If you've been a member of Insurance Soup or any of its counterparts, you know that Mike, Taylor, and CJ talk a lot about the importance of bringing your authentic self to your customers, to your staff and to your coworkers. It's a principle that Insurance Soup runs on and a principle that the founders of Soup run their own businesses on.
When the names above decided to combine forces and create The Collective Agency Council, this was a principle that went with it. That went into it. Bringing your true self - your vulnerable self - and all of the experience that makes you such a valuable asset to the industry into the group... people see it. They see you baring your self for the group and they respond to it by bringing their true selves to you in the spirit of helping one another.
In the testimonial below, you'll read how Sarah Trippel reaped the benefits of fostering meaningful relationships in her business by hearing the message Soup, CAC and The Collective. By bringing her true self to the people in her business and accepting her customers, her employees and her partners as they are. No false pretenses. Just mutual trust and respect. Enjoy.
"I am going to share a story with y'all, so that if any of y'all are on the fence about the The Collective y'all can see the difference it has made. I am going to share two things that have made all the difference in my world this past week because of the things Michael McCormick, Taylor Dobbie, CJ and the rest of the crew have spent hours and hours building out for agents Wednesday, I was diagnosed with covid (this is not the point nor does this need to be discussed but yes I was vaxxed so hopefully it won't get too severe). I have been a part of CAC and Soup ALMOST since the very beginning.
I have an amazing employee in my office thanks to the things I learned in CAC...she has been a Rockstar with me being out sick, and has even made daily trips to my house to drop off stuff for me on the front porch. I live in the middle of nowhere. CAC has helped teach me not only how to find the right employee, but more importantly how to treat and compensate the right employee. This is the first time in over six years I've gotten to be sick and not worried about my office.
The second thing, and if you have been in soup for long, you have heard me mention, it has built up AMAZING relationships between me and my referral partners. I have kept my covid diagnosis off of my personal Facebook (yo local agents...please don't rat me out) because I don't want the drama from either political side. I feel like crap and I just want to feel like crap in peace. That being said most of my referral partners have found out by reaching out to me or to the office and then to me because I am not there. I have had offers from every single one of them to drop off food, reminders to eat, reminders to drink, reminders to walk around. My favorite of them all is determined she's going to get food delivered to me before this is said and done . These ladies are all extremely busy in their professions and their home life, but any one of them would do anything I asked right now, and I know it. Building those kinds of relationships with your referral network is priceless. Yes, these individuals send me a lot of business, but the friendships I have formed by building real relationships with them, are far more valuable than any referral they send. They know I am widowed with elderly parents, and so they know my resources for getting things right now are limited. They also see me as more important than just the business I send them. Again, for those in the back, THOSE KIND OF NETWORKING RELATIONSHIPS ARE PRICELESS!!
A lot of people think that the former CAC or the new Collective is all about shiny objects, gadgets, gizmos, and thingymajigs...and there are a lot of those in it...but the core principles and foundations that are taught are far more valuable than whatever the monthly cost will be.
I know finding the money to join can be tough for some...I personally had to wait to save up money and hit a bonus to join the OGs in the very beginning, but i am eternally grateful that my husband and I found a way to make it happen so that I could learn these concepts that are at the core of my agency's success and my success as an agent...especially through the last few years which have been plagued with family health issues, the death of my husband, and my personal health issues.
If you are on the fence...don't hesitate to hop on one of their info calls...you will never regret investing in yourself in you actually invest the time into your investment!!!"