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Steven Lynch

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Steven Lynch is vice president of Employee Benefits, National Sales and Service, OneAmerica. Under his leadership the division continues to experience record-breaking sales and book of business growth. Lynch is responsible for strategic hiring and building the talent pipeline as OneAmerica has accelerated its distribution footprint nationally. Driven by a passion to connect people with insurance products to help take care of themselves and their families in the event of a crisis, the 30-year industry veteran joined OneAmerica in 2015. His previous experience includes successful leadership and sales experience with Mutual of Omaha, Reliance Standard, Prudential and Unum. In addition to his professional credentials, Lynch is a graduate of Susquehanna University.

Professional Development As A Tool To Stay Connected

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The marketplace is not the only thing in constant movement: Current events evolve, laws change and technology advances. A good financial professional is both a steady and trusted resource for clients, and one who keeps developing and honing their skills and market know-how along with the times.

The social distancing guidelines designed to keep us safe are also affecting how we conduct business. While they have challenged how we build a personal feel into our business relationships, the guidelines have also gifted us with a valuable resource: Time. Conducting business from home offers us a chance to restructure and rethink our work schedules. It makes allowances for the educational investment that can prove profitable in the short and long term, enriching our industry knowledge.

No matter where your business is located, if you are a licensed financial professional, you are likely expected to fulfill a continuing education (CE) requirement to maintain licensures in the states in which you sell. But it is more than just a requirement. For those of us learning to navigate a global pandemic, it presents an opportunity to stay connected.

Rather than shying away from the challenges that the virtual world poses in 2020, OneAmerica is doubling down on its commitment to provide industry-leading external and internal training during this time. We are doing this by redirecting our attention to three key goals: Increasing the amount of CE opportunities we offer, upping the number of sales representatives who can facilitate such courses and maximizing opportunities for professionals to connect with one another through other professional development events and resources.

Turning Requirements into Opportunities
In response to the pandemic, we conducted a broker survey earlier this year. About one-third of surveyed brokers identified regular check-ins with sales representatives as the most helpful support during this time. Providing virtual training and learning opportunities about industry topics was also suggested by brokers as one of the most effective ways we could support them to attract new business.

As a result of that survey, we significantly—and intentionally—increased the number of CE courses held by 88 percent this year. We also ensured that all our sales representatives became approved CE facilitators in 2020, which allowed us to host CE sessions in the third quarter with 100 percent of the facilitators being internally sourced. The big victory here is that we are now able to host virtual CE options for brokers in every area of the country in which we sell. This is huge.

Expanded virtual offerings now replace typical in-person education that was made difficult to conduct due to the pandemic and the resulting social-distancing mandates in many cities. Our focus on staying connected has turned out to be key for our business during this time.

Expanding our CE offerings encourages agencies to make time to reach out to their brokers and be intentional about their growth together. Professionals who have not sold our brand before are now benefiting from our virtual classes and building relationships with our sales representatives. At a time when there are plenty of things out of our control, enabling you to hone your skills from the comfort of your couch or kitchen table gives us something we can control, while we empower you to own your career path and stay sharp in your industry knowledge.

Our new reality may feel daunting; however, those interested can ask their local representative for more available CE courses, to schedule their next instruction session or simply to catch up. We are embracing our ability to meet brokers wherever they are. The feedback has been wonderful so far.

New Resources and Events to Grow and Connect
In addition to the CE courses, OneAmerica also offers training webinars on product and service topics focused on thought leadership, including leaves of absence, auto-enrollment and premium allocation. Whether professionals sell with OneAmerica or not, they can sign up for upcoming webinars or watch recordings of past webinars on-demand and review supporting resources 24/7 at oneamerica.com/BrokerTraining.

We are also in the middle of a new and exclusive speaker series called Leading Tomorrow. It offers financial professionals several opportunities to learn from, be inspired by, and connect with, carefully selected thought leaders such as America’s IRA Expert, Ed Slott, and the president of The American College, George Nichols III. You can also sign up for this series at oneamerica.com/BrokerTraining.

Associates are educated on the most current industry changes so they are equipped to address questions from financial professionals or clients regarding coverage or eligibility during this pandemic. We are also constantly updating our COVID-19 Business Response Page, which includes our position on several pandemic-related topics and short-term disability guidelines.

Helping brokers reach their best potential is one of our goals at the sales level, but also a responsibility as insurers. This new environment is forcing us to stay on our toes as situations out of our hands continue to develop. But it also motivates us to stay on top of the things we can control. We believe focusing on your professional growth and becoming top industry leaders in your area is not only a worthy pursuit, but also a wise investment in this pandemic era. Do not hesitate to reach out via email or LinkedIn to have a conversation on this topic, or simply to connect. Let’s talk.

OneAmerica® is the marketing name for the companies of OneAmerica. Products issued and underwritten by American United Life Insurance Company® (AUL), a OneAmerica company. Not available in all states or may vary by state.

Bringing Value To Your Relationships

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I’ve written in the past about the importance of valuing relationships and being committed to focusing on what is most important to brokers and carriers. I feel that having a responsive, problem solving front line staff is key because a broker’s business is ever-changing and ever-challenging. Mutual trust and guidance are paramount.

I’d suggest that valuing relationships is a goal that goes beyond just the product provider. We think there’s merit for producers to focus on their service ratings, too. That takes vision, integrity, and planning. Your front-line relationships can be informative and inspired, whether your operation is multi-state or is lean and local. Just as we approach our broker relationships, when it comes to the service side, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

A customer service representative I know very well receives rave reviews from brokers and clients alike. This person has been on the job for 35 years, so their passion to help the person at the other end of the phone call is consistent, authentic, and time-tested. Meanwhile, a veteran sales professional—whose customer is often altogether different—employs a similar philosophy and approach.

Here are some considerations to think through.

Put passion first.
Is a day’s work in the contact center a job or a passion? Is each contact a call to greatness, whether it’s a process or a billing question? Does your customer service representative exercise empathy as they assist? After all, people are calling for help, and helping them means stepping up and meeting their needs—putting your heart into it.

Take care of it the first time.
It should be the primary goal to take care of your customers’ needs on the first call. Resolve it. You have to stay with it, own it, and follow through until you finish. Be ready. Have the right resources accessible so you don’t make a short call long, know how to research and check with others on the team and be prompt with your solution-focused responses if a callback is required.

Be prepared and positive.
Negative vibes or attitudes bring negative results. A natural tendency toward optimism goes a long way on customer calls, where small talk can lead to big results. Set a pleasant tone, which can have a surprising impact both in the workplace and on the phone. You’ll likely encounter a lot of easily-answerable questions. What feels mundane to you is expected by the policyholder, so get centered and prepare your mind before each call. Reflect and find focus.

It doesn’t get done alone: Ask for help.
Did you know that the number one way to earn someone’s trust is to ask for help? That’s according to research guru Brené Brown, whose studies reveal that people who are willing to receive help show they’re also willing to give it. Supportive colleagues equate to teamwork, and that’s the root of getting the job done. Anyone can get to a point where you can’t do it all, so have people you can rely on to pitch in. (By the way, your help squad should include your product provider who can coach and develop your staff on life and disability insurance products and related topics in order to better serve the clients’ needs.)

Build a track record from feedback.
Your customer service professionals need to read from the same page to ensure consistency of experience. The best environments are both top down and bottom up in nature. By building a track record of solutions that make it easy for the caller, you can streamline processes which would allow time for more hands-on education and interaction. It makes the job fulfilling and it creates a perception that the call-taker’s input is appreciated.

Measure, measure, measure.
At my company, data is a driver. Seek not just feedback, but feedback that pertains to a particular strength of your company such as new coverage implementation. We send follow-up surveys in four key areas—promptness, attention to detail and thoroughness, product knowledge, and politeness. Why? Well, the onboarding process can be a challenge and cause of frustration for policyholders (and brokers), but if you do it right the first time you don’t have to worry about getting a call of frustration–saving you time for those who truly need the assistance.

Does service pay off in the end?
Clients should be satisfied with your value, your products and your service. A consistent front-line experience can mean a happy client, and that happy client is more likely to stay put year after year. Keeping existing customers allows you to focus on earning new business, growing revenue and spending less time on requests for proposals.

A positive experience in just one interaction—that is replicated over and over again on a consistent basis—can enhance your relationships with your clients and increase the perceived value of their relationship with you.

Remember what this is all about.
Our goal is to provide industry knowledge and education to help producers develop, allowing them to better serve their clients, grow their business and ultimately increase broker revenues. The ideal outcome for both service and the business bottom line is a more educated policyholder who can focus on their job, knowing that during life’s most difficult times their paycheck will be protected and their family can be financially secure. 

OneAmerica® is the marketing name for the companies of OneAmerica.