Independent agents will likely have a lot of work. That’s understandable. It doesn’t take much time to learn a new tool. However, it is necessary to dedicate a small amount of weekly time to understanding the intricacies. Ryan Robinson, the Grasshopper, suggests you commit to a learning phase to test a new platform. Instead, get lost in the learning process.
You’ll be working through the basics and getting familiar with the core features during this time. You don’t have to do this in a big way. It is possible to schedule a few small blocks of time each day. Techsperts’ Robert McNicholas states that short 20- or 30-minute sessions during the week can be more productive than a marathon. This is an ideal way to reduce the learning insurance technology curve.
McNicholas clarifies that you should make incremental changes to avoid getting overwhelmed by trying to learn every platform at once. Hacker Noon’s David Clinton says breaking large projects into smaller, more logical pieces is essential. He recommends you go first for the low-hanging, or “the things you understand most or for which there is easy documentation.” A marketing consultant, and strategist, Dorie Clark, says the same at Open Forum. She recommends setting micro goals.
This is a great way to speed up the learning process. It also helps you stay motivated. Smaller goals are more likely to be met than larger ones. It will help you speed up the process by ensuring you have clearly defined goals and specific actions to achieve them. An example would be learning how to enter new customer information into a CRM. Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can move on to the more complex features.
Rob Carey from the National Center for the Middle Market focuses on the video to help business owners and employees learn faster. He discusses how video can provide more effective training and is ideal for sharing knowledge and skills. This is logical because visual learners comprise most of the world’s population. Patricia Vakos at Pearson Prentice Hall writes that 65 percent of people respond better to visuals. Marketwired’s Elizabeth Agatha states that video is far more effective than writing. Forrester’s research has shown that one minute of video equals 1.8 million words.
It’s easier to learn about a new technology tool quickly if you look at relevant videos that simplify abstract terms and make them easy to understand. Many platforms offer a video learning platform that allows you to break down different features in video format. A quick Google search or YouTube search can often provide additional content. Video content can help you get your feet under the water and feel less overwhelmed.
The world of business technology is rapidly changing, and there is no indication that it will slow down anytime soon. You should not only learn a few new tools specific to your business, but staying up-to-date with major tech trends is essential. This helps you see the big picture and will help you understand the context in which the tools you are using. You don’t have to go through every publication or website.