Agency Growth | The Next Normal: Stay on Top of Your Relationship Building Game

THE NEXT NORMAL: STAY ON TOP OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING GAME

By: Patrick Galvin

Chief Galvanizer

With nearly half of 2021 in the rear view mirror, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Coming into focus is a clearer idea of what the “next normal” will look like both personally and professionally.

There is no denying that the pandemic has altered the way we live and work, possibly forever. What remains unchanged, however, is the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships— something that independent insurance agents and brokers pride themselves on. But what will relationship building look like in a post-pandemic business environment where there are fewer in-person transactions and more hybrid events, and where more agency employees choose to continue working from home for better work-life balance? These are some of the questions that I will pose in an interactive, 60-minute discussion with a panel of Big I Oregon agency owners on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 (10-11 AM). We will discuss: • Building strategic relationships while working remotely • Leveraging technology to generate the energy and enthusiasm required for authentic connection • Mastering video conferencing to build meaningful relationships • Creating opportunities to connect with others online • Asking for and receiving reviews, recommendations, and referrals to grow your agency • Using low and high-tech approaches to show gratitude and build goodwill

Agency owners will share their relationship building strategies and stories, and attendees will have multiple opportunities to connect and engage using breakout rooms and other collaborative online tools. (If you joined us for the NextGen panel presentation in April, you know that this will be a dynamic and lively virtual event.)

You can learn more about the July event, part of a year-long partnership between myself and Big I Oregon focused on helping members hone their professional relationship building skills, at www. theconnectorsway.com/bigioregon. This is also where you will find details about The Connector’s Way Online System, a library of 52 online video lessons based on the principles from my book The Connector’s Way (which features an independent insurance agent as its main character). Designed to sharpen the relationship building skills of everyone in your agency, the system features a clean modern aesthetic that incorporates the latest digital learning standards and lets online learners proceed at their own pace. Each video is less than 5 minutes long and includes downloadable resources and exercises to reinforce the materials presented. Last but certainly not least, I am excited to announce that I will be presenting on the topic of trust-based relationship building at InsurCon 2021 in October. Taking place at the beautiful Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Oregon, the convention will be a welcome chance to connect with people face to face and I look forward to seeing you there.

Patrick Galvin (patrickgalvin.com) is a TEDx speaker, presenter, and business relationship building coach who wrote The Connector’s Way: A Story About Building Business One Relationship at a Time (2016) and The Trusted Way: A Story About Building a Life and Business of Character (2021). Patrick is collaborating with Big I Oregon and its partners to give agency members exclusive access to the curriculum and materials of The Connector’s Way in 2021. Learn more at https://www. theconnectorsway.com/bigioregon

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