MARKET STRATEGY
Note: I wrote this article before the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed itself on the
United States and changed all of our plans for the immediate future. In light of
that timing, my editor and I had to make some decisions on how best to proceed.
We decided that the three pros I interviewed for this article had provided so
much good, practical information that we wanted to proceed with their original
comments on their original plans. But we also wanted to give them the opportunity
to add further remarks in light of the dramatic changes brought by COVID-19,
and you will find their additional thoughts in the sidebar on page 14. − CKH
HOW THE YEAR IS TRACKING:
Two producers and
a wholesaler discuss
2020 expectations
In this business, marketing focus is a key characteristic to ongoing success. Focus may change
from time to time based upon the maturity of a practice or opportunities that arise in the
market, but generally speaking, the successful advisor or brokerage general agency determines
a marketing focus with tangible ways of measuring success, and then focuses efforts on
executing that plan.
We’re now a few months into 2020, which seems like a good time to start evaluating how
results are stacking up to plans. And rather than conducting a survey or looking simply at a
quantitative analysis, I asked for feedback from a couple of top producing advisors — Jennifer
Borislow, CLU, founding principal at Borislow Insurance in Methuen, Massachusetts, and Randy
Scritchfield, CFP, LUTCF, president of Randy Scritchfield and Associates in Damascus, Maryland
— and a prominent insurance wholesaler, Jonathan A. Shaw, CLU, ChFC, president and CEO of
Shaw American Financial Corp. in Louisville, Kentucky.
Charles K. Hirsch, CLU
Chuck Hirsch, CLU, is the former editor and
publisher of Life Insurance Selling magazine.
He continues to contribute to insurance
industry publications, in addition to
providing consulting and marketing services
through his firm, Hirsch Communications
Consulting, LLC. He can be reached
at [email protected].
10
Perspectives
Q2 2020