Page 64 - The UnCaptive Agent

WHAT KIND OF AGENCY DO YOU WANT TO START? 37

of Kiwi Airline. This included over three hundred dis-
crete tasks. They have demonstrated the capability for
similar avatars to interact in real time with human
beings in the selection of a credit vendor requiring
hundreds of variations. How many different tasks does
the typical human insurance CSR/CSA perform? When
I interviewed the Chief Technology Officer of Soul
Machines at a conference and described that insurance
office role, I asked what he thought it would cost to
develop. His answer was under seven figures. How
long will it be before that becomes a reality? Not very
long. So, as you develop your new business, stay tuned
to these technologies and consider how they can help
you create uniqueness.

Local, Regional or International?

Will your agency focus strictly on business in your com-
munity, or will you seek to serve homogenous clients
across a larger geographic area? This is an important
and fundamental decision. Most small agents focus on
a smaller geographic area, like the community they live
in. This can be a very effective strategy because you’re
able to get to all your clients very quickly in person as
well as on the phone or through email or texting. It’s
an effective way of developing personal relationships
through proximity. On the other hand, some agents
have found that technology allows them to sell and
service clients effectively across a larger geographical
area by providing self-service tools and by focusing their
marketing on similar types of clients.
Increasingly, data about people is easily available and
easily understood, making the capability of serving cli-
ents across a larger geographic area based on similarities
like interests, income, hobbies, or other commonalities