Trustmark Mutual Holding Co.
07/03/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/03/2024 07:51
Tee yourself up for success by Tanner Federico
I've been asked several times, "How much business gets done on the golf course?" While I don't have an exact answer, we all know that getting on the golf course with clients can have a major impact on business. It's not just about the business side of things either, a lot of what golf teaches you and what matters in those interactions with clients is on the personal side.
That personal element matters to me. When I'm not working, I serve on the Advisory Board of First Tee of Tampa Bay; a charitable organization integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum to help kids build strength of character that empowers them through all of life's challenges.
Though First Tee is a children's program, its mission to develop self-confidence, learn accountability, and improve communication skills relates directly to what I believe can help you tee up success in the insurance industry. While I'm not saying you need to go out and start working on your swing to succeed-or to go golfing at all- in my experience, the most successful brokers and carrier reps actively maintain all the qualities we teach the kids at First Tee.
Confidence, decision-making, and accountability
In this industry, golf helps us network and build relationships in a more relaxed and informal setting. But our behavior on the course reveals much more than we realize, like how confident we are in our decision-making and our accountability when something is not working.
At First Tee, we teach the kids that they are the ones responsible for their club selection, swing, and shot execution-not someone else. If they mishit or use the wrong clubs, we teach them to manage the situation and take accountability for their mistakes (like switching up their clubs or switching their swing).
As a broker or a carrier representative, it is no secret that employers expect their partners to be accountable if they make a mistake, learn from it, and make improvements to get better outcomes. When there's a billing issue? You don't point fingers; you roll up your sleeves and fix it. Questions about a claim? Be confident, step up to the plate and own the solution.
Golf is largely a mental game. Confidence is critical on the links and it's the same in the insurance space. Employers also expect their broker and carrier partners to be confident that the solutions they are offering are best-in-class. Confidently presenting solutions to employers gives them confidence that can translate to how benefits are portrayed to the employee population. It's one of the reasons I'm so excited to be here at Trustmark, I know full well that many of the products we offer are second to none.
I've found that if you can apply the same principles learned on the course-confidence and accountability-in your work, your partners take notice, and you find greater success, both on the course and in your career.
Communication
Developing your communications skills is considered non-negotiable in this industry; you simply must do it to succeed. But often, the way you communicate with your partners is deeper than simply presenting information or verbally communicating. To connect with clients, the way you listen, utilize nonverbal cues, and adapt to certain communication styles can be equally, if not more important.
When we are out on the green with the kids, we always educate them on the importance of listening to their caddie's advice and observing their partners' body language. As a broker, listening to the way your employer partners is equally important. And, for carrier reps like me, I use the same approach with my broker partners: I listen. In the same way you can't use your driver for every shot on the course, you can't approach every client the same way.
Read the distance, the wind, assess the hazards, listen to what the course is telling you to find the right shot. Similarly, listen to your clients, their needs, their pain points, their past experiences to find the right benefit solutions.
Bringing energy
I'm a believer that it is always critical to lead with a positive attitude and bring energy into our work. Professional golfer Rory McIlroy has once said, "Don't let your golf influence your attitude, let your attitude influence your golf." The same can be said for insurance professionals. Whether you are out on the green or presenting to an employer partner, your partners are never going to fully remember what you said, or what you pitched, but they are going to remember the way you made them feel. If you're pessimistic or don't bring the energy, it is unlikely they'll do business with you. But if you are presenting yourself in a way that gives off positive energy, they will remember-people want to work with people they like.
Whether you are a child in the First Tee program, an established broker in the industry, or, like me, a carrier rep starting out at an amazing organization, golf can help you develop valuable skills on and off the course. And if you allow it to help you develop self-confidence, learn accountability, and improve your communication skills, you will ultimately tee yourself up for success in this industry.
That personal element matters to me. When I'm not working, I serve on the Advisory Board of First Tee of Tampa Bay; a charitable organization integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum to help kids build strength of character that empowers them through all of life's challenges.
Though First Tee is a children's program, its mission to develop self-confidence, learn accountability, and improve communication skills relates directly to what I believe can help you tee up success in the insurance industry. While I'm not saying you need to go out and start working on your swing to succeed-or to go golfing at all- in my experience, the most successful brokers and carrier reps actively maintain all the qualities we teach the kids at First Tee.
Confidence, decision-making, and accountability
In this industry, golf helps us network and build relationships in a more relaxed and informal setting. But our behavior on the course reveals much more than we realize, like how confident we are in our decision-making and our accountability when something is not working.
At First Tee, we teach the kids that they are the ones responsible for their club selection, swing, and shot execution-not someone else. If they mishit or use the wrong clubs, we teach them to manage the situation and take accountability for their mistakes (like switching up their clubs or switching their swing).
As a broker or a carrier representative, it is no secret that employers expect their partners to be accountable if they make a mistake, learn from it, and make improvements to get better outcomes. When there's a billing issue? You don't point fingers; you roll up your sleeves and fix it. Questions about a claim? Be confident, step up to the plate and own the solution.
Golf is largely a mental game. Confidence is critical on the links and it's the same in the insurance space. Employers also expect their broker and carrier partners to be confident that the solutions they are offering are best-in-class. Confidently presenting solutions to employers gives them confidence that can translate to how benefits are portrayed to the employee population. It's one of the reasons I'm so excited to be here at Trustmark, I know full well that many of the products we offer are second to none.
I've found that if you can apply the same principles learned on the course-confidence and accountability-in your work, your partners take notice, and you find greater success, both on the course and in your career.
Communication
Developing your communications skills is considered non-negotiable in this industry; you simply must do it to succeed. But often, the way you communicate with your partners is deeper than simply presenting information or verbally communicating. To connect with clients, the way you listen, utilize nonverbal cues, and adapt to certain communication styles can be equally, if not more important.
When we are out on the green with the kids, we always educate them on the importance of listening to their caddie's advice and observing their partners' body language. As a broker, listening to the way your employer partners is equally important. And, for carrier reps like me, I use the same approach with my broker partners: I listen. In the same way you can't use your driver for every shot on the course, you can't approach every client the same way.
Read the distance, the wind, assess the hazards, listen to what the course is telling you to find the right shot. Similarly, listen to your clients, their needs, their pain points, their past experiences to find the right benefit solutions.
Bringing energy
I'm a believer that it is always critical to lead with a positive attitude and bring energy into our work. Professional golfer Rory McIlroy has once said, "Don't let your golf influence your attitude, let your attitude influence your golf." The same can be said for insurance professionals. Whether you are out on the green or presenting to an employer partner, your partners are never going to fully remember what you said, or what you pitched, but they are going to remember the way you made them feel. If you're pessimistic or don't bring the energy, it is unlikely they'll do business with you. But if you are presenting yourself in a way that gives off positive energy, they will remember-people want to work with people they like.
Whether you are a child in the First Tee program, an established broker in the industry, or, like me, a carrier rep starting out at an amazing organization, golf can help you develop valuable skills on and off the course. And if you allow it to help you develop self-confidence, learn accountability, and improve your communication skills, you will ultimately tee yourself up for success in this industry.