American Family Insurance?

[cgar64]

I have enjoyed life here as a "lurker" long enough but have loved educating myself as much as possible as I take the steps to become an insurance agent. It's time to start asking questions.

I have been approached by an American Family Insurance recruiter (and by my personal insurance agent) and am intrigued by their training opportunities. As I understand it, I work under an established agent for 12 - 18 months shadowing his/her every move and work on building business. The agent gets the account and I get a salary + small commission on my sales. When they feel I am capable of running my own office I am cut loose and start on my own from scratch. I will be taking the exam within 30 days and need some advice from professionals.

I have a solid background in sales (20+ years: auto sales, account management, marketing & mortgage). I have always worked 100% commission and love it. I know what it takes to start a new career and am looking forward to it in this industry.

You guys have truly been an inspiration for me. So I would like to get your opinions on American Family Insurance. Any experience with their program? What do you think of their company?

I get the strong impression you all are very Pro-Independent Agency. I lack the knowledge in either arena but you all have given me food for thought about going that direction too.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

 

[Guest]

so the policies you write for that 12-18 months arent yours when you start your own agency?

SCREW THAT!

 

[EB34]

Help someone else build their book of business, and then one day be ALLOWED to build my own? Where do I sign up?????

 

[cgar64]

@ Red Blooded American: It was explained to me as a trade-off for the training I would receive. It rubs me wrong but I also can respect the training opportunity...especially from my own insurance agent who I value and respect. I started my last two careers with zero training and was successful after about a year. The salary offered is respectable but my goal is to be on my own as soon as possible.

@ EB34: LOL!

 

[EB34]

If you decide to go this route, I would keep your golden prospects under your hat until you get your scratch agency and just throw up ghetto crap on the wall to keep your salary going in the meantime.

 

[xrac]

If you decide to go this route, I would keep your golden prospects under your hat until you get your scratch agency and just throw up ghetto crap on the wall to keep your salary going in the meantime.

I agree somewhat with EB34. I would use this opportunity to learn to prospect on their dime. I would save my natural market until I am on my own dime.

 

[brooks]

American Family was once a good company.

Several years ago an accountant was elevated to CEO. Bean counters took over. Downhill since. "If it can't be measured, it's not worth doing," including goodwill and relationships.

Growth is non-existent. Their policies are expensive. American Family has the same business model as State Farm without Farm's resources.

However, if you can get a good manager to learn from and keep your good clients in your hip pocket it could be OK for the short term.

 

[VolAgent]

So the established agent should train this guy for free?

 

[Guest]

Go to Farmers, they will train you AND you keep all your policies

 

[Guest]

Speaking as a former amfam agent, their training and pricing stinks. Not to mention you do not get paid on renewals for 3-5 when start from scratch with Amfam. I recommend working for a local indy office as a csr or producer to learn the business. But with your sales experience, the only training you might need to start is about the product and the systems.

I too came from the auto and mortgage business, lets just say you have to write alot auto and home apps to see the same kind of money as you did before. You can see big comissions on the commercial side, but amfam is not set up to write large commercial policies.

Before you signup with amfam, have you shopped your personal insurance to see just how competitive they are in your area?

Like some side above the CEO is a bean counter and amfam has gone down hill from there. All they preached when I was there were apps. Apps this and apps that. As a business "owner" all I cared about was the premium I brought in. ANd by the way you are never an owner of your own book, Amfam owns your book. They like to say that you an owner, but your not.

Best of luck