--- title: Considering a Management Role – Consider Two Key Responsibilities description: To differentiate your group from others, it is important to demonstrate your training program to candidates. LIMRA tells us that today’s candidates, especially millennials and female recruits, are heavily swayed by the ongoing training and educational programs that organizations offer, as well as the technology by which they will deliver it. They see education as the pathway to growth and new opportunities. image: https://info.hoopis.com/hubfs/0%20(3).jpeg --- [![FSEDNet](https://info.hoopis.com/hubfs/FSEDNet_June2018_v2/Images/logo-sized1.png) ](https://hello.fsednet.com) - Who We Are - [![Schedule Demo](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4570472/162dd7e4-98c0-4297-85d6-465bc5e71a26.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4570472/162dd7e4-98c0-4297-85d6-465bc5e71a26) - [Sign Us Up](https://hello.fsednet.com/sign-us-up) CLOSE X # Considering a Management Role – Consider Two Key Responsibilities # Considering a Management Role – Consider Two Key Responsibilities Posted by [Richard "Dick" Cleary](https://info.hoopis.com/blog/author/richard-dick-cleary) on Jan 15, 2020 8:28:28 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![0 (3)](https://info.hoopis.com/hs-fs/hubfs/0%20(3).jpeg?width=990&name=0%20(3).jpeg) Top financial and insurance producers who are considering a move into management often wonder how a leadership role differs from that of sales. Obviously, recruiting is the most important role managers play in a firm or agency. Two other vital functions are facilitating and participating in joint calls with associates and building accountability into producers’ sales efforts. **Going on Joint Calls with Associates** Most managers are expected to go on joint sales calls with their new associates. The most effective approach is to help them understand each part of selling process, first by demonstrating. Then, over time it’s important to let them take the lead in implementing all the steps on actual calls. The key to success in joint calls is to offer guidance and moral support, but the associate needs to *learn by doing*. If your idea of coaching and training is to say, “Just go on this appointment with me, and watch what I do,” you probably will not sustain success as a manager. Sometimes it’s tempting to just take over and make the sale for the new associate. Why? Because it’s easier, it generates some commission revenue quickly and it can help associates complete their pre-contract period and come on board more quickly. However, that is exactly why this can be dangerous. If you do it all for them, it will be difficult to know whether or not they have the potential to become great producers. Let’s face it, you don’t want to fast-track someone into the business whose likelihood of succeeding is low. Teaching new associates how to sell while on joint calls with them requires patience. You will need to help multiple people who need your help and who often ask the same questions repeatedly. ![AdobeStock_163119353](https://hello.fsednet.com/hubfs/AdobeStock_163119353.jpeg) Do you follow a set sales system, or did you develop your own approach to fit your personal style and personality? Having an established sales system not only makes it easier to learn and develop, but the consistency it provides makes it much easier to teach it to others and hold them accountable to it. As a personal producer, to what extent have you enjoyed teaming with other associates or going on joint calls? Does it bother you to split commissions and to turn control of the process over to someone else? If so, you might not be an ideal management candidate. Now, this doesn’t mean you won’t be highly successful in running your practice, but it might indicate that a management role might not be your best path. To be an effective manager, we need to work with new associates directly and/or pair them up with formal mentors who are experienced associates because we believe in the joint-work process. **Holding Associates Accountable for Goals** In either instance, it is important for managers to hold associates accountable for doing pre-sale planning and post-sale debriefing. The purpose of the pre-sale planning meeting is to make sure both parties know their role in the appointment they are about to have with prospective clients. A good manager gets candidates progressively more involved in the selling process as they gain more experience. It is your role to get them ready to go on a simple sale by themselves when they successfully complete their pre-contract period. The idea of the post-sale debrief review is to let associates know what they did well, what they could improve on and what the next step should be. This debrief will help them build confidence while identifying areas that need improvement. Managers need to help new associates build positive habits early in their careers. Many managers enjoy the sales part of the job because they get to lead associates, help them establish and reach goals, show them how to help others and guide them toward making a great living for their families. But keep in mind that you also will need to excel at a more scientific aspect of management that requires good record keeping and attention to detail: monitoring associates’ progress and holding them accountable to hit their weekly, quarterly and annual activity and sales goals. The best managers keep a scorecard to measure each associate’s important metrics such as the number of sales calls made, appointments held, referrals obtained, presentations delivered and sales closed. Unfortunately, many managers know they should be holding their associates accountable, but some admit that they do not like to do it. How willing are you to be consistent and persistent about holding associates accountable so they can reach their goals and objectives? If you are not interested in doing this, you probably should not consider management. Why? Because most goals that are not in writing, shared with someone else and reviewed weekly by an accountability partner are rarely obtained. If you do not monitor your associates’ activity and hold them accountable to their objectives, then it is doubtful that you will enjoy being a manager, and you are likely to experience low production and high turnover among your sales team. ![AdobeStock_239827082](https://hello.fsednet.com/hubfs/AdobeStock_239827082.jpeg) To determine how likely you are to enjoy the transition from sales into management, be honest with yourself about the role you will be playing. The best managers are just as passionate about making their associates successful as they are about their own success. The key to making others successful is ensuring that they diligently follow the systems, without compromise, the firm has in place for its new associates. If you implement and use the systems effectively in your own sales, that is a good sign. Do you think you would enjoy doing joint field work with associates? Would you be willing to help them plan their role in client meetings and debrief them later to make sure they implement what went well? Will you be patient and determined about helping them establish good habits and correct bad habits? Are you willing to endure the frustration associated with putting energy, time and effort into developing a new associate whom you eventually have to let go? Do you think you will enjoy monitoring others’ activity levels and holding them accountable to their key performance indicators that lead to production growth? If these key functions of a manager sound interesting and invigorating, then you might want to try management. But if they sound dreadful, then you will likely be happier where you are currently — in sales. Both roles are important to your firm, your company and the industry. Do not be embarrassed if management doesn’t seem to be a good fit for you. The people who enjoy management the most, and seem to do the best at it, get energized by coaching others to be more successful than they would be without their influence. Ask yourself what your true motive is. If you can answer that question with the idea that you have always wanted to lead and influence others, then management is likely a great fit for you. 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Learn More CLOSE X # What People Are Saying “FSEdNet is a game-changing strategy to help with the education of new advisors in the business.  The key to any training is to focus on being brilliant on the basics.  Dick Cleary and his team have created a turnkey educational program that helps leadership teams implement an easy to deliver training system for the fundamentals of success.”      **J. Christopher Noonan, CLU, ChFC Regional President & Divisional Executive VP, Equitable-Advisors LLC** "FSEdNet's delivery process and information will help your advisors become more confident in front of clients." ###### Garry Kinder, CLU, ChFC, CSA, Kinder Brothers International “NAIFA is excited to partner with FSEdNet to create the NAIFA Learning Center. We value the breadth and depth of educational content relevant for all practice specialties and the ease of access on multiple devices to the online video content. Core to NAIFA’s mission is delivery of critical training and professional support to our members—this program is a key component in meeting that objective.” ###### Kevin M. Mayeux, CAE, CEO, NAIFA "The best I have ever seen. Clear, concise and relevant - a platform that really makes a difference." ###### Paul E. Vignone, JD, LLM, CLU, ChFC, VP of Advanced Markets, Empire Wealth Strategies, Penn Mutual Life "FSEdNet is a comprehensive online resource that is filled with practical and actionable content. It provides its user with the fundamentals, as well as advanced learnings, for a successful financial services career." ###### C. Richard Weylman, CEO & CDO, The Weylman Center for Excellence in Practice Management "FSEdNet will engage your new advisors and staff in a new innovative way. Associates will absorb the basics and master the fundamentals through this connected learning platform." ###### Bonnie L. Godsman - CEO, GAMA International" "LIMRA research has found that young advisors integrate technology into all aspects of their practice. FSEdNet provides basic "blocking and tackle" training in an innovative and contemporary way, which resonates with today's financial professionals. Not just for agents and advisors, it's an invaluable part of my onboarding of new LIMRA research professionals - FSEdNet really delivers." ###### – Patrick Leary, LIMRA Corporate Vice President - Research #### "It's Time To Turn Potential Into Reality" "The Financial Services Educational Network, from the genius of Dick Cleary, is something this industry has needed for a long time. It is for many advisors, the missing piece. FSEdNet provides the educational background needed, in a myriad of topics, to give advisors the confidence to engage in meaningful financial discussions." **Harry P. Hoopis, CEO, Hoopis Performance Network, Hall of Fame** “FSEdNet is a game-changing strategy to help with the education of new advisors in the business.  The key to any training is to focus on being brilliant on the basics.  Dick Cleary and his team have created a turnkey educational program that helps leadership teams implement an easy to deliver training system for the fundamentals of success.”      **Mark Rooney, CFP, ChFC, CLU Equitable-Advisors, LLC, Hall of Fame Recipient** “FSEdNet has allowed us to focus on what we do best: find, recruit, select and train the future of our industry.  It provides excellent education, so our leadership team can do what they do best and that is joint work with our newest advisors.  I would strongly encourage any firm to embrace this as it will impact productivity.” **Ed Deutschlander, CLU, CLF, CEO, North Star Resource Group** "Bring back the basic training our agents need is the passion and commitment that Dick has made to the industry. As a long-standing professional in our business, he is well positioned to deliver the right product at the right time. FSEdNet is a perfect solution to the training needs of today." ###### **– Jim Kerley, Chief Membership Officer, LIMRA and LOMA** "I have been in the industry many years. FSEdNet is one of the most comprehensive educational tools to help new reps get off to a successful start and for developing reps to build and grow their business in years 2, 3, 4 and after. The ability to have this information at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere, on any device, 24/7 is truly a must-have for today's financial professional.” **Fred Walker, VP of Professional Development, Transamerica Agency Network** “At the Great Basin Agency of American National, we use FSEdNet faithfully. We find the product they have, and the support of Dick Cleary and his team is amazing, this is one of the best training tools we have or have ever had. The sales training and education are for agents and staff at all levels of their careers." **Ken Gallacher, CLU, ChFC, FSS, LUTCF, LACP and Thresa (Terry) Cochran, CLU, ChFC, CLF, FSS, LACP - General Agent, American National** "A revolutionary strategy to help train and develop your producers, regardless of experience. To make an impact, it must be simple to understand and use, and that is exactly what FSEdNet does. This turn-key educational platform will add true value to your value proposition, and will separate you from the competition." **Dan LaBert, CEO, NAILBA - National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies.** "Opening Up the library of videos offered on FSEdNet for our agents provides an immediate resource that supports the new agent experience after initial training and adds to that knowledge base in all areas. Not only do the new agents benefit, but veteran agents can add to or be reminded of information that helps them focus on improving results." **Mike Catania, Ph.D., Director of Learning Management Field Development, Bankers Life and Casualty Company** “Having been in the industry over 30 years, I can honestly say that FSEdNet is a game changer for improving retention, growing rep productivity and developing a highly trained sales force.  I was exposed to Dick Cleary and FSEdNet in another life prior to being with AAA Life and I was very pleased to have the opportunity to introduce an entirely new field force to this awesome tool!  We have used it as the foundation to build our training program.  I would highly recommend FSEdNet to anyone!” - **Allen Jackson LUTCF, FSCP, Vice president of Agent Distribution, AAA Life Insurance Company** “FSEdNet has been the game changer we needed for our General Agents. It is the perfect tool they needed to make their training programs A+.” **Todd Scott, Manager Practice Management & Development, AMERITAS** “We needed to completely update our agent and management development and training platforms. FSEdNet was a perfect fit that did not take additional resources to write, develop and implement the changes we needed. We now incorporate the management training program of FSLEdNet into our weekly development calls with all our entire field leadership team and incorporated FSEdNet into our new agent training program” - **Damian Salvi, Senior Vice President ****and Chief Distribution Officer, The Baltimore Life Companies** "Just a quick comment of appreciation for your FSEdNet. We have been so pleased and impressed with your training program. It has helped our advisors at all different levels in many different areas of your curriculum. It is concise, effective, and easy to use. And you and your team have been incredibly responsive whenever we have a question or a thought."  **James Meehan, Managing Partner at 1847Financial, Penn Mutual** "FSEdNet has provided us with the foundation we needed to strengthen our Field Force training programs.  The courses have provided us with the basics that would have taken us a very long time to develop on our own. The structure of the videos and worksheets helps to improve retention and develop a skilled workforce. I would highly recommend FSEdNet!" ***Beth Jones, Director of Field Force Training Development, First Command Financial Services.*** ![FSEdNet](https://info.hoopis.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FSEDNet_June2018_v2/Images/cleary-pic.png?width=500&name=cleary-pic.png "FSEdNet") - Download Our App - [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4570472/1454e9fc-640c-4dd3-9678-a66d16a7b477.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4570472/1454e9fc-640c-4dd3-9678-a66d16a7b477) - [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4570472/3006a79f-73fd-497e-867a-f7e34856bca5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4570472/3006a79f-73fd-497e-867a-f7e34856bca5) Copyright © 2021 All Rights Reserved FINANCIAL SERVICES EDUCATIONAL NETWORK, LLC.