Agency Intelligence

Agency intelligence podcast, is your top insurance podcast with two unique series that let you hear from and learn from both agency owners and industry influencers. Agents Influence is your weekly guide to the latest and greatest thought leaders the industry has to offer. Agency Intelligence covers real data from real agents in real agencies.

Jason Cass

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Stephen Harrington-Descoteaux, Performance Coach at Agency Performance Partners.

Episode Highlights:

Stephen shares his background and what led him to the insurance sector. (2:35)
Jason believes that when it comes to branding, the name of the business is very important. (8:12)
Stephen discusses how he met Kelly Donahue-Piro and how they began working together at Agency Performance Partners. (9:18)
Stephen mentions that he is currently working with several clients on compensation and incentive plans. (13:19)
Stephen emphasizes the importance of having replicable processes because having inefficient processes or unclear operations can be stressful to our staff. (19:51)
Stephen explains that during their annual review processes, they have a checklist of 20 discounts to review to determine those the customers currently have and those they may still be able to get. (21:50)
Stephen shares how he ensures that the customers are a good match for their agency culture. (23:57)
Stephen explains that Agency Performance Partners is always expanding and they are now doing final interviews with a few candidates to bring on another coach. (27:03)
Stephen explains that developing a team and culture takes time, but they believe that in the end, it is a wonderful thing to grow and create. (29:28)

Key Quotes:

“With horrible processes or not clear operations, we waste a lot of time and we stress our staff. So, I think we really need to make sure that we’re doing everything in a replicable way where people understand what the process is.” – Stephen Harrington-Descoteaux
“A lot of us are worried about saving an account and we shop out of our own pocket. So, you know, if I’m price sensitive as a CSR or as an Account Manager, I’m assuming the client’s price sensitive.” – Stephen Harrington-Descoteaux
“We’re helping with the operations. We’re getting everything ready. We’re building the team and the culture, and then we’re out, right? I mean, we know what the process is, and it’s a long-term commitment, but we know at the end, it’s going to be a well-oiled machine that is a beautiful thing to grow and create.” – Stephen Harrington-Descoteaux

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