Craig Pretzinger: 0:00

I think anybody saying that it's tough right now is insane. Because you have the technology of the availability of the of the most amazing technology and communication and data and everything like literally, like, anybody that's complaining right now go, just take yourself back to 1985. And do everything via memos and fax. Insurance dudes are on a mission to escape being handcuffed by our agency.

Jason Feltman: 0:28

Now, by uncovering the secrets to creating a predictable, consistent, and profitable agency Sales Machine.

Craig Pretzinger: 0:36

I am Craig Pretzinger.

Jason Feltman: 0:37

I am Jason Feldman. We are agents. We are insurances. How can we ensure like once we hire someone, how can we ensure in a remote work environment to have success? How do you make it a win win for both parties?

Kathleen Quinn: 0:56

Most I see a big area of opportunity here is people have great orientation programs, right? And that looks something like a week, two weeks, maybe a month. You know you're right, get your laptop, do you know how the phone works, you know, know who to call for something. But it's not a true onboarding plan. Six months is the minimum cadence to really assimilate and onboard somebody to your organization who has a client's what to do, where to go how to get certain things, six months, we also we can send you this we also have a kind of do it yourself six month guide to onboarding and it's it's filled with things that would you might think you're silly but like when you make an offer, send in you know offer gift to the person who made an offer to send a note to their house that time before you know the person accepts the offer. And actually starts is a really tricky time. How do you keep them close to you so they don't ghost you? Have you heard of ghosting gentleman?

Craig Pretzinger: 2:04

No, never. What's that? Were the insurance business. Some we've had people go to lunch and then that was it. That's the

Jason Feltman: 2:15

that's the move. Yeah.

Craig Pretzinger: 2:19

It's unreal.

Kathleen Quinn: 2:20

It's crazy that people I mean, I could never imagined doing right. It's it's happening in every industry. You know, so So you make an offer your Sally's gonna start on Monday the 30th. And you know what? There's no Sally, you know. So that's a really critical time. The first 30 days are also a critical time because statistically, most people you bring on board are still interviewing.

Jason Feltman: 2:48

Yes. What Craig and I have talked about that so much.

Kathleen Quinn: 2:51

Yeah, they're still interviewing. They're still interviewing with other firms. So they're not even made, they haven't even made a commitment to you. Yep.

Jason Feltman: 3:00

That's why it's so important. Like, like for our, in our world, it's so important for us to focus on their success. And to be very clear about what does success look like and and show them the path to get there and for them to actually achieve that goal. Because if we can get them to, in their mind, achieve success, then you win, right? You

Kathleen Quinn: 3:24

do win, you win. And if you you said it earlier than if you didn't know you said it, but the number one reason people work is for their families. So if you figure out what's important to the people who work with you like what's going on? Is it the ballet? Is it the hockey rink? Where do they have to be to support their family? What's important in their life? They have people in eldercare do they have little little babies do they have for babies? That's a big, big thing right now. You must pay attention to the fur babies. They're very important. You know what I'm talking about? Pets. Oh, yeah.

Jason Feltman: 4:02

Oh,

Kathleen Quinn: 4:03

I respect their

Craig Pretzinger: 4:04

babies. No, yes. Oh, come on. Yes. Just stopped 2023 Stop. Stop. Oh, there's a whole I thought that was the kids that dress up like animals don't they three curries?

Kathleen Quinn: 4:20

Yes. And God bless you if you're if your furry out? Yes. Proud

Craig Pretzinger: 4:23

of you. Yeah.

Unknown: 4:26

That was

Kathleen Quinn: 4:27

my son's graduation and I thought he was kidding. And you know, but hey, you know, anything goes these days. Right?

Craig Pretzinger: 4:37

I want to be a tree. Well, you are.

Kathleen Quinn: 4:41

You are a tree anything goes but you've got to pay attention to what's important to them. If if you don't, you're gonna lose them and somebody else will. I had a great person on my pet podcast that's called dare to care in the workplace. She was the chief people officer of a Huge, multibillion dollar oil and gas company, she had just left because they were just acquired by another firm. She was She said, You know what cap, what I've learned is if we do not provide what our people need, they'll just go find someone else to provide it for us.

Jason Feltman: 5:20

100%. And

Kathleen Quinn: 5:21

so So isn't it simple to make? It's just like, right? I mean, that's, that's, that's not earth shattering, right. But it's hard. Because we're, what I find element is that we're in this PISSED OFF state, that it used to be easier. Now. There's all these things we have to accommodate. But you know what, in order to win, we have to move a little bit closer to where we're going. We don't have to give it all up. Because we matter to we get to decide because we're the owners, right? We own the company. But you want to have the workforce of the future. Flexibility, trust, remote hybrid. Don't be cheap. Let's not be cheap with people. Gas is not gas is still expensive. And California. Yes, you I was just there. God bless. There's like $7 a gallon. What?

Craig Pretzinger: 6:22

Why it's the same as Hawaii.

Kathleen Quinn: 6:24

It's crazy. And it's, it's not? It's

Craig Pretzinger: 6:27

not the same as Hawaii, right? Like, why is it cost that much?

Kathleen Quinn: 6:30

What is going on in California with the gas, it's crazy. But and but the food prices are insane, too. So when you're making compensation decisions, go to the grocery store. And like, think of making$50,000 a year and feeding a family of three. Right?

Jason Feltman: 6:52

It's, it's just so funny that our brain like when when costs get, you know, when costs go up. We think of cutting back like that's our first instinct instinct instead of, well, if we have a team of let's say, four people, and costs have gone up, we all need to increase the pay. And let's say expenses go up 25% It's like counterintuitive, right? It's like what tools can we give them? So they can do? They can do more in the same amount of time? Right? You know, like, we were talking about Chad GBT, or any of these new tools that are coming out to help them help them. And and then they start to feel more successful, right? Because now they're doing a lot and now you can increase the it's a win win for everybody. Yeah,

Craig Pretzinger: 7:39

I think anybody's saying that it's tough right now is insane. Because you have the technology, you have the availability of the of the most amazing technology and communication and data and everything like literally, like anybody that's complaining right now go, just take yourself back to 1985. And do everything via memos and fax. Like, I mean, it's Thank you, I don't know how any like, like, insurance policies were like, handwritten and mailed in. I could mailed it in like I wouldn't, there's no way I would have done that. Like, that's crazy.

Kathleen Quinn: 8:15

Yeah, we have to, it's called, you know, evolution, right, we have to move with the technology move with the times and, and, you know, we can choose some things. But when it comes to your people, you've got to, you got to ask them what they need to do really great point, like, during the pandemic in my company, and I'm not an insurance company, but in my company, what we all did it we got together, we put together a plan, what do we need to do? What what costs might we decrease? What could we what tools do we need? You know, so the answers are within your employee community right now, if you will ask them, because some of them might want more flexibility, more time off, and less cold, hard cash. There was a they mean so so don't assume it's the almighty dollar that everybody wants, right? People also value time, and about what salespeople they value time.

Craig Pretzinger: 9:15

But time is what they need in order to get the results right, they have to put in the time to get the results. So that bid then becomes a tricky situation. How do you walk navigate that?

Kathleen Quinn: 9:27

There's a lot of creativity with salespeople. So when you first bring them on board, you might be base heavy, and commission lighter, and then as they evolve over time you change that equation, but they get more freedom as they earn more freedom and earn more trust with the organization and they can have more flexibility to work from wait for it anywhere. You know, so that, that that flexibility to work from Italy Uh, you know, or wherever, or go, you know, surfing in Hawaii, because you said Hawaii that's on my mind. If I can go there for two weeks, you know, and and do my sales gigs, you know, virtually, and you don't care, but I'm still hitting my numbers. You don't care where I do it. You trust me, then it there's going to be a balance. I think the the more emerging salespeople they need more support more cash up front. Yeah, once they realize and understand that their sales dog and they can stay can sell, they're not going to be as heavy on the base. So beware the salesperson who's more mature, I won't use a number who lays heavy on right face? Because the best salespeople will negotiate a bigger commission and a smaller base because they'll bet on themselves. Yep. Yep. So it's kind of reverse engineering it. So if you're going to hire a young girl, less experienced group of people, you're going to have to pay more out of pocket. If you're going to attract the people who really have the book of business, flexibility, trust freedom. We don't know about you, I'm a salesperson at heart. But if you could give me freedom, and don't tell me what to do. Right, right. And then I will love ya. I'll love you forever. But don't get my

Jason Feltman: 11:41

Yep. 100%. I want to dive into the books real quick. I'd love for you to introduce them and kind of Intel us a little bit about? Sure.

Kathleen Quinn: 11:52

So I wrote two books, one in 2016 called solve the people puzzle, which is still very relevant today. I think it is even even more relevant today, what I'm hearing from people who are buying it and reading it, because it read helps you wrote, it gives you like a roadmap of how to build a great recruiting system, what steps to go through how to integrate women into the workforce, you know, there's a whole section on that. So people really enjoy that book in particular, and my newer book, dare to care, the workplace was a result of going through being locked in the house for, you know, months on end. And this on the other side, how are we going to work differently. So the dare to care in the workplace is a little smaller book. But it's about how the employee and the employer have to change in the new way we work. Because if we don't both if we don't, both audiences don't change just a little bit and meet closer in the middle. It's never going to work. I mean, I hear people come back to the office, return to office work policies, just because I'm your leader, and I can tell you what to do. Right. And that's not working like we're seeing in the data. You know, 30 if you do that 30% of your people say sign are the number. If you look at the job numbers, do you ever look at the job numbers? Every

Craig Pretzinger: 13:20

day? He does?

Kathleen Quinn: 13:21

What did you say? I

Craig Pretzinger: 13:23

say he does every day. But now he says no, I guess you're looking at some other numbers.

Kathleen Quinn: 13:28

Numbers are we're creating in this country, we're creating so many jobs. The small and midsize businesses are going to help us get out of this weird cycle of business. And I don't know what, I don't even know what to call it. But it's just strange. Yeah, that's word. And we're creating jobs. It's like, we're not going to take it we're going to still grow. We're going to be entrepreneurs, and we'll figure out a way and screw you government and sorry if you're listening, but I mean, we're gonna do

Craig Pretzinger: 13:59

the government. Sorry, we didn't mean Sorry. Her views don't represent the views of

Kathleen Quinn: 14:07

insurance students.

Jason Feltman: 14:09

Oh, I love the government, especially here in California. They're the best.

Kathleen Quinn: 14:14

They're my favorite. I love them. Knocked on the governor's door when I was there in the wine country where I belong. It was great. So both books are great. I've gotten good feedback. Derek Kerr was an Amazon number one winner, Best Seller. And if you're gonna buy one of them, buy that one because it will give you a roadmap to move forward. Cool. Don't hang on to this to the way we used to be. This isn't a Barbra Streisand movie. Ladies and gentlemen, we're not going back to the Cobra.

Jason Feltman: 14:56

We're not going back. We're not going back. So Awesome. So if anybody wants to reach out, how can they get ahold of you?

Kathleen Quinn: 15:03

So I'm Kathleen Quinn, Botha, and I have a website. That's Kathleen Quinn votaw.com. I also have a company talent Trust, which is spelled talent trust with one T in the middle.com. And you'll if you just put my name and you'll find me and I'd be happy to be helpful.

Craig Pretzinger: 15:20

And in case you don't see her name, it's Kathleen the regular way it would be spelled with a K. And then Quinn qu in last name is vota. W.

Kathleen Quinn: 15:33

You got it?

Jason Feltman: 15:34

Is there anything that we missed before you go?

Kathleen Quinn: 15:37

Oh, there's a lot to you have to have me on again. A perfect, a lot more to talk about

Craig Pretzinger: 15:43

been awesome to continue. Yeah,

Kathleen Quinn: 15:45

I've been in business for a long time. And I've been helping people solve their people puzzles. So I'll join you again.

Craig Pretzinger: 15:52

So with a little peg or hook, you can give them that to get them to come back to the next one that you're beyond.

Kathleen Quinn: 15:59

Don't Don't Don't talk about the employee experience and eight steps you can take to make sure you're irresistible. Oh

Craig Pretzinger: 16:16

that's awesome.

Jason Feltman: 16:18

Dude. Well, you're you're an official do that today.

Kathleen Quinn: 16:23

Yeah. And hey, I work pink for breast cancer awareness month.

Jason Feltman: 16:27

All right. I love it.

Craig Pretzinger: 16:30

There's pink somewhere on my shirt.

Kathleen Quinn: 16:32

It's kind of a It's a pink hue.

Jason Feltman: 16:37

That's true. Awesome. Kathleen, thank you so much for joining us today.

Kathleen Quinn: 16:43

Thank you so much.