Ten seconds on the clock and the home team is just five yardsshy of the game winning touchdown. The quarterback has seen thismoment before. He knows exactly how the play should unfold, howeach teammate should execute their role. Seeing no need for huddleor audible, his only words as he approaches the line are “Let's dothis.”

His teammates have envisioned this moment, too. The running backknows exactly how he'll feint inside then dart left for the goalline. The wide receiver can see himself slipping between defendersto the back of the end zone. Each lineman has a vision, too, someplanning for the run, others for a pass.

The ball is snapped. The home team makes a heroic effort,skilled athletes doing what they're trained to do. The quarterbackdrops back to pass looking toward the tight end he expects to seesprinting for the corner of the end zone. The tight end, assuming arun, is on the line blocking. The half back expects a handoff asthe quarterback back pedals past him. The wide receiver, armswaving, watches in dismay as the defense sacks the quarterback toend the game.

An unlikely scenario to be sure—no team snaps the ball withouteveryone having a clear idea of the play. Each team member knowstheir assignment and how it fits into a unified effort. Sure teamsoccasionally miscommunicate, but that's the exception. Winningteams are focused, coordinated and aligned.

Yet this scenario plays out every day in benefit agencies acrossthe country. Producers too often run their business without lettingtheir teammates know what's important. Everyone may have a generalsense of the mission (sell more?), but not on what they need to doto make it happen.

That's the finding of the Trailblazed Sales Project Study: 55percent of producers whose business grew less than 20 percent overthe prior year, and 60 percent of those whose business had declinedduring that time, had no business plan. Sales professionalsenjoying substantial growth (20 percent or more) were twice aslikely to have a business plan as their less successfulcompetitors.

This doesn't mean the low- or no-growth brokers had no strategy,lacked the drive or were less capable than high-growth producers.They simply had no plan aligning and focusing their team. Was theagency seeking new clients or cross-selling to existing ones? Wasit spending on marketing or cutting back? Everyone might be doingtheir best, but like a football team without a shared play, theirefforts are too often wasted.

Every producer is quarterback of a team, even sole proprietorsworking from their home. The team may consist of family members,carrier reps, general agencies, friendly peers or the kid who doesthe website. They may not look like a team, but they need to actlike one. And that's what a business plan can do. Plans are thehuddle that coordinates a team's actions toward a shared goal.

Writing a plan doesn't have to be hard, but having one cangreatly increase the chances of success. After all, whether you'replaying football or selling, getting your people focused on thesame play, meshing their talents and abilities together to achievea shared vision is powerful. Teamwork matters.