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Crush Prospect Bias with the Lighthouse Sales Framework

Randy Schwantz on October 16, 2025

Your Prospect Doesn’t Hate You…

They Hate Being Disappointed Again

Before you even speak, your prospect has you pegged. Another smooth-talking insurance agent pitching policies they don’t understand and can’t control. Their eyes glaze over, their walls go up—and your chance at a real conversation disappears.

So how do you flip that bias?

With the Lighthouse Sales Framework—a three-act, 90-second story structure that instantly separates you from the herd and positions you as a trusted guide in the chaos.

 

Act 1: The Storm

Open with a truth that hits home. Call out the broken system.

“You know what I’ve noticed? Most companies treat insurance like a fire extinguisher—they buy it, mount it on the wall, and pray they never have to use it. Then the fire comes, and no one knows how to pull the pin.”

This externalizes the problem. You’re not the enemy… the system is. And now, it’s you and the prospect against a broken model.

 

Act 2: The Principle

Drop your philosophical bombshell. This is your belief. The why behind your approach.

“That’s why we built our practice on a different belief: insurance should reduce uncertainty—not add to it. Which means before we ever quote a policy, we map every operational risk in your business—the ones keeping you up at night, and the ones you don’t even know exist.”

This isn’t a feature. It’s a belief that triggers trust and curiosity.

 

Act 3: The Proof

Tell the scar story. A real moment where you or a client paid the price for doing it the “traditional” way.

“I learned this the hard way. A client once saved $8,000 on a policy—only to eat $340,000 in damages when their broker missed a major gap. That’s when we knew: our job isn’t to sell coverage. It’s to uncover what you can’t afford to be wrong about.”

That’s not just a pitch… it’s a proof point backed by pain. Vulnerability builds believability.

 

Stop Pitching. Start Positioning.

The Lighthouse Sales Framework doesn’t erase prospect bias… it turns it in your favor. By leading with shared frustration, conviction, and proof, you bypass resistance and earn real attention.

Want to stand out in the first 90 seconds? Build your lighthouse story. Then go shine.

How to Build Your First Million-Dollar Producer in 48 Hours (Without Waiting for Talent)

Randy Schwantz on October 9, 2025

Let me say it straight: If you’re still waiting for the perfect producer to walk through the door, you’ve already lost.

The idea that Million-Dollar Producers are born, not built? It’s corporate sedative. A myth sold to keep you passive… compliant… and tied to average.

You don’t need to be a therapist, a cheerleader, or a babysitter. What you need is a system. A fire-starting, no-fluff, results-first system to take one underperforming or average producer and turn them into a Million-Dollar Machine.

Let’s kill the myth. Let’s crush the comfort. 

 

Step 1: Pick Your Killer

Forget roundtables and team consensus. You know who it is.

That one producer who’s been circling greatness but hasn’t broken through. They’ve got grit. They hate losing. But they’ve been stuck.

They don’t need another pep talk. They need a challenge.

Action: Write their name down. Message them today… “I picked you. Let’s build a Million-Dollar win together. We start now.”

You just sparked a fire they’ve been dying for.

 

Step 2: Kill One Comfort Rule

Every agency has them:

  • No cold calls on Fridays.

  • Let’s wait for Q4 to push.

  • We celebrate “effort” over output.

Burn that. Today.

Pick one policy, habit, or sacred cow that protects mediocrity. Make a spectacle of destroying it. Let your team feel the shift.

Example… “Starting now, Friday is the new front line. First producer to book three decision-maker meetings gets a $200 steak dinner on me.”

Fear loves comfort. Kill comfort, kill fear.

 

Step 3: Set One Ruthless Outcome Goal

Activity tracking is a joke. Nobody got rich checking boxes.

You need one non-negotiable outcome this week. Something sharp, visible, and binary.

Example… Book 5 meetings with qualified prospects by Friday. Or it’s a miss.

Then tie it to immediate, emotional payoff:

  • Win? Dinner, bonus, public praise.

  • Miss? No more hiding. One-on-one accountability.

Visibility = Pressure. Pressure = Performance.

 

Step 4: Install the Daily War Room

15 minutes. No fluff. No excuses.

Every day, same time, same agenda:

  • What was your win?

  • What blew up?

  • What’s your next move?

You’re not coaching. You’re building a soldier. The War Room is your boot camp.

Put it on the calendar. Miss a session? You become the weak link.

 

Step 5: Build the Public Scoreboard

If no one sees the numbers… no one cares.

Create a simple scoreboard that tracks:

  • Revenue generated

  • Pipeline built

  • Meetings booked

Make it public. Weekly updates. Color-coded. Name-specific. Live.

You want hunger? Make winning visible.

Let the rest of your producers feel the heat coming off that one player who’s now in motion.

 

Bonus: Declare War on Average

Post this in Slack, on your wall, or better yet, say it in front of your team:

“Million-dollar producers aren’t found. They’re forged. And we’re done managing potential. We build, or we burn it down trying.”

This isn’t culture-building. It’s warfare against mediocrity.

 

What Happens Next?

When your hand-picked producer starts closing deals, pushing past limits, and setting the board on fire… something magical happens:

The rest of your team will chase. They’ll compete. They’ll ask, “What are you doing differently?”

That’s when you’ve won.

Because you didn’t just create an MDP. You created momentum.

 

 

Let’s get dangerous.

The Good Cop Bad Cop Hiring Strategy That Reveals the Truth About Every Candidate

Randy Schwantz on October 3, 2025

You Thought You Hired a Rockstar… Until They Ghosted You

They crushed the interview.
Said all the right things.
Seemed hungry. Confident. “Coach me up and I’ll produce,” they said.

Then reality hit.

No calls made. No deals closed. Excuses. Silence. Vanished.
And you’re left wondering, “How did I miss this?”

You’re not alone. Agencies everywhere are plagued by the illusion of a great hire—only to get burned weeks or months later.

 

The Problem? You’re Playing Solo in a Two-Person Game

Hiring is not a one-person sport. If you’re the only one making decisions, you’re doing it blind.

You need two perspectives:

  • One to pull talent in

  • One to pull the truth out

That’s where the Good Cop Bad Cop Hiring Strategy changes everything.

 

Why This Hiring Strategy Works

We’ve all seen the scene in a crime drama…

The bad cop leans in, slamming the table:

“I’ll get the truth out of you if it takes all night.”

Then the good cop strolls in with coffee and compassion:

“Help me help you. Let’s figure this out together.”

It’s not just TV.
It’s psychology.
And it works.

Apply this same dynamic to hiring and suddenly, you’re no longer guessing. You’re getting the truth before you get burned.

 

What’s the Role of Each Cop?

The Good Cop: The Magnet

This is your recruiter, your relationship-builder.
Their mission: attract top-tier talent and sell them on the opportunity.

They make your agency irresistible.

The Good Cop Does 3 Things:

  1. Create a list of high-potential candidates.

  2. Craft a compelling narrative about why a career in insurance is meaningful, lucrative, and worth their time.

  3. Tell success stories about real people who made it big with your agency.

Two Powerful Good Cop Phrases:

“We don’t have any openings, but we’re always looking for someone really good.”
“I’d hire you on the spot if I could, but we have a process — and I want to get you into it.”

 

The Bad Cop: The Truth Extractor

This is your screening assassin.
Their mission: interrogate, investigate, and expose reality.

Are they just talking the talk—or can they actually walk the walk?

The Bad Cop doesn’t care about “vibes.” They care about facts. They don’t get wowed by personality—they want proof of potential.

 

The Bad Cop’s 6 Brutal Truth Filters

  1. Can they handle rejection?
    If not, they’ll fold the second they hear “no.”

  2. Are they resilient?
    If not, they’ll quit when it gets hard—which it will.

  3. Can they build relationships under pressure?
    Sales is friction. Can they be trusted when it gets real?

  4. Are they smart enough to learn quickly?
    If not, training them will be a nightmare.

  5. Are they economically driven?
    If money doesn’t motivate them, production won’t either.

  6. Are they coachable?
    If they resist feedback, they’ll crash and burn—and blame you.

 

Why You Can’t Play Both Roles

You cannot be both the warm recruiter and the ruthless interrogator.
If you try to wear both hats, the candidate will mirror your energy—and give you half-truths.

Split the roles.
Good Cop recruits. Bad Cop evaluates.

And if you’re thinking, “I don’t have time for two people,” — consider this:

How much does ONE bad hire cost you?
Lost production. Burned leads. Cultural poison. Time wasted.

Now multiply that by every wrong hire you’ve made.

This strategy pays for itself.

 

Why Most Agencies Hire Wrong

Stats don’t lie:
The success rate of hiring a good producer in the insurance world is about 30–40% at best.

Why?
Because most agencies don’t have a process.
They rely on gut feel. And gut feel gets manipulated.

Good Cop Bad Cop is not just a gimmick. It’s a framework that forces clarity.

You’ll finally know:

✅ Who’s ready
❌ Who’s full of it
✅ Who can grow
❌ Who will ghost

 

Real Talk: Are You Willing to Be the Bad Cop?

Being the bad cop doesn’t mean being a jerk.
It means being unapologetically committed to the truth.

You push—not to break them, but to see what they’re made of.

You dig—not to be right, but to protect your agency.

You press—not to intimidate, but to reveal.

 

How to Get Started with This Strategy

  1. Pick your team.
    Who’s your recruiter? Who’s your interrogator? (If you’re solo, partner with someone—even temporarily.)

  2. Script your roles.
    Don’t wing it. Good Cop and Bad Cop should each know their part in the process.

  3. Build the filters.
    Use the 6 Bad Cop Criteria in every interview. Make it non-negotiable.

  4. Commit to the truth.
    Don’t fall for charm. Don’t get desperate. Follow the system.

 

Final Word: Hire with Eyes Wide Open

Too many agency owners hire like it’s Vegas—pull the lever and hope it works out.

The Good Cop Bad Cop Hiring Strategy changes that.

It gives you control, clarity, and confidence.

And when you finally build that team of resilient, coachable, hungry producers?

You won’t just grow. You’ll dominate.

Finish the Year Strong: How to Reignite Your Drive in the Final 100 Days

Randy Schwantz on September 25, 2025

105 days. That’s all that’s left in the year.

But here’s the truth: what you do in these last 100 days could be the difference between coasting into 2026 with regret or charging in with momentum, pride, and purpose.

If you’re like most, Q4 brings distractions: holidays, fatigue, maybe even disappointment in goals you haven’t hit. But this isn’t the time to go soft. This is your moment.

“Good times make people soft. Hard times make people strong.” — Tony Robbins

Let that land.

Step One: Reconnect With the Struggle That Built You

Think back to a time when you were broke, scared, exhausted… and still showed up. Maybe it was selling vacuums door-to-door with rejection at every turn. Maybe it was raising a family on $500 a week. Or living on $10 a day and praying the car wouldn’t break down.

You’ve been through hard. You’ve done hard.

So why let a little business turbulence or a few unanswered emails throw you off?

Tap into that version of you. That inner toughness isn’t gone. It’s just been lulled to sleep by comfort. Wake it up.

Step Two: Cut the Noise, Focus on the Signal

Ask yourself:

  • What are the 3 highest-leverage actions I can take right now?

  • Which accounts are close to closing?

  • What Q1 seeds can I start planting now?

Most people confuse static with signal. They get caught up in drama, distractions, or tasks that feel urgent but aren’t important.

Be ruthless in your focus.

Step Three: Declare a Bigger Standard

The problem isn’t just effort. It’s what you’re settling for.

You can write $25K-$40K accounts all day long. But you’re playing small by drowning in $1,500 clients that suck your time and kill your energy.

Declare your new standard. Say it out loud. Write it on your mirror. Tell your team.

“Faith is taking action in the face of the unknown. Courage is taking action in the presence of fear.”

Do you want 2026 to be different? Then decide differently now. Act like the person who already has the business, the income, the impact you want.

Step Four: Prospect Like Your Future Depends On It—Because It Does

Q4 is not a time to relax. It’s when the serious players double down.

Want to avoid a dead pipeline in January? Start now. Your future commissions, growth, and lifestyle are being decided by what you do today.

Step Five: Be Clear. Be Bold. Be Better.

If you can’t articulate why you’re better than your competition, you won’t win.

Sharpen your pitch. Nail down your “wedges” (unique value props). Be able to say, “Here’s what we do. Here’s why it matters. And here’s what your current provider is missing.”

Don’t blend your value into a smoothie of vague promises. Be specific. Be visual. Be powerful.

 

The Final Word: Decide Who You Are

Your goals won’t happen by accident. They’ll happen because you decide to show up and own the rest of this year.

So here’s the call to action:

  • Reconnect with your grit.

  • Cut the noise.

  • Declare your standards.

  • Prospect with fire.

  • Communicate with power.

This is your comeback quarter. Finish the year strong.

How to Win Large Insurance Accounts Using an Insurance Niche Success Story (No Cold Calling!)

Randy Schwantz on September 18, 2025

Stop Chasing Cold Calls. Start Closing Clients You Can Walk Into.

“Insurance niche success” isn’t about desperate dialing—it’s about positioning yourself so clients come to you. Jean Walker, a seasoned CSR turned insurance producer, didn’t just dodge cold calls—she conquered the trucking insurance market, closing a jaw‑dropping 99% of the prospects she walked into and securing big premium accounts up to $400K.

This isn’t hype—it’s a real, replicable insurance niche success strategy rooted in trust, expertise, and a laser‑focused niche.

1. Mindset Shift: From CSR to Rainmaker

You’re not a sideline player anymore. You’re the hero. Jean spent 30+ years supporting clients. But when she became a producer, she had to stop thinking inside the box. She had to embrace that discomfort, owning her value and stepping confidently into sales—not by pushing, but by serving.

2. Find Your Edge: A Niche That Converts on Trust

Jean didn’t hustle cold leads—she tapped into the motorcycle community. She shared their language. Their culture. Her shared passion for bikes flipped her from “just another producer” to “trusted friend.” That’s insurance niche success in action—know your people, speak their language, and watch doors open.

3. Ditch Transactional Selling for Service‑First Selling

Jean broke from the quote-and-compare rat race. Instead, she became a compliance coach, a DOT expert, a partner in safety. She offered real solutions, not just policies. That shift—putting service first—made her impossible to ignore.

4. Build Your Wedge: Proactive Service That Pulls Clients In

Randy Schwantz calls it “The Wedge”: reveal the gap your client doesn’t even realize exists—and let them see how badly they need you. Jean did this with DOT compliance audits and custom service plans. She created proactive value that made her essential—without ever trashing the competition.

5. Unsurpassed Implementation & Trust‑Building

Jean developed 12 proactive service “wedges”—from DOT training to claims support. Once in the door, her close rate hit 99%. She became a trusted expert, not a seller, and clients bought in because they’d already seen her value.

6. Prospect Smart: Warm Leads Only

Forget cold calling. Jean orchestrated a “Red‑Hot Introductions System”—her network delivered her seven qualified intros in just one month. She targeted high-value accounts ($200K+ premiums) and converted them into $400K opportunities—pure leverage through referrals, not dread cold calls.

7. Speak Their Language & Tame Complexity

No jargon. No intimidation. Jean matched her communication to her clients—clear, expert, empowering. She showed them how to win, without talking down. That’s how she turned knowledge into trust and trust into revenue.

8. Scale with Habits and Coaching

Jean doesn’t stop at her own results—she’s building producers. Through daily habits, coaching, a 30-day evaluation for new hires, and service timelines that nurture retention, she’s laying a path to a million-dollar team.

Why This Won’t Last (Unless You Act Now)

Buyer expectations are evolving. Tech is changing—but clients still crave deep expertise, trust, and proactive service. Cold calling is dying. Selling with insight is the future. That’s your insurance niche success edge—and it’s waiting for action, not procrastination.

Final Thoughts

Jean’s transformation from CSR to $400K producer isn’t about hustle—it’s about clarity, niche mastery, and value-first selling. Want insurance niche success? Own your niche. Serve deeply. Build trust. The rest follows.

Watch more about Jean’s story here.

Stop Hiring Hobbyists—Start Recruiting Million Dollar Producers

Randy Schwantz on September 11, 2025

Another hire who looked good on paper…

Six months in, you’re buried under a mountain of excuses. They’re bringing in tiny accounts, draining your time, and bleeding your payroll. You’re not growing—you’re babysitting. Again.

They said they were “hungry.”

But their activity says otherwise. They’re playing in the shallow end—writing 1,000 baby accounts at $1,000 each. They’re not serious. They’re not building anything. They’re just… around.

Meanwhile, you’re carrying your agency on your back.

Another year. Another 12 months of stress. Another fiscal cycle with you in the trenches doing all the heavy lifting while your so-called producers sip coffee, attend webinars, and celebrate mediocrity.

You’re exhausted. And that pit in your stomach? It’s not indigestion.

It’s failure in recruiting.

You’re not hiring producers. You’re funding hobbies.

And it’s costing you everything: time, energy, opportunity—and worst of all, belief.

You Don’t Need Another Producer

You need a Million Dollar Producer—someone who brings in serious, renewable revenue year after year. Someone who’s not just “on the team” but scoring goals that change the game.

You don’t need someone who can “make dials.” You need someone who can make an impact.

This isn’t about finding someone with a pulse. It’s about building an agency that prints freedom.

Wayne Gretzky didn’t skate to where the puck was. He skated to where it was going.

You have to do the same. Recruit based on trajectory, not promises. On mindset, not mouth.

Start Building a Future with Million Dollar Producers

You don’t build a dynasty with warm bodies. You build it with killers—the ones who:

  • Show up early

  • Hunt down whales

  • Hate losing more than they love winning

  • Close six-figure accounts like clockwork

Million Dollar Producers don’t wait for leads. They build pipelines. They don’t beg for permission. They bring results.

Until you find them, your growth is a mirage.

Stop Paying for Activity. Start Demanding Outcomes.

Let’s be brutally honest: if you’re still paying producers who average $30K a year in commission, you’re not running an agency. You’re running a daycare with a sales quota.

And every day you delay finding a Million Dollar Producer, you lose:

  • $10,000+ in missed revenue

  • Market share to your hungrier competitors

  • Credibility with your own team

What to Look for in a Million Dollar Producer

  • Mental Toughness: Rejection doesn’t faze them—it fuels them.

  • Vision: They don’t just want a job—they want equity, leadership, and legacy.

  • Urgency: Every call, every pitch, every follow-up is on fire.

How to Recruit Them

  1. Stop Fishing in the Kiddie Pool – LinkedIn isn’t enough. You need aggressive outreach, headhunting, referrals from your top clients.

  2. Create a Killer Opportunity – Sell the vision of your agency, not the comp plan. Show them a runway, not a ceiling.

  3. Set the Bar High – Let them know upfront: this isn’t a job for hobbyists. It’s a mission for top 1% closers.

  4. Test Fast, Fire Faster – Give them 30 days. You’ll know. Don’t drag it out.

The Power of Million Dollar Producers

Million Dollar Producers aren’t just better—they’re exponential. One of them can outproduce five average reps. They:

  • Fill your pipeline with profitable business

  • Build your agency’s reputation

  • Attract more elite talent

And most importantly, they give you your life back.

No more micromanaging. No more hand-holding. No more wondering if next year will finally be the one.

Ask Yourself:

👉 Are you recruiting hobbyists?
👉 Or are you building a bench of Million Dollar Producers?

You know the answer.

Now act like your future depends on it.

Because it does.

Stop Selling and Start Winning: Why Traditional Sales Tactics Are Costing You Clients

Randy Schwantz on September 4, 2025

If “selling” still feels like grinding, begging for callbacks, or flooding inboxes with pitch decks, you’re doing it wrong.

Salespeople today are intelligent, driven, and capable. Yet many are stuck in a frustrating loop. They’re quoting, presenting, following up—and watching deals vanish. Not because they lack talent. But because they’re selling when they should be winning.

Here’s the painful truth: selling is about you. Winning is about them—the prospect. And until you flip that script, you’ll keep chasing your tail.

Selling Isn’t the Goal. Winning Is.

Thousands of professionals enter every call hoping to “sell” something. They know their product cold. They’ve rehearsed their pitch. But they’re missing one thing: intent.

The intent to close. The intent to win.

Selling means pitching. Winning means walking in with a specific, well-developed plan to close the deal. Winners don’t hope. Winners engineer outcomes.

What’s Wrong With “Selling”?

The biggest issue with traditional selling? It wastes time—yours and the prospect’s. You’re quoting unqualified leads. You’re chasing ghosts. And you’re gambling on a numbers game, praying someone eventually says yes.

Here’s what that looks like:

  • Spending hours preparing quotes for people who will never buy.
  • Relying on flashy binders and elevator pitches instead of real strategy.
  • Hoping your product magically “sells itself.”

Spoiler: It won’t.

The Winning Approach

Winners show up different. Their mindset is laser-focused: this isn’t about you, it’s about them.

They know the client’s pain.
They uncover the client’s goals.
And they walk in prepared to close, not pitch.

This shift isn’t fluff. It’s tactical.

Instead of hoping the prospect “gets it,” winners guide the conversation. Instead of playing the numbers game, they stack the odds in their favor by targeting only qualified buyers with a proven plan.

What’s Your Focus?

If you’re focused on yourself—your product, your script, your features—you’re selling.

If you’re focused on the prospect—their needs, their risks, their decision-making process—you’re winning.

It’s not about working harder. It’s about thinking sharper. Selling is noise. Winning is clarity.

What’s Your Intent?

Every call you make should have one goal: to walk out with a deal.

Winning isn’t about stuffing the pipeline. It’s about precision. It’s about entering every conversation with a tactical edge, a plan to solve a problem, and the confidence that you’re the only one who can do it.

When you start operating like this, the game changes:

  • You waste less time.
  • You close bigger deals.
  • You stop feeling like a peddler and start performing like a pro.

Ready to Stop Selling and Start Winning?

It’s not enough to hustle. You need strategy. Intent. Focus.

Stop selling. Start winning.

Because your success doesn’t come from being the loudest voice in the room. It comes from being the most prepared, the most intentional, and the most focused on what really matters: solving the prospect’s problem better than anyone else can.

Now get out there and win.

The Sales Leader’s Anti-Burnout Protocol: How to Outwork and Outlast the Competition

Randy Schwantz on August 29, 2025

Burnout?
Forget the word.

That’s the vocabulary of people who want an excuse to slow down.

You’re not here to slow down. You’re here to win — and that means you need a mind and body that can take the hits, push through the grind, and keep swinging when everyone else is tapped out.

If you’re leading an insurance sales team, you’re in the fight every day:

  • Driving producers to prospect harder when they’re whining about the market.
  • Staring down competition that wants your best accounts.
  • Making sure the scoreboard shows your name on top.

This isn’t about “avoiding stress.” It’s about building capacity.
You don’t get stronger by coasting. You get stronger by going through the fire and coming out sharper.

The Hard-Edge Anti-Burnout Protocol

Here’s how high-performing sales leaders train their minds to run hot without burning out.

1. Stack More Wins Early in the Day
Your first three hours set the tone for your whole team.
Get your heaviest, highest-value work done before 10 a.m. — prospecting calls, renewal saves, big proposals. The earlier you start stacking wins, the more momentum you carry through the day.

2. Lead From the Front — Every Day
You don’t just tell your team to make 50 dials — you make 60.
You don’t just say “push for the close” — you get on the phone and close it yourself.
When your producers see you outworking them, they stop making excuses and start keeping up.

3. Build Mental Endurance Like a Muscle
When you hit the wall at 3 p.m., that’s not your body quitting — it’s your mind trying to protect you. Ignore it. Push another hour. Then another. Over time, you’ll find you’ve got more gas in the tank than you ever thought.

Note: This doesn’t mean you do everything yourself. It means you do the highest-value work with maximum intensity — and you delegate or cut the rest. Top leaders know their priorities and protect them like gold. The work ethic stays high, but the focus stays sharp.

Why This Works

Sales leaders don’t get burned out because they work too hard.
They get burned out because they coast too much, and when the pressure comes, they’re not conditioned to handle it.

Your body adapts to stress the same way it adapts to lifting weights — by being exposed to it and recovering stronger.
The more pressure you face and push through, the more unstoppable you become.

Bottom line:
If you want to keep your edge, stop looking for ways to “balance” your way out of burnout.
Train your mind, push your limits, and build the kind of work ethic that makes you untouchable.
The market won’t slow down for you — so you better be ready to speed up.

Positioning Your Agency: The Secret Weapon to Escape the Commodity Trap

Randy Schwantz on August 22, 2025

You’re not selling insurance.

You’re selling trust, leadership, and clarity.

But if your agency looks like every other shop on the block, you’re not selling any of that—you’re just another commodity.

And commodities don’t command premium fees. They don’t attract loyal clients. They don’t win.

So how do you rise above the noise? Positioning.

Why Most Agencies Are Stuck in the Commodity Spiral

Walk into most agencies and you’ll hear the same tired pitch:

“We’ve got great service, strong carriers, and deep experience.”

Yawn.

That might have worked a decade ago. But today, prospects are smarter—and busier—than ever. They can sniff out fluff. What they crave is clarity: a clear, compelling reason to believe you’re the only logical choice.

That’s where positioning your agency becomes your secret weapon.

What Positioning Really Means (And Why You’re Probably Missing It)

Positioning isn’t a tagline. It’s not a color palette. It’s not your logo.

Positioning is the strategic choice to own a specific mental space in the minds of your ideal clients. It’s the story you tell—and the story they tell themselves about you.

Think:

  • “We are the agency for construction firms doing over $5M in revenue.”
  • “We dominate in cyber risk for SaaS startups.”
  • “We help high-net-worth families protect generational wealth.”

That’s positioning with teeth. It immediately filters out the noise and attracts the right client like a magnet.

The Pain of Playing It Safe

You might worry:

“If we niche down, we’ll lose business.”

False.

What you’ll lose is time wasted on clients who don’t value your expertise. Positioning isn’t about shrinking your market—it’s about deepening your impact and multiplying your profits.

The best clients don’t want generalists. They want specialists who understand their unique challenges and can guide them with confidence.

How to Start Positioning Your Agency Today

  1. Define your niche. Pick an industry, a problem, or a market segment you can serve better than anyone else.
  2. Craft your story. What unique insight or experience do you bring to this niche? Why should they trust you?
  3. Align your marketing. From your website to your pitch deck, every touchpoint should reinforce this positioning.
  4. Say no—strategically. Walk away from clients who don’t fit. It’s hard. It’s worth it.

Conclusion: From Commodity to Category King

Agency owners who embrace positioning don’t just grow—they dominate. They stop chasing business and start attracting it. They command fees, win trust faster, and build businesses that scale on purpose—not by accident.

So ask yourself:
What space will you own in your market’s mind?

If you can answer that, you’ve already won half the battle.

How to Motivate Producers Who Are Stuck in the Bottom 80%

Randy Schwantz on August 14, 2025

Let’s face it—if you’re running an agency, you’ve got one goal in mind:

Growth.

And to grow, you need more than warm bodies. You need motivated producers. But here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:

Most producers live in the bottom 80%—and they’re not moving.

Why?

Because they’re not motivated.

Not really.

The Hard Truth About Motivation

There are two types of motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic.

Extrinsic motivation comes from the outside—fun competitions, sales contests, fear of losing their job, bonuses, recognition. These are all built by culture. You set the rules. You create the reward system. And if you do it right, it works. Temporarily.

But if you want long-term, fire-in-the-belly performance, you need to go deeper.

That’s where intrinsic motivation comes in. It’s internal. Personal. Unshakable.

And the key to unlocking it is perspective.

“How much money will I have to make and save to take care of those most important to me?”

Until a producer is asking themselves that question—daily—you’ll never see true, lasting performance.

 

The Problem with the Bottom 80%

If your producers are floating through life, divorced a few times, rocking Birkenstocks and blowing off steam at some club—you’re not running an agency. You’re running a commune.

Harsh?

Sure.

But unless your team is made up of mature, grounded, intelligent professionals—people who actually want to provide for their families—you’re wasting your time trying to motivate them.

The real challenge isn’t hiring talent. It’s helping them vividly comprehend that their future is being created today.

Not tomorrow. Not next year. Today.

And their future lifestyle will be in direct proportion to how much they save and grow in the next 20 years. 

 

Creating Real Perspective: The Math Class Lesson

Ever talk to a 16-year-old who’s flunking math and says:

“I want to be a radio broadcaster—why do I need this stupid math class?”

What they’re really asking is: “What does this have to do with my life?”

That’s your producer. Right now.

And your job?

To connect the dots for them.

Step 1: “If you don’t make good grades, you won’t have to worry about being a broadcaster—unless you plan to podcast for free.”

Good grades → good college → good job → real paycheck.

Step 2: Show them how math connects to broadcasting. Time management. Segment planning. Advertising metrics. Audience reach. It’s all math.

Now… flip it back to your producers.

You’ve got a licensed professional who still thinks prospecting, selling, growing their book, saving money, and building for retirement is a waste of time.

They think preparing for the future is stupid.

But here’s what’s really stupid…

 

The High Cost of Not Motivating Producers

  • Thinking Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will fund their retirement.

  • Hoping their kids will magically afford college without loans.

  • Watching their 16-year-old drive a rent-a-wreck because they couldn’t afford a decent car.

  • Charging their daughter’s wedding to an Amex and paying 18% interest for the next 12 months—barely making minimum payments.

If they don’t wake up, that’s their future.

And if you don’t help them see it now, you’ll both pay for it later.

 

Your Move, Leader

Motivating the bottom 80% isn’t about more contests or pep talks.

It’s about helping them connect the dots between today’s effort and tomorrow’s lifestyle.

Build the environment. Cast the vision. Drive the urgency.

And watch the bottom 80% start acting like the top 20%.

Because if they don’t… you’re not running an agency.

You’re running a rescue mission.