Every other week, Lead. Empower. Grow. features interviews with entrepreneurs who share their strategies for leading productive teams, empowering their communities and growing successful businesses of their own.
Today’s special episode is a first — instead of interviewing an entrepreneur from the field, the hosts of Lead. Empower. Grow. spoke to First Financial Security’s Director of Sales Andy Cowan so he could share his expertise with the field.
Andy has been with the FFS Home Office for six months after formerly being a sales trainer for life insurance carrier Columbus Life. Throughout his career, he has helped many salespeople find success. In this episode, he shares his most essential pieces of advice and gives a glimpse into what’s coming in FFS’s future.
See below for an excerpt of our conversation — you can listen to the full episode here.
In your years of sales experience, has there been a piece of advice you find yourself giving most often?
What’s most important is focusing on what you can control. When it comes to salespeople, that means attitude and activity.
I talked about this yesterday on our Champions Club call: I don’t care how well you know your products, your sales strategies, your carriers, your business process — if you don’t have appointments, none of that matters. You have to get in front of people, and then, you have to keep your attitude positive. And that’s a hard thing to do.
We are bombarded with negativity in general. It’s hard in ways that you really can’t imagine unless you’ve done it. You go out there, you meet with an appointment and you think you’re going to get a sale, but instead you run into all kinds of problems you didn’t expect.
Not letting that bad meeting or that bad appointment affect your next meeting is the most important thing — attitude and activity.
What’s most important is focusing on what you can control. When it comes to salespeople, that means attitude and activity.
A lot of people get into the trap of thinking, “I want to run my commercial. I have my commercial. This is what I want to talk about.” Think about what we, as individuals, will do to avoid commercials. People will do anything to avoid them. So, whatever commercial you have in your head? Drop it.
What you need to do, as a salesperson, is ask insightful questions. Ask questions first. Do not go in there and talk about yourself and your product. Whatever that commercial is, keep that in your head.
The best salespeople don’t think like salespeople. They think like their customers. And that goes back to really caring, right? It goes back to caring about your prospects and caring about your clients. The whole business is about solving problems, but you can’t do that unless you ask great questions — and truly, truly listen.
The best salespeople don’t think like salespeople. They think like their customers.
How was your experience working for life insurance carriers before coming to FFS?
I started at a carrier called Protective Life as an annuity internal wholesaler. I was basically sales support on the phone for a couple years before I was promoted to run our internal sales desk.
That was a great experience. It was the first time I had the opportunity to sit down and help people grow. I was designing training programs for our new hires and getting people who were good performers to be great performers. I absolutely loved watching our team members grow. I realized I loved helping people increase their knowledge and accomplish the goals that they wanted to accomplish.
From there, I knew people from the industry who said there was an opening at Columbus Life, and it just worked out. Columbus Life is a wonderful company. I was an internal wholesaler for a while there, then I moved into the training role.
That’s where I got the moniker “The Voice of Columbus Life.” With COVID, I was doing four or five different webinars a week. For 18 months, all I did was just make PowerPoints. But I did a lot of great things at Columbus Life. Before COVID, I got to go out and do meetings all over the place.
What made you decide to move to FFS?
I came to the Home Office a couple of times and did presentations for various groups. I also went to meetings like JumpStart and Leaders Convention out in Vegas. What really struck me was the way things work here at First Financial Security. The way we do things are the way things should be done. Unfortunately, there are some bad players in our industry. I wish there weren’t.
A big reason I made the move is because of the way FFS operates. Not just our clients — we treat our clients very well — but also the way we treat our agents. We treat our agents very well. I don’t mean with rewards and financial compensation, you will get that anywhere. I mean the way we care for our agents and the way we care for our clients.
I can remember a phone call I had with an FFS agent, maybe three or four years ago now — I don’t remember who it was, I’m sorry — but I remember telling them, “This is what is best for the client, but unfortunately, it’s going to cost you in commission. You’re not going to make nearly as much money, but, based on what you’re sharing with me, this is what you should do for the client. The other way is more commission for you, so if that’s how you want to do it…” and the agent interrupted me. She cut me off. She said, “No, no, no. We’re not doing that. We’re going to do best for my client.”
They just get it. If you take that approach over the long run, all the rewards that you want will come your way. I promise you. It’s not the quick and easy buck that’s promised at some other places, but if you take that approach, you will have a long and rewarding career.
When you see the energy and passion our field force has for helping people? It’s remarkable. You don’t get that a lot of other places.
I want to be very clear: there are a lot of good distributors out there. But a big reason I came to FFS is seeing the excitement this company has for helping people secure their financial futures. When you see the energy and passion our field force has for helping people? It’s remarkable. You don’t get that a lot of other places.
Listen to our full conversation with Andy Cowan for more valuable sales advice and insight into the power of bringing people financial security.
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