columbus Day has been a national holiday in the U.S. since the 1930s.

A lot of times when it comes to selling life insurance, you have to be willing to talk to people you don’t know in order to be successful. For many people this is tough to learn.

What if Christopher Columbus had been afraid to discover new lands? What if he stayed home and was afraid to talk to people or lead a team of men on his journeys?

When it comes to your business, are you exploring all your earning potential with clients and your team? Are you as adventurous as Columbus when it comes to finding ways to find annuities? Are you surveying your surroundings and making sure you get referrals? Are you so focused that you don’t listen to those who tell you something is not possible?

The best insurance agents know that asking questions is the best way to provide the best coverage for a client. When your client knows that you are doing everything in your power to help them get the best product to fit their needs and budget, then they are going to want to help you do the same for people they care about – including friends and family.

When you meet with a new client, make sure to be nice and smile. Ask questions that help you learn more about them and their family. Making a connection early will go a long way in helping you build the trust that comes with being their insurance agent. The Alliance believes in practicing the “Golden Rule” with people. The faster you can make a positive connection with your clients, the sooner they will trust you to help them with their insurance needs.

Columbus wasn’t always very nice to native people during his travels. In fact, many historians think he was mean and mistreated locals during his voyages. Don’t be Christopher Columbus when you meet with potential clients.

Be respectful when you enter a home, take off your shoes and smile. You want to make a strong first impression.

One thing Columbus was great at was believing in himself and selling other people on his talents and skills as a sailor. YOU are selling yourself when you meet with clients so be confident in your ability to help each and every client regardless of any preconceived notions you might have going in the home.

Find common ground and use it to your advantage. It might be sports or music, but you can find it if you ask enough questions. Learn about their family, be enthusiastic about what they are saying and show genuine interest in them. People don’t buy life insurance because it is cool. They buy life insurance because they need it and they prefer to buy it from a person that they like. Make sure the client knows you care and that you are trying to help them as much as possible.

Be crazy like Columbus, but be smart too! Smile. Laugh. Have fun. It all makes a difference when it comes to selling insurance to a new client.

ALBRIGHT EXCERPT: You have choices

The following is from Andy’s blog and the full text with an audio clip can be found at www.AndyAlbright.com. It is also a track on Andy’s new audio CD titled MOVE that can be purchased in the NAAStore.

A lot of people don’t consider this, but let me explain a big concept to you: Every opportunity you have in life isn’t always the right or best thing for you to do.

Seriously? Yes! Believe it or not, you have choices in life!

It’s hard to believe, but some people don’t know that you get to decide. Did you know that? You get to make choices about what you are doing and where you are going. You get to pick.

Every decision is a decision. Every non-decision is actually a decision. Everything you do or don’t do is a decision. When my phone rings and I look down, I either take the call or I don’t. Either way, I’ve made a decision. I think about it and I either act or don’t. Regardless, my action or lack of action is a decision.

Maybe you want to go to a meeting. On this particular night, your wife and family want you to do something at home and you are left with a choice. Now, you have to decide what is the right thing to do. Maybe you aren’t sure what to do, so you go to the meeting because you couldn’t decide. That was a decision.

People think that is confusing. I have to get up and do stuff. That’s how you become successful. You get up and do things. You get things accomplished. When people see you doing that they react differently to you. They see you doing stuff and it gives them a pull.

A lot of people don’t consider this, but let me explain a big concept to you: Every opportunity you have in life isn’t always the right or best thing for you to do.

Seriously? Yes! Believe it or not, you have choices in life!

It’s hard to believe, but some people don’t know that you get to decide. Did you know that? You get to make choices about what you are doing and where you are going. You get to pick.

How you can get more done and finish more tasks in 6 easy steps

You’ve probably read 100 different self-help articles and blogs about how you can be more effective and finish more things you need to get done in a day.

Here’s the problem: we all read these actionable items and few of us actually set about making changes that we know would really help us improve in our day-to-day responsibilities.

We wanted to give you six areas where you can work to improve how you spend your time daily. These are simple items that you can start doing today and we think it will help you get more done and be more efficient in your role at home and at work.

Set a sleep schedule

OK, this one is a little bit tricky if you work odd hours and it varies from week to week. We suggest that you get five to six hours of sleep each night. That means figuring out what time you need to go to bed and what time you ideally want to wake up each day. If you can get your body used to resting or sleeping during the same hours each night then you will notice a difference. You will probably feel better and your body will start telling you when to go to bed and when it is time to wake up without you realizing it is happening. Oprah Winfrey operates on less than six hours of sleep typically. She says if she gets off track for two or three days then she is no good at work. It leads to her not being productive. Therefore, Oprah sticks to a sleep schedule.

Morning routine

Do you intentionally start your day or do you wait to figure it out when you wake up? We suggest getting in the habit of spending a few minutes in the evening or just before bed thinking about what you need to complete or work on the next morning and day. If you can prioritize what needs to happen in the morning, then you will be more likely to start the day off strong.

For some people, it is working out, showering or checking email when you wake up. Whatever you plan is what you should do. If you can accomplish even one tasks early, you are more likely to have a better day.

Trick yourself to do, not procrastinate

Brian Tracy has a great book called, “Eat That Frog.” He talks about working hard to get things done that you don’t want to do so it is over with. Maybe you don’t like to read so you have to make yourself read 15 minutes daily. It could be exercising. Whatever you don’t want to do should be near the top of your “to do” list. All people struggle with procrastination at times. The people who can become very good at “not procrastinating” normally win the day. Maybe you struggle with deadlines or procrastination. Don’t fall victim to changing the deadline or not having a meeting with an employee or boss that needs to happen. Just do it. Get it over with. You will be shocked at how getting that “frog” out of the room will make your day better and free you up to focus on the next item on your list. Make the calls you need to make. Talk to the person you need to before it becomes an issue. Ask yourself this question: What’s the worst thing that will happen if I go ahead and do this? Just get it done and life will be easier.

Key tools and resources

A good carpenter doesn’t leave home without having the right tools to complete the job. Convince yourself that you are a carpenter of whatever your profession or trade is. For many of you this is your cell phone or your tablet. Something as simple as making sure these tools are fully charged when you start your day can save you a headache should something crazy happen and you need that tool to help you complete what you are trying to achieve that day.

If you have the tools you need to be successful then you are far more likely to be successful than not. It sounds simple, but having what you need to help you do your job is vital. A winning football team doesn’t show up on game day without uniforms or helmets! Make sure you are prepared before you even start your day so you are set up to succeed.

Your go-to motivator

We all need encouragement. We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. Maybe there is a person that gets you excited. Can you call them when you need them? A lot of successful and famous people keep a box of quotes near their desk or have an app with inspirational words on their phone. Maybe as you fix your morning coffee or tea, you spend a moment looking at words that will inspire you to make things happen that day.

Find out what you know will spark you to be the best you can be and use it frequently. Find people you can follow or get to know that are where you want to be in life. Having an accountability partner can be powerful for you as you are chasing your goals and dreams.

Try it and see what kind of results you get. We think this is a simple way to stay excited about what you are doing.

Take 5-10 minutes a day and think

In all the hustle and bustle of life, we understand things can get busy or even chaotic. We all lead busy lives, or at least we spend our days thinking along those lines. Do yourself a favor and add one item to your daily calendar that you absolutely do every single day without question. We would like you to schedule five to 10 minutes each day where you sit and think.

These valuable moments can be spent in your office with the door closed or even outside where you can sit and listen to the world. Don’t talk out loud, but talk to yourself. Think about whatever is on your mind and just breathe. At the end of your allotted time, get back to work.

There are countless ways to improve your productivity and efficiency, but we think those six items can help you improve upon what you are already doing. We encourage you to keep working to be the best person, employee, partner, boss, friend, etc.

Women in Insurance

The Alliance believes that it can be the company that helps the most women earn more than $250,000 annually, and a recent partnership between the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) is happening when some research finds women’s climb within advisories has plateaued, according to a study completed by InvestmentNews.

The article claims that women are fairly represented within the lower ranks of advisor firms, but that number dwindles when it comes to being a lead advisor and practicing partner, according to research from InvestmentNews.

The good news for female members of The Alliance is that anybody can advance up the ranks based on results. You are able to determine how high you climb with our company, and you are able to set your schedule to fit your day-to-day activities.

We believe you should be promoted based on what you do and not who you know. Your advancement with The Alliance will be based on your efforts and that is the way it should be.

Now is a great time for business-minded women to join our company. Many insurance veterans are retiring and the number of those entering the field is not keeping pace with those making their exit. There is a major need for new talent and The Alliance is actively seeking people who want to build a business and start a career that will be rewarding in many different ways.

The Alliance is committed to supporting the advancement of all people – including women looking for an opportunity to be successful. The NAIFA-WIFS partnership is another reminder that there is a void that needs to be filled in our industry. This is a great time to identify and hire more agents to help protect clients in the United States.

Simple things successful do that others do not

Becoming successful in business doesn’t just happen. There’s also no such thing as an overnight success. Now, this doesn’t apply if you are talking about winning the lottery. We are talking about sustained effort over time and being successful repeatedly.

It takes some business owners years or even decades to become a millionaire. Don’t buy into the logic that these people are lucky, fortunate or had a leg up. It’s more likely none of those things were in their favor.

It is more likely that these people worked hard for long hours, days and weeks. They did things that others were not willing to do. Their reward, for this sustained effort, paid off over time.

We’d like to share some common traits many, if not most, millionaires have in common.

Early risers

There are countless examples of successful people talking about getting up early to get ahead. Many of them rise early, often at 5 a.m. or even earlier. They might start their day with a workout to get rolling. They tend to set an agenda for the day and get important calls knocked out or at least scheduled before many even take their morning shower. If you can adopt an early riser mentality, you will be ahead of the curve.

Most leaders are readers

National Agents Alliance President and CEO Andy Albright says being a lifelong learner is critical in being successful. You have to sharpen the saw to keep sawing wood. Leadership books and biographies about successful people are great ways to keep learning. Listening to audio books and leadership talks is another good way to keep learning.

Start sneaking in 10 to 20 pages of reading a day and see if you don’t learn something new each day. Also, you can share what you learn with colleagues, friends and family.

Hard work often beats talent

Working for your dreams and goals is never easy. You have to be willing to invest and work for what you truly want in life. You have to be willing to give up some things to get better things. This might mean missing television or sleeping less to work more. You have to decide what you are willing to give up in order to get something you want more. Making the most of the 24 hours you are given daily is key. Working while you have time to get things done will make all the difference in getting tasks achieved.

Decide what you want NOW

Most great leaders and successful people have a clear goal in mind and they focus on doing things that get them to that goal. They put deadlines on what they want. They do this daily, weekly and for long-term goals. Andy Albright uses “whitesheeting” to set goal and action steps for what he wants to achieve. Don’t be afraid to write it down. When you write it down, you are more likely to hit your goals. Anybody can think about a goal; take action!

Take a few minutes today to write down some of your goals and what you can do to set your plan in motion.

These are just a few suggestions we have to help you become more successful. We hope this will help you as you try to build a successful career.

3 Struggles Life Insurance Agents Face (and How The Alliance Can Help)

Selling life insurance and other similar products can be difficult if you don’t have the right tools or support. In this post, we’ll discuss some of the most common issues life insurance agents face and how we can help you overcome them.

1. Leads – A lot of agents complain that they don’t have enough leads, or the leads they do get seem to be random people pulled out of the phone book who have no interest in their products. Some companies even encourage agents to go door to door, but many people believe that they can’t afford life insurance or think they don’t need it.

   Fortunately, The Alliance receives tons of requests from potential clients each day who want life insurance, so agents don’t have to worry about bad leads or trying to find clients on their own. We even have a department called the Lead Performance Team who can help you with your leads.

2. Regulations – Life insurance agents are often frustrated by the insurance laws, as they vary from state to state. New York is one state that’s known to have a lot of restrictions, but there are many others. There are even restrictions that change based on what city you live in, not just what state. All of these regulations are difficult to keep track of and can limit what you can sell.

   Although The Alliance can’t change the laws in your area, we do offer at least one policy in all of the 50 states and D.C., which ensures that you have something to offer clients in your area and it’s fairly easy to sell insurance in other states. Many agents at The Alliance get licensed in their home state and a state where they have friends or family so that they can run business while visiting loved ones. We also have a knowledgeable staff that can help you keep track of what policies are available in your state.

3. Objections to Annuities – Annuities sometimes get a bad reputation, specifically variable annuities which do have the potential to lose money if the market decreases. Once an annuity is associated with losing money, clients want nothing to do with it.

   The Alliance only offers indexed annuities, which DO NOT have any market risk, so your client’s money will only remain the same or increase over time – never decrease. We know that it can be difficult to get clients to see annuities as a good retirement income option, so we provide tons of information and training from some of the top annuity salespeople in the country. You’ll learn how to talk to clients about annuities, social security and other retirement plans.

If you’re a life insurance agent looking for a company that will help you overcome the struggles associated with selling life and disability insurance and annuities, call National Agents Alliance today at 336-227-3319 or apply online. We help agents reach their full potential while helping clients get the coverage they need – and we’ll be happy to help you too!

Industry seeing what Alliance has known

Members of The Alliance know that women are more than welcome in our company, and we celebrate their successes via the Elite Ladies of The Alliance for those who produce more than $100,000 annually. In fact, many of our top producers are female agents who are consistently recognized on stage at our national events because they are among our top leaders.

We have always believed in offering a level playing field for any person who wants to be successful. Now, many women in the industry believe this trend is finally happening across the board.

A recent study released from a poll by the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation found that almost 75 percent of female agents attending the IICF Women in Insurance Global Conference in New York in June think the industry is on the road to reaching gender equality. The poll included a sample of more than 300 women at the conference.

The survey found that 72 percent of women occupying leadership in insurance roles believe the field is “making progress” in regards to gender equality. The study also had 68 percent of the women polled, stating that their organization is working to promote gender diversity.

Other findings from the poll included the following:

When asked about the greatest challenge women face in ascending to leadership, 39 percent of responses pointed to limited opportunities for upward mobility within their company.

Another 30 percent of respondents said the greatest challenge is women not promoting themselves effectively.

37 percent believe that the industry’s biggest improvement toward gender diversity is seen through shifts in corporate culture.

The benefit for networking opportunities was seen as the most important step toward gender equality by 24 percent of the women polled, up from 9 percent in 2014.

The best news for women in The Alliance is that there are no limits with our company. The bar is as high as you want to set it. We’re proud that we’ve been ahead of the industry in terms of advancement opportunities for all people, and we are glad to see the trend is catching on industry wide.

What’s Happening at The Alliance’s NatCon15?

The Alliance’s 2015 National Convention is less than three weeks away and excitement is in the air. The Convention will take place from January 22 – 25 at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Many people are thinking about New Year’s resolutions, but we have the same goals each year: Think bigger and do better than the year before. NatCon15 is huge part of kicking off the New Year right, so our staff members are doing all they can to make this event even better than the rest.

Our speakers are top agents and experts in various aspects of the business, so you’ll come home with plenty of knowledge and training. In addition to selling and recruiting gurus, we’ll also have speakers who can help you achieve success in all aspects of your life.

Our keynote speaker, Bishop Trevor Manhanga has helped mediate and create peace during some of the most turbulent times in Zimbabwe. He has overcome great obstacles to spread the gospel, bring peace to troubled areas of Africa, spread awareness of AIDs and HIV and fight for human rights and democracy. Andy Albright decided to bring Bishop Trevor into the U.S. all the way from Africa so that he could speak to members of The Alliance on how to overcome difficulties in life to grow and succeed.

And if you’re interested in learning more about a specific topic, like Lead Tips and Tricks, Leadership Team Building or even How to be a Better Spouse, you can sign up for breakout sessions! Breakout sessions are seminars that last 50 minutes to an hour and there are more than 20 different sessions to choose from! You can also use the breakout session time slots to meet and greet vendors or other agents in the main convention areas.

In addition to seeing speakers on stage and in breakout sessions, you can hang out with them at meal times if you purchase the All-Inclusive Upgraded Ticket. You can even stay in the same hotels as the top leaders: the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel or the Raleigh Marriott City Center!

All of that is just the beginning, and although there is so much more we could tell you, it’s better if you just come! If you haven’t purchased your ticket or signed up for breakout sessions, visit www.allianceeventures.com today before we sell out!