Building a strong team of like-minded people is the cornerstone of long-term success. When agents who share your values and vision come together, they create a culture of trust, collaboration, and momentum. This is the builder’s toolkit — how to recruit, interview, and onboard the right people, with the scripts and systems our top agency owners use.
2026 Recruiting Video
The Smith Master recruiting video to share with prospects.
OpenAutoMentor (LinkedIn)
Automated monthly cold-market recruiting funnel.
Open5 Voices Assessment
Discover your leadership & communication style.
OpenArt of Building an Agency
The full outline (PDF) — list, scale of influence, scripts.
OpenThe recruiting journey
Every candidate comes through one of two doors — the cold market (ads, job boards, outreach) or the warm market (referrals and relationships). Each has its own path.
Cold market journey
For candidates sourced from ads, job boards, and proactive outreach.
- First interview — screen for fit: verify work authorization, background, and state licensing eligibility; set expectations on the role, training cadence, and income model; book the group interview if aligned.
- Second interview (group) — culture match: present the mission, values, and success path; assess engagement (questions, notes, punctuality, follow-through); shortlist in the CRM for an offer decision.
- Agency offer — confirm selection: send the offer email with onboarding links and timelines; create a 24-hour follow-up task and confirm receipt; advance them to Pre-License or Onboarding in the CRM.
Warm market journey
For candidates referred by your team or existing relationships.
- Review who we are — ground them in our story and standards (share agenttraining.info/media), and ask for one or two takeaways to confirm understanding.
- 3-way interview — sponsor/owner plus candidate: the sponsor opens with credibility and expectations; the owner outlines the opportunity, systems, and training timeline; decide go/no-go and define the immediate next step.
- Request contract — if licensed, the sponsor submits the contract request to Admin; if not, begin contracting & licensing. Add the candidate to the CRM pipeline at the correct stage.
Before you start: the rules of engagement
Inviting a prospect
The goal of the invite is simple: get them to watch the 15–20 minute online presentation. Four principles carry every call:
- Act as if you’re successful. Confident and a little busy — people respond to urgency.
- Explain why you’re calling. Create curiosity, reduce pressure.
- Build them up. A sincere compliment earns the few minutes you’re asking for.
- Edify the presentation. Let it do the explaining — “who we are, what we do, who we’re looking for. A real business, not an MLM.”
Act as if “Hey [Name], it’s [Your Name]. What’s going on? I don’t have a lot of time to talk right now, but it was really important that I reached you.”
Why you’re calling “Someone just showed me something that really caught my attention, and I have no idea if you’d be interested, but I wanted to share it.”
Build them up “I truly value our friendship — you’re one of the most important people in my life.”
Pique interest “I’ve teamed up with a company expanding in your area, and you really need to see what it’s all about.”
Edify “There’s a 15–20 minute online presentation that explains everything — it’s not an MLM or pyramid deal, it’s a concrete business. I’d love your honest feedback.”
Commit & lock a time “If I send you the link, would you take 20 minutes in the next 24–48 hours? Today is [Date] — if I call you on [Follow-Up Date], will you have watched it?”
Act as if “Hey [Name], this is [Your Name]. I know you’re super busy, and I’ve got a million things going on too, but I’m glad I reached you.”
Why & build up “I’m working with a company expanding in your area. I value your opinion and was hoping you’d give me a second set of eyes to see if there’s anything I’m missing.”
Edify “The presentation is 15–20 minutes, created by respected professionals. It’s not a pyramid scheme or MLM — just a real, concrete business.”
Commit & lock a time “If I send the link, could you review it in the next 24–48 hours? What’s the best email? I’ll call you on [Follow-Up Date] — does that work?”
Discover your leadership voice — the 5 Voices
The 5 Voices helps you understand your leadership and communication style so you can lead and recruit more effectively. Take the assessment →
Nurturer
Champions of relationships, harmony, and values; protect principles and relational health.
Creative
Innovative thinkers who challenge the status quo and envision a better future.
Guardian
Champions of responsibility and stewardship; value logic, order, and proven process.
Connector
Experts at relationships and strategic partnerships; rally people around a cause.
Pioneer
Focused on results and progress; always seeking the most efficient path to success.
The Art of Building an Agency
Building an agency takes a strategic, repeatable approach. The core moves:
- Build a comprehensive list of potential contacts.
- Use the Scale of Influence to prioritize your outreach.
- Run proven scripts when you engage prospects.
- Follow up with intention — the fortune is in the follow-up.
Download the full outline (PDF) →
Your builder’s checklist
- Listed your 20 sharpest people (don’t reach out yet)
- Watched / saved the 2026 recruiting video to share
- Chosen a cold-market channel (AutoMentor / LinkedIn, Indeed, Craigslist)
- Rehearsed the invite scripts
- Took the 5 Voices assessment
- Set up your CRM recruiting pipeline stages
Common mistakes
- ×Pitching on the invite. The invite earns the presentation — let the presentation sell.
- ×Reaching out before you’re ready. Build the list and learn the scripts first; you only get one first impression.
- ×No follow-up system. Lock a specific follow-up time on every invite and track it in the CRM.