Today In 5 Minutes Or Less (TLDR):

• 🔒 Automation Domination – Upgrade Your Agency, On …

• When Your Policy Becomes the Bad Guy: Handling Cla …

• Around The Web 🌎

🔒 Automation Domination – Upgrade Your Agency, One Click at a Time🔒

Dear Insurance Champions,

Real talk: If you’re still manually dialing leads, chasing renewals, and keeping your sales team chained to old processes, you’re leaving premium and sanity on the table. We see agency owners every week who are burnt out, stuck in the weeds, and missing the simple math: tech + a streamlined process = more quoted households, more premium, and less staff churn.

Here’s the deal… Automation isn’t “nice to have” anymore; it’s table stakes. We dug deep this week with a guest who’s writing $100k per month on basic internet leads, no exclusive contracts, no silver bullets. Just ruthless efficiency.

Ready to get tactical? Here’s your next-level cheat sheet:

3 Big Truths You Need to Admit

• Your agency is NOT unique. Indie or captive, everybody’s chasing leads, quoting, managing renewals, and cross-selling. Stop obsessing over your marmalade welcome basket and start obsessing over your contact rates.

• Time is your only currency. Every hour spent chasing a dead prospect or servicing a policy is an hour you didn’t spend quoting for new business. Measure your ROI. If service is eating 10% of your time, throw those calls to the carrier and reinvest in sales.

• Data is your weapon. If you don’t know your opt-out rates, your response rates, or how many leads need a manual call after automation fails, you’re flying blind. Dashboard, don’t guess.

Actionable Agency Upgrades (Starting Today)

1. Automate Renewal Outreach

• Kick off text/email automations 60 days out from a renewal.

• Only manually call clients who don’t respond, stop chasing everyone.

• Segment your “talkers” (want a consult) vs. “do not disturb” types and tailor your process.

2. Build a Phone Tree

• Sales gets your producers, service goes straight to the carrier.

• Track the time, and let go of what doesn’t build premium.

3. Infuse AI & If-Then Logic

• Use platforms like Infusionsoft (with bilateral phone connection) to create IF-THEN workflows.

• Example: “If lead doesn’t respond by X days, then trigger manual call.”

• Go further: Integrate text, voice drops, email, and Slack notifications for full visibility.

4. Gamify & Visualize

• Set up Slack automations for lead notifications, sales celebrations, and real-time oversight.

• Gamify production, motivate your team by celebrating wins and tracking lead flow in front of everyone.

5. Hire & Train Automation VAs

• Don’t just hire insurance VAs, train automation specialists who can build, monitor, and tweak your systems.

• $5/hr outperforms $10k/month local tech talent when trained right.

Mindset Shift

The old way: “My team does 30 dials, and they’re tired.”

The new way: One click, 400 dials, automated texts/emails/voicemail, all tracked, all measurable. If your agents aren’t doing triple the volume with no extra sweat, rethink your pipeline.

Final Word

If you aren’t running toward automations, and learning to interpret your agency’s data, you’re already three steps behind. The younger, hungrier agents are coming for your book, and you’re still hunting for file cabinets.

Take Action:

• Save these bullet points.

• Share them with your team.

• Start measuring your opt-out and response rates.

• Overhaul one process this week, it’s not the commission split, it’s the workflow.

Stay sharp, brother.

Craig Pretzinger and Jason Feltman

The Insurance Dudes! 🚀

When Your Policy Becomes the Bad Guy: Handling Claim Disputes in Insurance Agencies

You know when a client gets mad about a claim and you feel the heat rising? Back when I was on the phones, dealing with those situations wasn’t just about insurance, it felt personal. I’d catch myself wanting to defend the decision, hash out the details, or stand my ground. But one of my mentors dropped a simple bomb of wisdom that changed everything for me: don’t argue the claim.

Here’s the deal, your role isn’t to go toe-to-toe over coverage. Agency owners, we get so wrapped up in the emotions and the expectations. But the real advantage is shifting the focus away from “you vs. them” and pointing straight to the policy. Instead of getting defensive, try pivoting with: “Hey, I’m on your side. Let’s review the policy together.” When you put the spotlight on the contract, the actual language, the exclusions, the definitions, it changes the dynamic immediately.

That little move does three things: First, it positions you as an ally, not a gatekeeper. Second, it drains the emotional charge from the exchange. Third, it sets clear boundaries around what’s covered and what’s not, which is where real expectations should live. Suddenly, if the loss isn’t covered, it’s not just your verdict, it’s the policy talking. You’re not the bad guy; you’re the messenger.

Real talk, brother: The policy becomes the scapegoat. We’re not dodging responsibility, we’re setting up a process. In our world, especially with P&C and all the E&O exposure, this technique protects your relationships, lowers the emotional temperature, and keeps your agency off the hook for “playing favorites.” It’s even more critical as you scale and coach your TeleTeam, because it gives your reps a script, a pathway, and a shield from conflict fatigue. We found that leading with transparency, not debate, has a direct impact on retention for both your team and your clients.

It’s not about hiding behind the fine print, it’s about empowering your team and your clients to know exactly where they stand. If they get ticked off, let it be at the contract. You keep the rapport, the trust, and the long-term value. That’s what saves you from burnout and keeps your QHH numbers rising, even when claims come in hot.

Around The Web 🌎

The YouTube 🎥

In this powerful conversation, Jack Wingate joins us, who is an experienced small business owner and strategic leader focused on building profitable relationships through smart marketing, risk management, and scalable systems. He shares raw insights on leadership, hard work, automation, and building businesses that scale.

This Week On The Podcast 🎧

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✅ The #1 International Best Selling Book: Million Dollar Agency

✅ Internet Lead Secrets Checklist To Bind More Policies

✅ The 3 Negotiation Loopholes Lead Companies Don't Want You To Know About

✅ Live Events Every Month

Much More To Come!

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