A Lesson in Pursuit of Vision
We often hear sales is a “numbers game.” But when you’re a faith-based business owner, sales is a spiritual activity. It is a test of character, a trial of patience, and a mirror that reflects who we truly are when the chips are down.
Earlier this week, I sat in my home office for a 90-minute video conference that I thought would take care of my month. I presented a holistic insurance plan to a man who is more than a target prospect. He’s a fellow traveler in the faith, a brother in recovery, and a peer in the world of coaching. I spent two weeks meticulously researching his portfolio, which included multiple homes, cars, and business liability coverages.
My goal was simple: provide him with better protection and save him money.
The $6,000 Surprise and the Fireline Wall
I shared my screen and walked him through the spreadsheets. The data was clear. I had found a way to save him over $6,000 per year across his total insurance bills. In any normal market, that is difficult to refuse.
But we aren’t in a normal market.
One of the properties is located in northern Arizona—a beautiful area that the insurance industry now classifies as a high-risk wildfire zone. Currently, he has a “legacy” policy with a major carrier that he has held for decades. Because he is “grandfathered” in, he pays about $5,000 a year.
Today, preferred insurance companies no longer write new policies in these zones. When I went to the secondary “surplus lines” market to find a replacement, the best quote I could find was $17,000.
He looked at the numbers and made a quick, decisive choice. He could not risk losing the legacy policy, even if it meant staying with an agent who had been negligent and inattentive for years. He rejected the entire proposal.
Meeting Disaster and the “If” Man
In an instant, 95% of my monthly sales goal evaporated. As I closed the Zoom window, a familiar feeling of Sadness washed over me.
It wasn’t just about the commission. It was the stinging realization that I had done everything right—prepared the farm team reps, provided the pro bono research, and acted with affectionate truthfulness—yet I still received the “L.”
This moment was a direct confrontation with a principle I laid out in my agency vision: The Man I Must Become.
I am a student of Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “If.” One of the hardest stanzas to live out is the mandate to “meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those two impostors just the same.” On Monday, Disaster was the impostor at my door.
I had to watch something I gave my time and life to … broken. I had to take a grievous blow from a loving friend.
Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety
After a debrief with my Rabbi and a good night’s sleep, I realized that my discouragement wasn’t actually about my prospect, or the wildfire zone. It was about a spiritual stronghold.
For too long, I have used the fears and anxieties of those I love as a measuring stick for my own value. When the bank account doesn’t reflect my effort, I allow a spirit of false urgency to tell me I am failing as a provider. I must stop seeking approval from the wrong sources.
But a leader leads himself first.
I chose to turn this “failure” into a Story Asset. I document this debacle not to complain, but to train. If I ever scale this agency to include salespeople, they need to know that Affectionate Truthfulness is more important than a bound policy.
Making Financial Sense for Everyone
One of our core values is Financial Sensibility for Everyone. This means I will not rationalize a bad deal just to get a “win.”
If I had pushed my friend to switch, he would have saved $6,000 on his other properties but lost $12,000 in the wildfire zone gap. That is a win-lose tactic. I was truthful about the reality of the market, and dealt with my prospect as a leader deals with a peer.
My fortunes haven’t reversed yet this week. The pipeline is all but empty. But I’m excited about what this could mean for people who might work for me one day. Elsewhere in my vision, I’m determined to be (and become) “a wise and skilled mentor” to others. It had not occurred to me until now that I could do this for insurance salespeople.
I am keeping my head while the “numbers” suggest I should lose it.
If you are a business owner facing a “wildfire zone” in your own industry—a lost client, a botched deal, or a goal that feels out of reach—remember this: The rejections are not the “L.” They are the stepping stones to the man you are meant to become.
Stay the course. Be a magnet, not a pusher. And above all, tell the truth—even when it costs you the deal.
Are you looking for an insurance partner who prioritizes your protection over their own sales goals? Let’s have an honest conversation.