AgenteNews Insurance Producer's Online Resource
Rob Liano is a Best Selling Author, Certified Life Coach and Sales Strategist. A visionary trailblazer and thought leader, Rob is a greatly respected entrepreneur who’s consistently sought out for his groundbreaking innovation. Rob took center stage as the Rock Star Sales Strategist by changing the face of insurance sales. He transformed traditional sales training, which became the catalyst for agents and agencies to reach top producer status. In 2011, Rob launched Rock Star Success Coaching, a coaching division featuring a motivational blog aimed at those who want to grow in all aspects of their lives. He shares his life experiences as well as his twist on traditional success principles while speaking live. In addition, Rob Liano is a professional drummer who’s been on tour, TV and radio and has shared the stage with world famous rock stars and comedians. His focus on personal development and professional achievement is meant to inspire others to live like a Rock Star!
Q) How did you get your start in the insurance industry?
A) In 2002, after being on tour (I’m a professional drummer), I came back and didn’t have much of a job other than a recording studio I owned. But that took a monetary hit while I was on the road. I struggled financially, nearly went bankrupt, and my car got repossessed. So I decided to go back into sales (I had learned selling vacuums at age 18 with my Dad). I answered an ad seeking telephonic insurance agents, and due to my prior sales experience, I became a top producer within 90 days. Since there was little-to-no-sales training in the insurance field, I wound up writing scripts, creating responses to “objections,” etc. That all led me to become a manager, and then a sales trainer, and eventually a keynote speaker.
Q) What, in your opinion, do agents look for in carriers, IMOs, etc.? Do carriers and IMOs usually deliver? Why or why not?
A) With both carriers and IMOs, I think agents look for guidance, support, integrity, and honesty. Any agent or employee at any level wants to be able to do their job to the best of their ability. So do brokerages position me to do that? Some do, and I love them for it.
We also desire appreciation, and too often, it seems like agents become secondary when it’s the agents that bring in clients, and the clients pay all the bills! It’s very difficult to consistently deliver when clear objectives are not given, there’s little sales training, human nature kicks in, the landscape changes, or an IMO doesn’t internally grow quickly enough to handle the volume of agents they might have. Still, most IMOs deliver well enough for agents to earn an income in my experience. Like anything else, there are great examples, poor examples, and in between. No one is perfect.
Q) Now that ACA enrollment is over, do you feel that impressions have changed over the legislation? Why or why not?
A) I’m sure some impressions have changed, while some have not. After the smoke cleared, many agents I consulted felt it wasn’t worth the headache. Then, there are others who saw it as a great opportunity.
Q) What do you think is the next big insurance product out there and why?
A)I’m not sure we need the next biggest thing when there are still so many agents only selling one product to a client, meaning they just sell health insurance or a Medicare supplement plan without offering any additional products that might create a better overall benefits package. There are life products, final expense, and other beneficial ancillary products that could be the next big thing for a lot of agents.
Q) What is the best part about your job?
A) Over the last several years, I’ve strictly been a sales trainer. I used to love getting paid to help people with their insurance needs, but for me, being a sales trainer is an even better fit. By changing agents’ culture to where they now have a proven sales process and an understanding of what it takes to succeed in this business is very rewarding in that it can positively affect a multitude of clients more than I ever could on my own.
