Randy Schwantz, Author at Randy Schwantz Site

Habit Installation Protocol: The System for Keystone Sales Habits

Randy Schwantz on July 17, 2025

How to Install Keystone Habits That Actually Stick.

Most people never change—not because they can’t, but because they don’t know how.

They try willpower. They start strong. Then they quit.

But high performers don’t count on motivation—they build systems. And one of the most powerful systems is called the Habit Installation Protocol: a 66-day framework for wiring in habits that transform how you sell, prospect, lead, and live.

Whether you’re trying to finally commit to consistent prospecting, master your differentiators, or stop defaulting to busywork, this framework gives you the roadmap.

Why Keystone Habits Matter.

A keystone habit is one that creates a ripple effect. It anchors your day, improves multiple areas, and changes your identity. For producers, that could mean:

Making daily prospecting non-negotiable
Writing and using 12 memorized wedges
Mapping out and owning your top 20 ideal accounts
Or monetizing the value you bring to clients

“If you just got great at five keystone habits a year, you’d be unrecognizable in five years.”

The 66-Day Habit Installation Protocol.

Forget 21 days. Research out of University College London shows it takes 66 days to fully wire a new habit into your brain.

Here’s how it breaks down:

Phase 1: Destruction (Days 1–22)

Break your old habit. Identify the cue that triggers it. Remove or block it.

Examples:

Turn off text notifications before prospecting
Avoid opening Outlook or LinkedIn first thing
Stop taking unqualified referrals just because they came easy

Phase 2: Installation (Days 23–44)

Build a new brain circuit. Keep the cue but change the response.

Examples:

Set a calendar block and follow the same script each day
Replace reactivity with focus mode
Pair your new habit with an existing one (e.g., write a wedge with your morning coffee)

Phase 3: Integration (Days 45–66)

Make it your new normal. Your new behavior happens automatically. You no longer need willpower.

“Everything you now find easy, you once found hard. Everything you find hard now will one day be easy.”

Impulse Control > Willpower.

Self-discipline isn’t about being a robot. It’s about mastering impulse control.

When distractions hit—calls, requests, email dings—you don’t react. You pause. You decide.

That’s how elite athletes and top producers operate. They don’t rely on motivation. They build systems.

How to Choose Your First Keystone Habit.

Ask yourself:

“If I installed just one new habit over the next 66 days, what would change my trajectory the most?”

Common examples:

90 minutes of deep prospecting each day
Saying no to unqualified referrals
Building out and working a list of your top 20 target accounts
Differentiating with world-class wedge mastery
Valuing the services you provide and communicating ROI clearly

Then write it down. Start tomorrow. Block the time. Stick with it.

Bonus Framework: Cue > Craving > Routine > Reward.

Use this flow to diagnose or design any habit:

Cue – What triggers the behavior? (time, place, emotion)
Craving – What are you actually seeking? (relief, success, stimulation)
Routine – What do you do next?
Reward – What do you get out of it?

If your current routine doesn’t serve your purpose, rewire it—consciously.

Your Skillset Has a Shelf Life – Build The Edge They Can’t Steal

Randy Schwantz on July 11, 2025

This isn’t training. It’s survival strategy.

I’ve watched top producers become footnotes.

They owned the room… until they coasted. Got comfortable. Then a younger, hungrier hybrid walked in — half human, half algorithm — and made them irrelevant in 30 days.

That’s the system’s design. Comfort is bait.

I’m Randy Schwantz, and I build insurance agency producers who can’t be copied or outsourced.

If you want to lead a team that never gets caught flat-footed, this continuous improvement strategy is your edge.

Why Coasting Gets You Eaten Alive

The system rewards stagnation — at first. Recycled sales playbooks, copy-paste scripts, feel-good meetings.

It looks safe.

Until your top producer gets passed by someone hungrier — someone who treats growth like a war, not a workshop.

If your team isn’t evolving, they’re eroding.

Ammunition Beats Approval: Training Can’t Be Annual

A yearly webinar doesn’t build dominance — it builds decay.

Real training is ruthless:

- One skill.

- One session.

- No fluff.

If your reps are waiting for the company to train them, they’re already behind. Equip them with a mindset of self-training or die.

Self-Directed Learning Is the Escape Hatch

Your producers can’t wait for the system to hand them skills.

Teach them to:

- Reverse-engineer competitor tactics

- Learn tools before they become mandatory

- Curate their own arsenal of books, podcasts, and mentors

If learning is optional, growth is accidental.

Your Goals Should Sting

Stretch goals are for status meetings.

High-performance sales teams chase goals that bruise:

- Close six-figure accounts without discounting

- Reframe a client’s strategy using competitor pricing

- Get a “yes” in the room, not “we’ll get back to you”

Every miss is data. Use it.

Don’t Defend Resources — Plunder Them

The system denies $300 for training that could earn $30,000.

Answer? Raid.

- Barter knowledge with peers

- Build your own learning stack

- Cut dead weight — tools, habits, people

Stop waiting for permission to grow. Start taking what you need.

Adaptation Is a Weapon, Not a Reaction

By the time most teams react, yours should be closing.

Adaptability isn’t just survival — it’s offense.

Master the CRM before it’s mandatory. Test the new platform before leadership approves it. Control change before it controls you.

Performance Gaps Are the System’s Invoice

Over a quarter, a plateau hides.
Over a year, it limps.
Over five? It’s a canyon.

The reps who improve relentlessly?
They earn leverage, territory, and freedom.

The ones who coast?
They get quietly replaced.

Burn “Optional” From Your Vocabulary

The system wants your producers tame. Safe. Replaceable.

But if you want a team the system fears, teach them this:

- Improvement is not optional.

- Learning is not scheduled.

- Growth is not negotiable.

This is how leaders stay dangerous. And it’s how producers become irreplaceable…with a continuous improvement strategy

Insurance KPIs: The System That Builds Closers, Not Just Activity

Randy Schwantz on July 10, 2025

Busy is easy.

But building a producer who closes?

That takes precision.

Most sales teams confuse motion with progress — grinding through calls with no real clarity on whether they’re winning. The fix? A simple, ruthless system built on insurance sales KPIs that tie 12-month revenue goals to daily action.

This post shows you how to build it — and why it works.

Set a Goal That’s Real — Not a Fantasy

“Grow my book” is a hope. Not a plan.

If you want your team to execute like professionals, start by anchoring everything in a clear annual revenue target. Let’s say that target is $75,000 in net new revenue.

Average account size: $8,000
$75,000 ÷ $8,000 = approximately 10 new accounts

Now you’re no longer working off a vague wish — you’ve got a real, measurable objective.

Reverse Engineer the Activity (With Math, Not Maybes)

Sales isn’t guesswork — it’s math.

If it takes two appointments to close one deal, and your team needs 10 new accounts, that means 20 qualified appointments for the year.

Now add real-world friction:

Some prospects won’t show
Others will ghost
A few won’t qualify

Plan for at least 25 appointments to stay on track.

With a dial-to-appointment ratio of 8:1, that means:

200 dials per month
10 dials per business day

This is the backbone of high-performance insurance sales KPIs — grounded in actual conversion ratios, not hope.

Make Daily Action Non-Negotiable

Most producers fail because they don’t translate the goal into daily execution.

Here’s how to map it out:

Define the revenue target: $75,000
Confirm average account size: $8,000
Calculate needed accounts: 10
Factor in close and qualification rates: 50%
Set appointments needed: 25
Determine your dial-to-appointment ratio
Convert that to daily dials

This isn’t theory. It’s the math behind momentum. If someone’s ratio is worse, they need to dial more. The data tells the story.

Track What Actually Matters

A spreadsheet doesn’t change behavior. Visibility does.

Every producer should be tied into a KPI dashboard that’s reviewed weekly — not monthly, not “when there’s time.”

What should be on that dashboard:

Appointments set (real ones, not “maybe next week”)
Qualification ratio
Closing ratio
Average account size
Net new revenue closed

Whatever CRM or system you use, make it visible. When the team can see the numbers in real time, improvement becomes inevitable.

Fix Bottlenecks Before They Break the Funnel

Falling short isn’t a mystery — it’s a system failure.

Maybe the lead list is outdated.
Maybe the script is flat.
Maybe the producer doesn’t know how to qualify.

Dig into the data:

A producer with lots of meetings but no closes? Training issue.
Great closer who barely books appointments? Prospecting issue.
Dropping conversion rates across the board? Message-market mismatch.

Don’t wait for Q3 to find the problem. Diagnose it in Q1.

Make KPIs the Operating System — Not a Campaign

Most KPI efforts fade after two weeks. Producers track dials for a few days, then fall back into busywork.

That’s not a performance culture — that’s noise.

Make insurance sales KPIs part of your team’s DNA.

Review them in every 1:1
Adjust based on performance every month
Build coaching and recognition around them

The goal isn’t to babysit. It’s to build a system where clarity breeds confidence and confidence drives results.

Satisfaction Guaranteed