Filed under: Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Get Creative, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing, Marketing Yourself, Motivational, Succession Initiative, Susan L Combs | Tags: Combs & Company, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing, Succession Initiative, Susan L Combs
So I have the pleasure of writing for the Succession Initiative for LifeHealthPro and they come to me with questions from their readers and I get to respond to them! Here is the latest one:
The Challenge…
Meeting The Challenge…
Hi Terry,
First off, I basically equate that to a mother not teaching her son how to cook and do laundry because she knows he’ll find a wife to do it for him! Learning how to prospect is a life skill in sales. You have to get it down pat in order to be successful in this career. Being handed leads are the reward after you have proven yourself, you know?
OK … now to get off of my soapbox and offer a solution.
Network.
Network with everyone and anyone if you are starting out. Book lunches, coffees and drinks with other salespeople and business professionals in different fields. Get your elevator pitch down and be specific about who you want to be introduced to that are good lead sources for you (CPAs, attorneys, etc.) Be specific about your ideal client, too; if you say “business owners,” they are going to hear Charlie Brown’s parents talking and you’ll go nowhere. Click here to read more!
Filed under: Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Giving Back, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing Yourself, Millennials, Susan L Combs | Tags: Broker Motivation, Combs & Company, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing, Susan L Combs
Dear New Millennial Broker,
So you know I love to give advice by now, right? I recently spoke at Baruch College, a business school in NYC where I serve as a mentor. I didn’t go to school there — I mentor there because the students inspire me.
The theme for the night was: Dream Big, Do More.
How powerful!
I find we so often start thinking about how to improve ourselves or start off the New Year right, but oftentimes we forget to go back to the basics of what got us to where we are today. Dream big, do more. To learn more click here.
Filed under: Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Exciting News, Marketing Yourself, Story Exchange, Susan L Combs | Tags: 1000 Stories, Combs & Company, Story Exchange, Susan L Combs
The Story Exchange is a nonprofit media organization dedicated to telling the personal and professional stories of women business owners. They showcase the often-overlooked entrepreneurial women around the world who are contributing to their communities and collectively making an impact on the global economy. As an independent 501(c)(3) digital initiative, they aim to provide role models to other women who are pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams. To learn more about The Story Exchange click here! If you would like to visit Susan Combs’s Story Exchange page please click here!
Filed under: Branding You, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Marketing, Millennials, Susan L Combs, Uncategorized, WIFS | Tags: Benefit Selling, Broker Motivation, Combs & Company, Get Creative, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing, Susan L Combs
I was supposed to be heading back from Atlanta today, but Snowmageddon had a different idea of me and I was unable to leave NYC after about 30 inches of snow fell in my neighborhood. So I did the next best thing as a Millennial/Gen X-cusper and Skyped in for a two-day board meeting for WIFS, the national organization where I currently serve as the Immediate Past President. My biggest takeaway was the concept of Start Stop Continue, which was introduced to me by leadership coach, Whitney Siavelis.
Such a simple thing really, but I think will be tremendous in both my practice and my board work and I wanted to share it with you! It’s a way to be more intentional with what you are doing and realize what is working and what isn’t. Click here to continue reading.
Filed under: Co-Ops, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Health Insurance, Innovative Broker Lab, Susan L Combs | Tags: Combs & Company, Farewll to the Co-Ops, Innovative Broker Lab, Susan L Combs
Talk about a cluster! If you are in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee or (insert state that has probably been added in the past hour) I am feeling your pain over the co-op shutdown.
In New York, we were under the impression we had until 1/1 to secure coverage for our clients, only to get an email around 4pm on Friday, October 30th that Health Republic of New York was being shut down as of 11/30 by the state of New York. As if it wasn’t busy enough during open enrollment! To add insult to injury, guess who hasn’t been paid by the co-ops since September? How we all love to work for free! Click here to continue reading.
Filed under: Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Motivational, Penn Mutual, Susan L Combs, WIFS | Tags: Broker Motivation, Combs & Company, Susan L Combs, WIFS
No doubt about it, financial services is a great career for women. As the current president of Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS), I ought to know. Founded in 1936, WIFS is the only organization for women, by women, in the insurance and financial services industry. Our core mission is about attracting, developing and advancing women in this career.
My work with WIFS has connected me with women from all across the country. Some of them are veterans who have become extremely successful, while others are just getting started. I often get asked for advice on how women can be successful in this industry. Click here for my top tips to women considering a career in financial services.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Benefit Selling, Broker Motivation, Innovative Broker Lab, Know Your Trigger, Susan L Combs
I just had my third conversation in two months on tone checking, so I figured this was something other people struggle with, too, and should offer up some friendly advice: If you don’t have a “tone checker” in your life, get one, hell, get five.
Last time I checked, you cannot read tone in email. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if when someone sent an email you read it the exact way they intended it to be? One of the things I suggest to many people in communicating is that you get a tone checker. I have many people who do this for me. For more Click Here!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Benefit Selling, Beware of Dabblers, Broker Motivation, Innovative Broker Lab, Insurance Consulting, Susan L Combs
One of the biggest pains of this industry right now is the people who think they know what they’re talking about, but they know enough to be dangerous….very dangerous. These are people I call “dabblers.”
Dabblers can come in many forms: Financial planners who are licensed to do health insurance, CPAs and your in-laws who forward you every BS email chain in the world about Obamacare!
What can you do with all this misinformation surrounding you at every turn? Become their resource and turn them into a referral partner. For More Click Here!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Benefit Selling, Combs & Company, Get Creative, Innovative Broker Lab, Susan L Combs
So when PPACA started coming down the pike and some brokers started jumping ship for fear of falling commissions, I started thinking: How are there ways to make more cash with little cost?
So here are some things I did:
- I expanded my knowledge base. Many financial advisors have a few letters after their names and I decided I wanted some, too! So I got the PPACA designation through the National Association of Health Underwriters. This has opened a lot of doors for me. Which in turn has allowed me to come in as a consultant and do PPACA audits for companies AND for brokers who felt like it was a little above their paygrade (and yes, my E&O carrier covers it). By doing this alone, this is now 11 percent of my revenue, and that’s not splitting anything with anyone, its cash in my pocket! Click Here For More!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Combs & Company, Susan L Combs, WIFS, Women in Insurance & Financial Services
ALBANY, NY (11/06/2014)(readMedia)– At the 2014 Annual Conference held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Women in Insurance & Financial Services elected its 2014-2015 Slate of Officers and Directors.
Named to the board were:
• President – Susan Combs (Combs & Company) of New York, NY
• President-Elect – Susan Glass (New York Life) of Atlanta, GA
• Secretary – Evelyn Gellar (Empire Wealth Strategies, an agency of Penn Mutual) of West Islip, NY
• Treasurer – Lisa Lettenmaier (Health Source NW) of Tigarrd, OR
• Immediate Past President – Angelia Shay (New York Life, Path Strategies) of Ashland, VA
Directors
• Stacia DeWitt (Thrivent Financial) of Little Rock, AR
• Louise Frances (Independent) of Latham, NY
• Monica Jones (AAA Life Insurance) of Chula Vista, CA
• Lisa Pilgrim (Barley, McNamara & Wild, CPA’s) of Jacksonville, FL
• Angie Ribuffo (First Command) of Anchorage, AK
• Tashawana Rodwell (SB Media) of Parker, CO
• Nancy Wolfe-Smith (State Farm) of Plantation, FL
• Julie Yunker (MetLife) of Elba, NY
About WIFS
For over 75 years, Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) has served as the preeminent professional organization for women in the industry. Over 1,000 members and 24 local chapters are active nationally. WIFS is dedicated to attracting accomplished women to the financial services sector, developing their talents and advancing them toward success. Benefits include educational webinars, mentorship programming, coaching services, e-newsletters, peer connection and more.
For more information about WIFS, visit http://www.wifsnational.org or contact Deborah Duffy, Executive Director at 866.264.9437
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