5 Lessons Insurance Agents Can Steal from Ozzy Osbourne’s Legacy
Bill Gordon, MBA, CIC, VP of Sales
Vice President of Sales driving agency and carrier partnerships, and market expansion. Skilled in agency relations, sales optimization, and data-driven strategies to maximize revenue and profitability.
Ozzy Osbourne didn’t just survive 50 years in rock and roll — he retained legions of loyal fans through scandals, reinventions, and literal bat-biting chaos.
Sound familiar?
Today’s independent insurance agents face a similar challenge: markets are volatile, attention spans are short, and loyalty can disappear overnight.
But what if your retention strategy had a little more Ozzy energy?
Let’s step off the corporate escalator for a moment and take a ride on the Crazy Train to explore what the Prince of Darkness can teach us about keeping clients loyal for life.
1. Authenticity Builds Retention
Ozzy didn’t ask for permission to be himself — and his audience respected him for it.
Too many agencies try to be everything to everyone. But retention lives in clarity.
If you're an agency built on education, lead with that. If your superpower is advocacy, lean into it. The more consistent and genuine your brand, the more your clients trust and stick.
Clients search for “trustworthy insurance agents near me” — not “average agencies that try to blend in.”
2. Connect Emotionally — Not Just Transactionally
Ozzy didn’t sell albums. He sold a feeling. A vibe. A voice for the misunderstood.
That same connection is your secret weapon in the insurance industry.
Are you just emailing renewals? Or are you:
Checking in before storm season?
Sending a personalized birthday message?
Explaining coverage changes in plain English?
People leave when they feel invisible. They stay when they feel seen.
3. Evolve or Become Obsolete
Ozzy went from Sabbath frontman to solo star to MTV dad. He adapted to stay relevant.
Ask yourself:
Has your agency evolved in the last 3 years?
Do you offer text, Zoom, or mobile-friendly servicing?
Are your clients hearing from you before renewal?
Retention isn’t about being perfect. It’s about showing up in the way people want today — not 1998.
4. Stand for Something — and Let That Polarize
Ozzy’s style wasn’t for everyone. But the fans who got it? They were ride or die.
You don’t need every customer. You need the right ones.
Specialize. Niche down. Get clear about who you serve best — and let the rest go. This is the foundation of profitable retention.
🛡 5. Loyalty Goes Both Ways
Behind the scenes, Ozzy was fiercely loyal to his crew — including his wife/manager Sharon, who helped orchestrate his comebacks.
Want better client retention?
Be there after the claim. Be there before the renewal. Be there when nothing is wrong — just because.
The best clients don’t just buy insurance. They buy you.
Final Thought:
Your book of business doesn’t need to be louder. It needs to be more legendary.
So the question is: Is your agency unforgettable — or just background noise?
Please let me know how you’re building loyalty within your agency. 💬 Drop a comment below and let’s trade some rockstar retention strategies.
#IndependentInsuranceAgents #InsuranceRetention #ClientLoyalty #InsuranceMarketing #CustomerExperience #SmallBusinessRetention #BusinessLessons #OzzyOsbourne #RockNRollLeadership #InsuranceGrowth
Ozzy Osbourne taught me more about retention than any insurance conference I’ve ever attended.
About the Author:
Bill Gordon is Vice President of Sales for Southwest Insurance Agents Alliance (SIAA). With over 38 years of experience — including owning both a captive and independent agency — Bill now coaches and mentors insurance agents in Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, looking to scale profitably through access to markets, sales strategy, and real growth tools.
Vice President of Sales driving agency and carrier partnerships, and market expansion. Skilled in agency relations, sales optimization, and data-driven strategies to maximize revenue and profitability.
1wWhen I think of retention, I think of my days as an Independent Insurance Agency Principal, and I think about referrals. Ask! Ask! Ask! Suppose you want to increase your retention rate to 96% or higher. In that case, you need to have the correct number of people to service the customers you have, and a process of getting staff to "ask" and customers to "respond," and that includes communicating and incentivizing. Lastly, your "product," which level of service and responsiveness, has to be "bar none," the best in the industry. Sure, you provide "insurance" through many carriers, but it's the "local" responsiveness and attention to detail that keeps customers connected to your agency. How many times have you just told the customer to call an 800 number for a claim, instead of diagnosing with them whether they should file a claim and, if so, warm transferring them to the claims department, and setting up the situation? Be what your competition is not, and you will achieve a 96% or higher retention rate.