REVENUE CATEGORY:OVER $25 MILLION

Woodruff Sawyer

Michael Cunha | CFO

San Francisco, California

Why is the Best Practices Study valuable?

In an industry that is so fragmented, it helps us see what the best firms in each one of those revenue bands are doing and how they're driving those results, such as how they're operating, what they're focusing on, and their key performance indicators. If you're constantly thinking about growth and perpetuation, Best Practices is a tried and true way to be able to ensure we are doing the right things.

What's the benefit of being a Best Practices Agency?

It reinforces our commitment to growth. In turn, that allows us to hire more folks and reinvest in our people through learning and development. This is done with the ultimate goal of being able to provide better client service.

What are some of the key metrics for you?

The Rule of 20 allows us to look at our growth and how it interplays with EBITDA. Sales velocity shows how strong our growth engine is and how we can sustain it. NUPP makes sure that we're investing in the future.

What is your company's approach to staffing?

It's a strategic focus for the executive team and the leadership group. We're a professional service firm. We don't have big buildings or equipment. We build relationships. We help people understand risk. We help them place that risk and diversify it. To do that, we need to have great talent. We've made a lot of investments in talent acquisition. Learning and development are also a focus. We look for talent, bring them in, mentor them and help them grow their careers.

How does sales velocity underpin your sales culture?

It tells us if we have the sales engine to continue to drive growth. The survey also provides sales velocity in age range bands. Sales velocity makes sure that we are going out there, meeting clients and are in tune with what clients need, as well as bringing along that next generation of producers.

Advice for a first-time agency applicant?

It's a pretty straightforward process for us to apply because we've been doing it for a number of years. There's a little bit of work upfront but you need to make sure that you understand the data you're being asked to provide and then provide it. What you get in return is well worth the investment. We're constantly trying to learn. Continuous learning never stops and the Best Practices program is just another way to see how the industry is performing and what the best firms focus on.

Has the Best Practices program changed your approach to marketing?

We've doubled down on content and thought leadership. We want to be one of the thought leaders and be out there publicly. That helps drive engagement online through webinars and videos or through in-person events. It kind of layers up. Growth is the name of the game and if you do the fundamentals, you get the results.

Will Jones is IA editor-in-chief.

This interview is part of a six-part series to mark the 30th anniversary of the Best Practices program.