How Much Time Spent on Administrative Vs. Sales

[squeed]

If you are an independent and you are a 1 man/woman shop, how much time should you expect that you will spend on non-sales related activities. Meaning, not trying to talk/meet people ?

When is it the best time to focus on those important but non-sales related activities ?

-S

 

[Full Throttle]

I think the lack of response is because there is no set answer as far as quanity of time and it will vary depending on your market. The simple advice is spend your day talking to people while they are accessible and do your other non-revenue producing work in the early mornings, evenings, or Saturdays as you try to get your business off the ground.

Some of it can't be delayed to non-sales hours, you just to minimize it as much as possible. The Catch 22, the better you do your job during the sales hours, the more work you create for yourself until you can get staffed.

 

[souldeux]

Not to mention that it's always changing. As your book grows, so does your commitment to service work.

 

[mdudayev]

Take my advice try to spend 0 on administrative and all your time on sales it is the only true way to success that is where you actually make you money after all. Well then again being a one man shop maybe you won't get it down to zero but use simplified things.

 

[Frank Stastny]

The amount of time you spend on "administrative" work will be directly proportionate to the number of apps you are writing each week. If you are not writing any business the time spent will not be substantial.

When I first started I would do admin work late evenings or early mornings. I am typically at my computer by 6am and I find that is a good time to do those things.

Now, what I don't get done early in the morning, I complete on Friday mornings. Friday mornings are reserved for wrapping up the week.

I try to get everything completed up by noon so I can go out and "play". Mow the grass, clean out the barn, take care of the critters, you know, all the fun stuff.

 

[rags2riches]

Franks exactly right on the amount of time needed being a reflection of how much business you have. In terms of when to tackle these objectives really depends on how you operate.
For me, I have to have a schedule. I keep it in front of me and try to stick to it as much as possible. I use it to keep myself in check so to speak. So, I schedule my administrative work for Saturday mornings. I do a lil here and there in the evenings to make my Saturday mornings easier, but do most of all of that work on the weekend morning. It's also been a great way to get me up and going during an opportune time to make calls and set appt.'s.
You may be different, but I would suggest that whenever you set your time to do these things, make sure it is not a time that you can spend selling.
I once read on here some great advice and I'll repeat it here: "Between 9am and 7pm, do nothing but see people and fight to see people."

 

[Guest]

Why doesn't your GA/MGA/FMO handle your admin? That will allow you to just sell and not worry about it. That's the best way to go.

 

[Full Throttle]

Why doesn't your GA/MGA/FMO handle your admin? That will allow you to just sell and not worry about it. That's the best way to go.

No GA will allow you to "just sell", at least if you want clients and not one shot buyers. There is no GA in the world I'm familiar with that will return the voicemails my clients leave (nor would I want them to), send out my client review letters, change my clients billing frequency, build my calling list for the next day, write out my "to-do" list each day, call my clients on their B-days, ect. There will always be service work, eventually you find a way to deal with it or get support staff (I'm not quite their yet, but look forward to that day!). This business in unnatural in that the more you produce, the more work you create for yourself.

 

[Frank Stastny]

No GA will allow you to "just sell", at least if you want clients and not one shot buyers. There is no GA in the world I'm familiar with that will return the voicemails my clients leave (nor would I want them to), send out my client review letters, change my clients billing frequency, build my calling list for the next day, write out my "to-do" list each day, call my clients on their B-days, ect. There will always be service work, eventually you find a way to deal with it or get support staff (I'm not quite their yet, but look forward to that day!). This business in unnatural in that the more you produce, the more work you create for yourself.

Spot on!

There is no way I want someone else providing help, service or answers to questions. There is a whole lot more to the entire process than just making sales. If all the agent thinks is important is making sales then that agent will have to make new sales every year just to maintain the amount of money he/she made last year.

It is so much easier and less time consuming to provide a little service to an existing client than it is to have to go out and find a new one. I still have as clients people who I sold insurance to in 1993, my first year as an agent.

This business is about personal service, relationships and building renewals. Even more so in the senior market. I will go head to head any day with an agent who thinks the only thing that is important is the number of sales made each week, month or year.

Aggressive agents who think the only thing that is important is making sales have contributed greatly to my success.

 

[Amber Scherloz]

I make some schedules on the non-sales activities like a day towards the end of the week. I guess the administrative work is not really as urgent as the sales work. It just needs a day or so to finish it.