How I Get Smarter Four Hours Every Week and You Can Too!

The average American spends 50.2 minutes commuting back and forth to work every day. (Source: U.S. Census)

If your commute is typical you’ll waste:

• 4 hours, 11 minutes next week.
• 18 hours, 8 minutes next month. 
• 9 full days, 1 hour, 32 minutes next year!

There’s many things to do while driving (I see them all here in Miami).

​Unfortunately, applying eyeshadow, listening to sports talk and chatting on your cell phone will not help you run a better business, sell more insurance, and build a better life for your family.

​For the past several years, I’ve been maximizing my car time and my life by turning this wasted time into highly productive time…. How?

I listen to Podcasts.

Don’t call me a geek just yet, okay?

Podcasts are free, easy to listen to, helpful, and all the teenage kids are talking about them… Okay, I’m not sure about the last part.

What is a Podcast?
A podcast is basically just a radio show on the internet.

Unlike traditional radio shows, which require massive audiences to bring in big advertisers, podcasts aren’t driven by advertising dollars which means they can focus on specific topics that would otherwise be ignored.

Podcasts are mostly put together by excited people who are knowledgeable about very specific topics and want to help others.

You also don’t need to tune in at a particular time. After subscribing to a podcast, every new episode will automatically sync with your phone or computer and will be ready for you to listen to whenever you have time and click “play”.

Shopping for and subscribing to interesting podcasts is easy with iTunes or a free app on your smartphone.

How Will Podcasts Help Me Sell More Insurance?
There are a number of very high quality and 100% free podcasts with valuable ideas, tips, and strategies about sales, entrepreneurship, leadership, online marketing, offline marketing, social media, personal development, and much more.

I’ve listened to podcasts that completely changed the way I’ve approached my own businesses, my sales strategies, the way I perform SEO, how I write content, how I interact with others  and much more!

And the best part is that I’m getting wiser and stronger at a time when I can’t really be doing anything productive anyway.

What do you do in the car… listen to classic rock? Haven’t you heard Barracuda enough times already?

So How Do I Get Started?
iPhone Users:
Download the Apple Podcasts app through this link or by searching “podcast” in the app store. It’s purple.

iTunes Users:
Just do a search of the Podcasts from right within iTunes.

Android Users:
There is no official Android Podcast app but there are many to choose from. I don’t have any personal experience with any of them so I can’t make a recommendation, but here is a link to a search in the Android store for a free podcast player app. Should get you started.

Blackberry Users:
Download the Blackberry Podcast app here.

What are Some Good Podcasts to Start With?
There’s probably hundreds of awesome podcasts out there that I’ve never even heard of, but here’s a few of my top recommendations for insurance agents:

​Duct Tape Marketing
This has been one of my favorites for years. The guy who runs this podcast, John Jantsch is great at explaining marketing concepts and ideas in a very simple and practical way.

Mr. Jantsch is the author of three best-selling books about small business marketing, Duct Tape Marketing, The Referral Engine, and The Commitment Engine. I’ve read all three, and highly recommend each one.

​He is often joined by authors of business marketing books and the content is oriented toward practical advice that small business owners on a budget can implement.

​Sales Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Getting the Deal Done
This podcast is run by Jeb Blount and it’s one of many within the “Quick and Dirty Tips” lineup of short but helpful tips and ideas.

Use the content he discusses in his weekly podcast to guide your weekly sales meetings. Unless your staff is also listening no one will ever know!

​These episodes are usually between 5-10 minutes so they’re also good for any time you’ve got a few minutes to kill and don’t want to get too deep into anything.

Manager Tools
I’ve long believed that the ability to motivate and encourage his or her producers is one of the most important skills an insurance agent can have.

This is a weekly podcast focused on helping professionals like you be more effective managers and leaders. They often discuss specific actions you can take rather than high-level stuff that doesn’t always get you anywhere.

​I’ve had some bosses in the past that could have really used the kind of advice they talk about on this podcast. I hope your staff doesn’t feel the same way.

This is Your Life
Part motivation, part management, part entertainment, this podcast has been very helpful to me in setting goals, working with greater focus, and living with more passion.

The host, Michael Hyatt, is a very good speaker and also an accomplished blogger. I think the concepts and ideas he promotes can be helpful for anyone in any business but I do think there’s extra benefit his words can provide to insurance agents.

Social Triggers Insider
Maybe this one appeals more to me than it will to you because I was a psychology major in college but I still think you’ll like it.

The stuff this guy talks about is really more what they should have been teaching me in college – real practical knowledge.

​The host, Derek Halpern, speaks with some of the smartest social psychologists in academia and relates their discoveries to sales and marketing. It’s a cool show.

Is there a Podcast Just for Insurance Agents?
Great question… There is now.

​Insurance Marketing with John Carroll
If you’ve read this whole article you’re well aware that I’m a big fan of podcasts.

Knowing how helpful podcasts have been for me and how busy insurance agents like you are, producing a podcast that would help you convert wasted time into productive time seemed like an obvious thing to me to do.

​If you want to hear my plans for the show, check out the first episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll.

Still Not Convinced About Podcasts?
I can honestly say that getting engaged with podcasts was one of the smartest business and personal decisions I ever made. I know it can be for you too.

It’s 100% free and the only thing you have to lose is:

• 4 hours and 11 minutes next week.
  
• 18 hours and 8 minutes next month. 
  
• 9 full days, 1 hour, and 32 minutes next year!
  

If you have any questions about podcasts, please make a comment below!