The Insurance Buzz

Michael and Courtney Weaver
  • 4.9 (133)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Insurance Buzz shares top tips for Insurance Agents on how to maximize their entrepreneurial journey. Sales training tips, mindset, and motivation and learn from some of the best in the industry and experts in the field as they share what they have done to be successful as an Insurance Agent.

  1. 20h ago ·  Video

    493. Why Insurance Agents Feel "Salesy" (And the Comparison Killing Your Confidence)

    Hate feeling salesy? Good. That means you actually care about your clients. Now let's give you the skills to match. Weaver Sales Academy built a training platform for insurance agents and teams who want to ask for the business with confidence, handle objections without pressure, and close more deals by leading with service instead of a pitch. No cheesy scripts. No used car salesman energy. Just real conversations that protect more families and grow your book. 👉 LEARN MORE https://bit.ly/weaversalescall Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What's in this episode: Why do so many insurance agents feel salesy the moment it's time to ask for the business? In this episode of The Insurance Buzz, Michael and Courtney Weaver sit down with 22-year agency owner and coach Matt Dietz to break down why that fear is actually a good sign, and how insurance agents can ask for business, request referrals, and position themselves as the expert without ever sounding pushy. Matt shares the simple networking question he uses to open a sales conversation and the one referral ask that opened the door to an owner of 55 NAPA stores. The conversation then turns to comparison, one of the biggest confidence killers for newer insurance agents. Matt explains why the top 1% playbooks flooding social media rarely fit a mainstream insurance agency, how one agent earned $65,000 more in a single year by cutting lead and payroll spend, and why building your insurance agency around your dream life beats chasing someone else's numbers. [00:00] Why not wanting to sound salesy is actually a good thing [00:45] Matt Dietz returns to The Insurance Buzz [02:00] The struggle holding new and tenured producers back [03:00] Why agents who ask for business write more business [05:00] A simple way to ask for business that never sounds salesy [06:45] How to ask your commercial clients for referrals [08:00] One question, one mechanic, and 55 NAPA stores [09:30] How Michael closed Courtney at the gym at 5 AM [11:00] Why every close is really just an invitation [12:30] The real reason you are afraid to ask [14:15] Sales is service: why asking is your obligation [15:45] Position yourself as the expert and never discount [17:30] Train your brain to spot opportunities everywhere [21:00] Comparing yourself to mega agents on social media [22:30] Reverse engineer your agency from your dream life [24:30] Why a top 1% playbook will not fit your agency [26:15] The agent who made $65K more by cutting expenses [27:30] The dream life exercise and what it really costs [31:00] Social media only shows a sliver of the story [33:15] Be patient: this is a get rich for sure business [35:00] The night Matt questioned his own success [37:30] Comparison steals joy: why you need a brag list [39:30] Study them, don't compare yourself to them [41:15] Laughing in your Toyota or crying in your Ferrari [43:15] How to connect with Matt Dietz CONNECT WITH MATT: Free Resource Library (text FREE) 208-213-8809 Website: https://agencylaunch.net LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dietzagency Agency Launch Podcast https://www.agencylaunch.net/podcasts/ Simply Explaining Insurance Podcast https://dietzagency.com/category/podcasts/ Agency Coach AI - BOOK A DEMO Stop guessing. Start closing. 24/7 AI coaching with real-time grading, role-plays, and feedback your producers actually use. TEXT MICHAEL DIRECTLY Have a question or want to talk to Michael directly? It’s really him, not a robot.  Text “BUZZ” to (816) 727-7610 FREE 7-Day Demo – Weaver Sales Academy Try it: CLICK HERE Tools + Free Resources  https://www.weaversa.com Connect with Michael Online LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelweaverwsa YouTube: @michaelweavertraining Facebook: facebook.com/themichaelweaver Instagram: @michaelweaver

  2. 3d ago ·  Video

    492. How to Structure Staffing, Revenue, and Marketing for a New Insurance Agency (Part 2)

    Over 3,000 agents showed up to our free live trainings in September for Life Insurance Awareness Month. October's trainings are already on the calendar, and the invites go to our email list first. No list, no invite. Get on it now so you're not the agent finding out after it's over.👉 GET ON THE LIST: https://bit.ly/jointhe_fam Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What's in this episode: Most insurance producers dream about opening an agency. Very few know how much money they actually need, who to hire first, or what to spend on marketing. In part two of this two part episode of The Insurance Buzz, Ray Sivley, a producer getting ready to open his own insurance agency, puts those exact questions to Michael and Courtney Weaver. Michael and Courtney show why future insurance agency owners should start at the end to figure out their capital needs, fix their credit score first, forecast revenue from average premiums and producer expectations, and hire salespeople before service staff. Courtney pushes back on the idea that owners care more than their team, and both break down the organic marketing plan they would run before putting serious money into internet leads. [00:00] Part two: Ray asks the questions [01:00] The fear every new agency owner has: access to capital [02:30] Fast forward to 2046: define the end goal first [04:30] Your retirement plan can't depend on the agency [06:30] Why some agency opportunities need far less capital [09:00] How much cash to keep in reserve [10:30] Your spouse needs a safe number too [12:00] Fix your credit score before anything else [13:30] High 600s to over 800 in months [15:00] Read the comp plan before you hire anyone [17:30] How to forecast revenue per producer [19:00] Hire sales first, not service [20:30] The most expensive mistake an agency owner makes [21:30] Why $40K a month is too low a producer target [23:00] Do owners really care more than their team? [25:30] Energy is a leader's biggest currency [28:00] How much should a new agency spend on marketing? [29:00] Why Courtney started every business organically [32:00] Cheap marketing that works vs. internet leads [33:00] Pick the hill you'll die on, then prove it with reviews [34:00] Run five lead sources at all times [35:00] On Wednesdays we wear pink: be the insurance bestie [37:30] When will Ray know it's time? [39:00] Ray's commitment for 2027 [41:00] How to follow Ray's journey Connect with Ray Sivley: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/raysivley LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-sivley-15297b48/ Agency Coach AI - BOOK A DEMO Stop guessing. Start closing. 24/7 AI coaching with real-time grading, role-plays, and feedback your producers actually use. TEXT MICHAEL DIRECTLY Have a question or want to talk to Michael directly? It’s really him, not a robot.  Text “BUZZ” to (816) 727-7610 FREE 7-Day Demo – Weaver Sales Academy Try it: CLICK HERE Tools + Free Resources  https://www.weaversa.com Connect with Michael Online LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelweaverwsa YouTube: @michaelweavertraining Facebook: facebook.com/themichaelweaver Instagram: @michaelweaver

  3. Sep 24 ·  Video

    491. How to Financially Prepare for Insurance Agency Ownership (Part 1)

    Michael Weaver is hosting a free live training this Thursday, September 24th at noon CST, revealing the exact talk track and questions to use for bringing up life insurance with any homeowner, whether they're a new prospect or a current customer, so you can protect their biggest asset without sounding salesy or risking the sale. 👉 SAVE YOUR SEAT: https://bit.ly/homeowners-to-life Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What's in this episode: In part one of this two part episode of The Insurance Buzz, Michael and Courtney sit down with Ray Sivley, an insurance producer who spent 30 years in big box retail before getting licensed and is now preparing for insurance agency ownership. Ray shares why he finally made the leap into the insurance profession, how he learned to turn complex coverage language into simple, educational conversations, and the daily activity standards he believes every insurance producer should treat as non negotiable. [00:00] Why value is what sets your insurance agency apart [00:30] A two part episode on the path to agency ownership [01:00] From 30 years in big box retail to insurance [02:00] The conversation at home that forced a decision [03:00] Ten years of hesitation and 18 agencies in six miles [04:00] Controlling your destiny and giving more value than you take [05:00] Turning complex insurance language into simple conversations [06:00] Educational conversations that customers actually understand [07:00] Why nobody wakes up wanting to call their insurance agent [08:30] Starting as a producer before thinking about ownership [09:30] Splitting time between the producer seat and agency prep [10:00] The daily non negotiables every producer must hit [11:00] Making life and home pivots feel natural [11:30] Transactional vs. transformational selling [12:30] Price gets you in the door, value keeps you there [13:30] Culture is the standard you are willing to accept [14:00] Leading people who are not wired like you [15:00] Why everyone wants to be valued, heard, and seen Connect with Ray Sivley: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/raysivley LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-sivley-15297b48/ Agency Coach AI - BOOK A DEMO Stop guessing. Start closing. 24/7 AI coaching with real-time grading, role-plays, and feedback your producers actually use. TEXT MICHAEL DIRECTLY Have a question or want to talk to Michael directly? It’s really him, not a robot.  Text “BUZZ” to (816) 727-7610 FREE 7-Day Demo – Weaver Sales Academy Try it: CLICK HERE Tools + Free Resources  https://www.weaversa.com Connect with Michael Online LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelweaverwsa YouTube: @michaelweavertraining Facebook: facebook.com/themichaelweaver Instagram: @michaelweaver

  4. Sep 21 ·  Video

    490. Pep Talk: The First Person You Have to Sell

    Michael Weaver is hosting a FREE LIVE TRAINING this Thursday, September 24th at noon CST, revealing the exact talk track and questions to use for bringing up life insurance with any homeowner, whether they're a new prospect or a current customer, so you can protect their biggest asset without sounding salesy or risking the sale. 👉 SAVE YOUR SEAT:  LET'S GO! Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What's in this episode: In this episode of The Insurance Buzz, host Courtney Weaver steps away from scripts and tactics to deliver a raw, honest pep talk for insurance agents and insurance agency owners who need a mindset reset. Courtney shares a personal story from her childhood in rural Missouri, tracing back to a lesson from her mother that reshaped the way she thinks about self-belief, and applies it directly to the confidence every insurance agent needs to sell, grow their agency, and show up for their team. Courtney breaks down why so many insurance agents look outside themselves, to their leader, their support system, their spouse, for the belief they need to succeed, and explains why that belief has to start internally first. She challenges insurance agency owners to stop waiting for permission and start taking the actions, big and small, that build unshakeable confidence, reminding listeners that in this business, confidence is built through consistent action, not just positive thinking. [00:00] Why the first person you have to sell isn't who you think [01:00] A small-town Missouri story: running for student council [02:00] The ballot, the doubt, and the conversation with Mom [03:00] "If you don't toot your own horn, no one else will" [04:00] You're outsourcing your self-belief, here's how to call it back [05:00] Voting for yourself every day through the actions you take [06:00] Confidence is built by doing, not thinking [07:00] Taking ownership instead of blaming your circumstances [08:00] Fortune favors the brave: the decisions that change everything [09:00] The one action to take today, starting right now Agency Coach AI - BOOK A DEMO Stop guessing. Start closing. 24/7 AI coaching with real-time grading, role-plays, and feedback your producers actually use. TEXT MICHAEL DIRECTLY Have a question or want to talk to Michael directly? It’s really him, not a robot.  Text “BUZZ” to (816) 727-7610 FREE 7-Day Demo – Weaver Sales Academy Try it: CLICK HERE Tools + Free Resources  https://www.weaversa.com Connect with Michael Online LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelweaverwsa YouTube: @michaelweavertraining Facebook: facebook.com/themichaelweaver Instagram: @michaelweaver

  5. Sep 17 ·  Video

    489. What it's really like to go from Captive Producer to Independent Agency Owner

    Michael Weaver is hosting a free live training today at noon CST, showing you exactly how to pivot into a life insurance conversation during any auto, home, or renters quote, without sounding pushy and without risking the P&C deal you're already closing.👉 SAVE YOUR SEAT: https://bit.ly/life-pivot-webinar Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What's in this episode: Twelve years ago, Gerson Reyes started in the insurance industry with no training, no coaching, and no idea what he was doing. In this episode, Gerson walks through his journey from a struggling captive producer at State Farm to becoming an elite performer who consistently produced $50,000-plus months in P&C premium and wrote over 100 life applications a year, before making the leap to opening his own independent insurance agency. Gerson breaks down exactly what changed his results as a producer: asking deeper questions, building real relationships instead of chasing leads, and becoming referable instead of constantly asking for referrals. He also gets honest about the biggest wake-up call he faced moving from a captive insurance agent to an independent insurance agency owner, and the piece of advice he'd give any producer preparing to make that same jump. [00:00] The mindset shift behind every successful referral [01:00] Meet Gerson Reyes: from struggling producer to agency owner [03:00] The sales culture that set him up to fail [05:00] What actually clicked: relationships over pressure [07:00] The lead-buying mistake most new producers make [09:00] Two agents, two very different lessons in leadership [12:00] Learning to sell instead of just gathering business [14:00] What he'd do differently with follow-up today [16:00] The moment he unlocked the next level [19:00] Four years to consistent $50K P&C months [20:00] How his sales conversations changed for good [22:00] Building a referral system on service, not asking [24:00] Why being referable beats chasing referrals [25:00] The retention play hiding in his current book [27:00] The real wake-up call going independent [30:00] Two months in: what's already working [31:00] His best advice for producers becoming agency owners [33:00] Closing thoughts and a one-year check-in promise Connect with Gerson: Instagram: instagram.com/gerson12 Website: miconinsuranceagency.com Email: gerson@miconsuranceagency.com Agency Coach AI - BOOK A DEMO Stop guessing. Start closing. 24/7 AI coaching with real-time grading, role-plays, and feedback your producers actually use. TEXT MICHAEL DIRECTLY Have a question or want to talk to Michael directly? It’s really him, not a robot.  Text “BUZZ” to (816) 727-7610 FREE 7-Day Demo – Weaver Sales Academy Try it: CLICK HERE Tools + Free Resources  https://www.weaversa.com Connect with Michael Online LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelweaverwsa YouTube: @michaelweavertraining Facebook: facebook.com/themichaelweaver Instagram: @michaelweaver

  6. Sep 14 ·  Video

    488. Write More Life Insurance Policies and Premium by Asking These 3 Simple Questions

    Michael Weaver is hosting a FREE live training this Thursday, September 17th at noon CST, showing you exactly how to pivot into a life insurance conversation during any auto, home, or renters quote, without sounding pushy and without risking the P&C deal you’re already closing. 👉 SAVE YOUR SEAT: https://bit.ly/life-pivot-webinar Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What’s in this episode: Most agents make life insurance conversations harder than they need to be. In this episode, Michael flies solo to break down a simple three-question framework, what he calls his three W approach, that helps agents write more life insurance policies and more premium without feeling like a pushy salesperson. After coaching over 18,000 insurance professionals since 2018, Michael has found these three questions work across every carrier and every type of sales conversation, whether it’s a new business call or a pivot off a service opportunity. Michael walks through exactly what to ask and demonstrates it live: what is the plan, would it be important, and why would it be important. Instead of convincing a customer they need coverage, these questions let the customer qualify themselves and explain in their own words why a plan matters, making the conversation easier and the premium higher. [00:00] Why you’ll never struggle with life insurance again [01:00] You learn by doing, not by listening [02:00] Free life insurance training every Thursday in September [04:00] Introducing the three W approach [05:00] The three questions: what, would, and why [06:00] Live demo: turning a service call into a life insurance sale [08:00] What to do when a prospect says no [10:00] Why this makes you a professional, not a policy slinger [12:00] Take action today and join the Thursday trainings Agency Coach AI - BOOK A DEMO Stop guessing. Start closing. 24/7 AI coaching with real-time grading, role-plays, and feedback your producers actually use. TEXT MICHAEL DIRECTLY Have a question or want to talk to Michael directly? It’s really him, not a robot.  Text “BUZZ” to (816) 727-7610 FREE 7-Day Demo – Weaver Sales Academy Try it: CLICK HERE Tools + Free Resources  https://www.weaversa.com Connect with Michael Online LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelweaverwsa YouTube: @michaelweavertraining Facebook: facebook.com/themichaelweaver Instagram: @michaelweaver

  7. Sep 10 ·  Video

    487. How to Build a Referral System That Generates 6,000+ Insurance Leads a Year with Billy Wagner

    Michael Weaver is hosting a FREE live training Thursday, September 10th at noon Central, showing you exactly how to write 30 life policies in 30 days without buying a single lead. Save your seat and start turning today's conversations into tomorrow's premium. 👉 SAVE YOUR SEAT: https://bit.ly/sept10webinar Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What's in this episode: In this episode, Michael and Courtney Weaver sit down with insurance agency owner Billy Wagner, who has spent the last 20 years building a referral-based agency that now serves 25,000 clients and closes over $1 million in new business every single month. Billy breaks down the system behind his 700 dedicated referral partners, why that network generates more than 6,000 referrals a year without relying on internet leads, and the specific habits, like a weekly cup of coffee with a center of influence, that keep those relationships growing. Billy also unpacks the training and career development system that has helped him build million-dollar producers from scratch in 18 to 24 months, including a 12-week onboarding program timed to the minute, an eight-level career path with compensation tied to validation instead of tenure, and a personal life plan he still builds with every new hire himself. Agency owners will hear how Billy attracts 300 applicants for a single entry-level opening, why he believes there is no shortage of talent, and how building these systems let him fully step out of the day-to-day of his own agency. [00:00] The numbers that stop every agent in their tracks: meet Billy Wagner [00:03] From a scratch agency in 2006 to 25,000 clients [00:05] Why referrals beat internet leads in today's market [00:06] The experience obsession behind every referral relationship [00:07] Twenty ways to add value that have nothing to do with insurance [00:09] The weekly cup of coffee habit that built 700 partnerships [00:10] Why training and development is the industry's biggest blind spot [00:11] Inside the 12-week training program timed to the minute [00:12] 26 hours of prep for a single 10-minute phone call [00:13] Turning new hires into million-dollar producers in 18 to 24 months [00:16] The career path from client concierge to agent [00:17] The life plan Billy still builds with every team member [00:18] Why compensation should be tied to validation, not tenure [00:22] How Billy worked himself out of his own agency's day-to-day [00:24] The talent myth agents keep telling themselves [00:25] Getting 300 applicants for a single entry-level position [00:28] Creating an artificial line out the door to get hired [00:30] Building culture and connection with a remote team [00:33] Meet the "Executive of Belonging" [00:34] The books and mentors that shaped Billy's mindset [00:36] Why health is Billy's toughest area of the wheel of life [00:38] Building systems so fear never runs the business Connect with Billy Wagner 📘 Business Masterclass: https://a.co/d/00WYd5sO 🌐 Website: https://www.billy-wagner.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billywagner5576/ 🔵 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billy.wagner.3939503/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-wagner-3654435/ Agency Coach AI - BOOK A DEMO Stop guessing. Start closing. 24/7 AI coaching with real-time grading, role-plays, and feedback your producers actually use. TEXT MICHAEL DIRECTLY Have a question or want to talk to Michael directly? It’s really him, not a robot.  Text “BUZZ” to (816) 727-7610 FREE 7-Day Demo – Weaver Sales Academy Try it: CLICK HERE Tools + Free Resources  https://www.weaversa.com Connect with Michael Online LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelweaverwsa YouTube: @michaelweavertraining Facebook: facebook.com/themichaelweaver Instagram: @michaelweaver

  8. Sep 7 ·  Video

    486. Sell More Life Insurance with a Bigger Death Benefit with These 2 Questions

    Michael Weaver is hosting a free live training this Thursday, September 10th at Noon Central, showing you exactly how to write 30 life policies in 30 days without buying a single lead. Save your seat and start turning today's conversations into tomorrow's premium. 👉 SAVE YOUR SEAT:  https://bit.ly/sept10webinar Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What's in this episode: Michael breaks down the hero's journey, the oldest storytelling framework there is, and shows insurance agents how to use it to sell more life insurance without ever sounding sleazy or transactional. He explains why the customer, not the agent, has to be the hero of their own story, and shares the exact language that gets a customer to start picturing what would happen to their family without their income. Insurance agents will learn the two questions that turn a normal conversation into a hero's journey, why customers have to verbalize the financial gap before they will act on it, and how this approach leads to bigger death benefits, higher premium, and clients who never cancel their policy.  [00:00] The hero's journey hook: you are not the hero [01:00] The text that inspired this hero's journey episode [02:00] Why this approach is never sleazy or transactional [03:00] Choosing transformational selling over transactional [04:00] The oldest storytelling technique in every great story [05:00] The first question that starts the hero's journey [06:00] Why the customer has to say it out loud [07:00] Free training: write 30 life policies in 30 days [08:00] Where the conversation gets uncomfortable [09:00] Anchoring into the pain for years two through five [10:00] The question that flips the entire conversation [11:00] Letting the customer describe their ideal outcome [12:00] Presenting the solution and making them the hero [13:00] Why this leads to bigger death benefits [14:00] Wrap-up and how to join the live training Agency Coach AI - BOOK A DEMO Stop guessing. Start closing. 24/7 AI coaching with real-time grading, role-plays, and feedback your producers actually use. TEXT MICHAEL DIRECTLY Have a question or want to talk to Michael directly? It’s really him, not a robot.  Text “BUZZ” to (816) 727-7610 FREE 7-Day Demo – Weaver Sales Academy Try it: CLICK HERE Tools + Free Resources  https://www.weaversa.com Connect with Michael Online LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelweaverwsa YouTube: @michaelweavertraining Facebook: facebook.com/themichaelweaver Instagram: @michaelweaver

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4.9
out of 5
133 Ratings

About

The Insurance Buzz shares top tips for Insurance Agents on how to maximize their entrepreneurial journey. Sales training tips, mindset, and motivation and learn from some of the best in the industry and experts in the field as they share what they have done to be successful as an Insurance Agent.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael and Courtney Weaver
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    488
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Insurance Buzz
  • Show Website
    The Insurance Buzz

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