Focus and Finish: Gannon Insurance Agency

Is there a recipe for success? If you ask Steve Gannon, he would say “Yes!” “By a combination of hard work, focus and pure drive, anyone can succeed,” says Steve. “If you aren’t willing to go out on the weekends, take evening appointments when you first start out, you may not get to where you want to be.” This is exactly what Steve Gannon did when he opened Gannon Insurance on August 1, 2000. Now 16 years later he has built a sizable agency outside of Philadelphia in Bensalem, PA. The great news is that the agency is still growing each and every year.

When Steve graduated college he started working in the claims department of Prudential. He still credits learning the most about insurance by being in the claims department. Steve really got to see how insurance can impact people both by having the right insurance and by having not enough! He learned early and believes insurance is not about price but what it actually does. Prudential was offering to reimburse employees who wanted to get their MBA and Steve took them up on their offer with the thought that he could jump industries. However, like many of us in insurance, he found his home right here.

Steve was recruited out of claims to sell life insurance with New York Life. This is where he received great sales training and after about one year was recruited to sell P&C as well as life at a local Allstate operation. Being a young, energetic and tenacious gentleman, he decided he wanted to open his own agency and was vetted and approved by Erie in 2000. He now has a full service insurance agency selling personal lines, commercial lines and life insurance.

In the early days Steve was 100% focused on sales. His wife would be at the office assisting the customers and Steve would be a sales machine. When they started a family, his wife started tending to the family and Steve made the investment in his first full time team member. When you talk to Steve, he is humble to say “My biggest success is surviving the first five years in business.” As many scratch agencies know, the first five are the hardest. Steve also comments, “I had to make investments, I encourage every agency owner to invest. When you start making money, that’s exactly when you need to take the leap or your agency will remain small.”

The Gannon Agency is constantly investing in the betterment of the team and the community. Now 10 employees strong, it never stops giving back to the community. They do such things as hosting Thanksgiving dinners in the community, donating to community organizations, helping the business community and more. The agency also shuts down one day per year to focus on training and development. Giving is at the heart of Gannon Insurance; here is just a sampling of the community organizations they support.

– NOVA – Network of Victims Assistance

– Alex’s Lemonade

– Make-a-Wish Foundation

– Bensalem P.A.L.

– Hopes and Dreams Foundation

– Sean Hogan, Sr. Foundation

– Ronald McDonald Houses

The industry has changed from 2000 to now. The challenges are real. In Steve’s opinion, the competitiveness of personal lines has increased the challenges the team faces. Commercials have turned long term clients into price shoppers. The modern agency today can no longer rely on renewals. You have to fight to keep them. “Our agency calls every single personal lines renewal. We want to connect with our client to find the changes and tell them we care. If we don’t, a competitor would love to take them from us.”

One strategy that Steve wants to impart on other agents is the importance of smart recruiting. You need to find great talent in all age brackets. Finding the right people makes everything easier and keeping the wrong ones is a waste of time and effort. You have to be forever recruiting and never stop; you will find the best people! Steve jokes that he hopes his kids are professional athletes, but if that doesn’t work they will be welcomed at the agency if that’s where they want to be. “Under no circumstance would I want my children here if they have other dreams. I want them to attack their dreams the same way I did,” he comments.

Steve is excited for the future. He’s looking forward to growing his commercial business and continuing to serve the community. The agency is focused on building a great marketing strategy by continuing to use new channels such as social media, email marketing and sales management. The future is bright for the Gannon Girls, a nickname the all-female team has given themselves! When you call, you are sure to get a smile and a friendly voice.