Comment: Be proactive if you plan to make a profit

When delegates at the Advantage conference in Malaga last week were asked to hold up their hands if they had a business plan, I was surprised to see how many members kept their hands firmly in their laps.

Later, a supplier told me how shocked she had been at the differences in mindset of the agents she'd met during the speed-dating session.

“Half of them shuffled up to our desk asking what could we do for them, while others told us what they were doing and asked what we could offer so they would select us to be part of it,” she told me.

It was a no-brainer which members she wanted to work with and she was already coming up with special offers and marketing initiatives to ensure her company was included in those dynamic agents' campaigns.

Fighting hard for every sale is what we all need to do in a tough market. Just as agents are picking their preferred suppliers, suppliers are seeking out and partnering with agents who they feel confident will give them a return.

The difference in proactivity and professionalism – and undoubtedly productivity and profitability – among just one group of agents was vast.

Those who are waiting for business to fall into their laps are heading for disaster.

The agents with their hands in the air have made the first step. You need to be confident that if you were asked the same question, your hand would also be raised, ready to grab every crucial piece of business.