Greg Gaines
The Heart of a Risk Taker
Agent leaps to the head of the class.
If you are not willing to risk the usual,
you’ll have to settle for the ordinary
~Jim Rohn
It was January 2019, and I was invited to speak at a State Farm agents’ study group meeting in Napa Valley, California.
Following my presentation – before I could sit down – I was approached by this agent. She wasn’t alone. Her husband was also a study group member and was standing beside her.
Meet Agent Shannon Perren, the Risk Taker.
She didn’t know me, but she was touched by one of my stories and told me so. Then, she offered to follow up with me when she returned to Atlanta. She kept her word.
Then, she offered to host my first workshop in Atlanta and brought her team. It was a sell-out.
Next, she asked me to virtually coach her team, but there was a problem.
I’m a face-to-face guy who didn’t like virtual.
I tried it with another team before and called it off because I felt they were too distracted. So, I told her no (twice). But this is Shannon; once her mind is made up – she’s coming back. Eventually, I agreed.
With a young team struggling with life insurance, she wanted something basic to boost their comfort. So, we developed a Basic Life series. That series has been re-titled the Intelligent Life series and is only available for the teams we coach in our Platinum platform as of 2024.
We didn’t just talk about the product. We talked about:
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What it is
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What it does
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Who was the prospect
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And, what to say.
The team flourished, but someone else was learning, too. I found that virtual coaching works very well once we adopt calm, thorough, productive techniques. Maybe it wasn’t just the other team’s distraction – it could’ve been me, too.
Virtual coaching isn’t easy. It’s not about bombarding them with constant word tracks. It’s framing concepts that matter in layman’s terms. Success has more to do with how we think and how we talk to people than technical skills. They finished the year qualified for Chairman’s Circle, and President’s Club in P&C. Shannon was very happy.
2020: Let’s do it again!
COVID-19 was raging, and to make matters worse, she opened her second agency in the teeth of the Pandemic. It didn’t matter. Once we got their mindset right, they wrote life insurance like crazy!
Even though she didn’t believe she could do it, Shannon and her team took it up a notch and qualified for the company’s top prize in 2020.
How is that possible?
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In the middle of COVID
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Opening up her second agency (on April Fool’s Day)
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With a very young, inexperienced team
Shannon checked the top box and moved to Exotic Lane.
It always seems impossible until it’s done!
~Nelson Mandela
The P&C girl was now in love with her new level and went back to back in 2021.
2022 was a re-tooling year, but she wasn’t done.
August 28, 2023
Hi Greg!
It’s Double Exotic for us this year!
It FINALLY clicked with my team.
We tied for 1st in the zone for Fast Start, and now the premium
averages are starting to improve because of all of the conversion opportunities.
Yessssss!! Couldn’t have done it without your foundation,
and I appreciate you so much!
~Shannon Perren
She saw something simple and wanted it for her team and took a risk by working with some crazy man she just met. She and her team are a force today, and I’m very proud of them.
For the record, Shannon is definitely not impressed with this article. She’s probably rolling her eyes, but I don’t care. What an incredible journey!
She was good for me too!
She believed in my process, so whenever she called, I made room for her when I could.
I’m glad she encouraged me to coach virtually; it became the cornerstone of what we do today. Thank you, my friend.
We’re back in Atlanta this week!
The Next Level Life Training Workshop Returns,
and I can’t wait to connect with the brave souls who signed up for it.
What you’ll learn:
*Our 5-minute life sales conversation that anyone can do – ANYBODY.
*The Easy Life Needs Analysis
*How to talk less, sell more, and write more premium
*There is plenty of practice to gain comfort in serving the customer with life insurance
When: December 7th
Start time: Breakfast is served from 8 to 8:45, with the training starting at 9
Where: Holiday Inn & Suites Atlanta Airport North, 1380 Virginia Avenue Atlanta, GA 30344
Price: $215