A Day in the Life ... I.e. Typical Day

[squeed]

I'm trying to get a picture in my mind what a typical day is like for an independent insurance agent. In my mind, here's how it works.

1. Wake up, drink coffee
2. Go to your office, sit down, start cold calling like a mad man.
3. Make hundreds of calls get 5 appointments.
4. Go on appointments, ask questions, listen.
5. Call, email, fill out webform for IMO to get quote
6. Go back to office, finish paperwork, prepare marketing.
7. Call prospect, provide quote
8. Get order or not
9. Sleep and start over at #1.

I know that there's probably a lot more in the middle, dealing with issues, problems etc ... Getting frustrated ...

Do I have the basic premise down of what your life is like when you are an independent ?

-S

 

[Paradigm]

I'm trying to get a picture in my mind what a typical day is like for an independent insurance agent. In my mind, here's how it works.

1. Wake up, drink coffee
2. Go to your office, sit down, start cold calling like a mad man.
3. Make hundreds of calls get 5 appointments.
4. Go on appointments, ask questions, listen.
5. Call, email, fill out webform for IMO to get quote
6. Go back to office, finish paperwork, prepare marketing.
7. Call prospect, provide quote
8. Get order or not
9. Sleep and start over at #1.

I know that there's probably a lot more in the middle, dealing with issues, problems etc ... Getting frustrated ...

Do I have the basic premise down of what your life is like when you are an independent ?

-S

If you are talking health or life on simple cases you do your own quotes (invest in a quote engine or use carrrier sites). Attempt to close on first call whether online or on phone (online you will succeed 20% of time on 1st call or in home 80% of time if you are a great closer.)

If complex cases such as annuities, fin. planning, group health, life other than term you may need more than one appointment to close the deal. The more the commissions earned typically the more work will be required.

I do 90% of my health and term business from my office now and only go to see a client if the product is complex or it is a group case.

 

[squeed]

What quote engine do you use ?

 

[Paradigm]

What quote engine do you use ?

quotit (there are plenty of threads on quote engines on the forum)

 

[squeed]

OK, I'll search for them. Can you tell me how much it costs, I see that they have 4 tools, looks like 3 quoting tools and 1 web based plugin tool for quoting.

Do they charge you per quote or is it a monthly or annual fee ?

-S

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

Norvax, Quotit and Insurint all offer quoting services.

It's a monthly fee plus a set up fee.

 

[squeed]

What is the ballpark monthly fee ?

-S

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

Insurint had/has a special going for $99 a month, no set up fee.

Norxax...for IHIAA members is around 70 to 120 a month

And Quotit is prob around the same.

 

[souldeux]

My typical day:

Wake up at 9:00 AM. Shower, breakfast.

9:45 or so, I turn on my leads. I get ten a day right now, and I work them as they come in. Between the leads, I follow up with existing prospects, check in on existing clients, and read the news.

Lunch at noon. This is usually when I get out of the house (I work from home). If I don't get out of the house, my productivity drops dramatically in the afternoon.

In the afternoon, it's more of the same until six or seven. Then dinner.

8:30 until about 1:30 AM, I do work on my websites. SEO, marketing, building backlinks, writing content, that sort of thing. I usually get to bed at 3:00. I'll also spend this time looking back on the day and figuring out what I did right and wrong, reviewing products, sending in pre-screens, and writing thank-you notes to folks (I send out a TON of personally written thank-you notes, and my clients love it).

Some days, I'll have appointments to run out on. I love those days - I get to get out of the house, and my current closing ratio on face-to-face appointments is 100%. At least three days a week, the website work gets cut short for some quality time with the family. My fiancee, a real estate agent, has a very similar schedule to me when it comes to online work, so our workdays match up very well. We also work in the same room, so even though we have very long workdays we spend them together and enjoy each other's company.

Lately, we've taken a couple of days a week to go to a restaurant with wireless internet and work. That's boosted our productivity enormously.

Sort of rambling, but no two days are really the same.

 

[squeed]

Thanks, great post. Where do you educate yourself on SEO ? Do you modify your website yourself or do you have someone do it for you ?

-S