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. 1d ago ·  Video

    495. Why Most Insurance Agencies Aren't Ready for AI (And What to Fix First)

    Join a free live training on Thursday, October 8th at noon CST. One solid hour of nothing but closing techniques and overcoming objections in the life insurance conversation, including exactly what to say when you hear the most common objections and how to turn more conversations into submitted applications. No sales pitch. Just 60 minutes of straight fire with a ton of takeaways. 👉 SAVE YOUR SEAT: https://bit.ly/closingtheapp Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What's in this episode: Most insurance agencies want AI before they have the foundation to support it. In this episode of The Insurance Buzz, Michael and Courtney Weaver sit down with Mariah Gates, founder of Accelerated Automation and co-founder of AI Diffusions, to break down why AI cannot fix an insurance agency that has no org chart, no job descriptions, and no clear expectations. Mariah has worked inside the operations of more than a thousand insurance agencies, and she explains why agency owners should stop building their own software, why transactional agents will be replaced by AI, and why the future belongs to agents who act as advisors. Listeners will learn how to use AI and personality assessments to define roles and build an organizational chart, why every growing agency needs a sales leader paired with an operations partner, and how to handle the toxic employee or top producer who refuses to change. Mariah shares why a third-generation agency never cracked $2 million while a five-year agency passed $3 million, why she fired an employee bringing in $100,000 a month in revenue, and how agency owners can use a 90-day plan in Q4 to set a new standard for 2027. [00:00] Why the foundation you build now decides your future [01:00] Mariah Gates returns to The Insurance Buzz [02:00] Stop building your own software as an agency owner [04:00] Security, compliance, and the private data you hold [06:00] You cannot save your way to profitability [08:00] Why even carriers buy their tech instead of building it [10:00] The future insurance agent: advisor, not transactional [14:30] The biggest operations struggles in insurance agencies [15:30] The sales leader plus ops partner recipe for success [16:30] Why AI cannot fix a business with no expectations [18:00] When to hire an ops person for your agency [19:00] Third generation under $2M vs five years over $3M [21:45] People are everything: where to start first [22:45] Why CSSR roles do not work [24:00] Personality assessments and the right seat for everyone [25:00] How to handle the cancer in your office [27:15] Staff pushback and the crew rowing the wrong way [29:30] Free training: overcoming life insurance objections [30:15] Everyone gets in the boat and grabs an oar [31:30] When your top producer refuses to practice [33:15] Why Mariah fired a $100K a month employee [36:15] The gift of leadership [38:45] How to simplify your next steps with AI [40:45] Make a 90 day plan for change [42:45] Setting a new standard heading into 2027 [44:15] How to connect with Mariah Gates CONNECT WITH MARIAH GATES:  Website https://acceleratedautomation.net Insurance Automation Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/insuranceautomation Instagram https://www.instagram.com/realacceleratedautomation/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/accelerated-automation/ 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. 4d ago ·  Video

    494. How to Get Insurance Customers to Sell Themselves

    Join a free live training on Thursday, October 8th at noon CST. One solid hour of nothing but closing techniques and overcoming objections in the life insurance conversation, including exactly what to say when you hear the most common objections and how to turn more conversations into submitted applications. No sales pitch. Just 60 minutes of straight fire with a ton of takeaways. 👉 SAVE YOUR SEAT: https://bit.ly/closingtheapp Watch the full episode on YouTube: HERE What's in this episode: Sales does not have to be hard. In this solo episode of The Insurance Buzz, Michael Weaver shares one small but critical piece of the insurance sales presentation that gets customers engaged, agreeing, and selling themselves on the coverage you recommend: confirmation questions. Instead of talking at prospects, insurance agents learn how to check for agreement after every coverage point, then ask the follow up question that gets the customer to explain, in their own words, why the coverage is better for them. Michael walks through real examples insurance agents can use today, from higher liability limits and wage garnishment protection to deductibles, rental car, and towing, plus how the same approach applies to renters, homeowners, and life insurance. He also explains why surfacing an objection mid-presentation beats hearing it at the close, and why what he calls the bobblehead close is the first closing technique every insurance agency should be training its producers on. [00:00] Getting customers to sell themselves on your coverage [01:00] Why confirmation questions belong in your presentation [01:30] The liability limits confirmation question to ask [02:45] The follow up that gets customers selling themselves [03:30] Why an early objection beats one at the close [04:15] Confirmation questions for low and high deductibles [05:15] Rental car, tow, home, renters, and life insurance [06:00] Free training: overcoming life insurance objections [06:45] Keeping customers engaged through the presentation [08:00] Stop selling and start solving problems [09:00] The bobblehead close: your first closing technique [09:30] Final takeaway: implement this today 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. Oct 1 ·  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

  4. Sep 28 ·  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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

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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
    490
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Insurance Buzz
  • Show Website
    The Insurance Buzz

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