Carrier Reps

[ABC]

Some of the carriers reps that I am dealing with in the specialty markets are not only inexperienced but incompetent.

It blows me away.

They don't even know their own products and where they are competitive.

Anyone have advice with dealing with incompetent reps?

I am not going to sell their products until the company invest in some quality representation.

 

[somarco]

There have always been reps that are more informed than others, but there is definitely a "dumbing down" over the last 10 yrs or so.

Most of the good ones moved on, either to HO management position where their brain withered in their head, or got in to personal production.

If you are lucky enough to find one that knows what they are doing consider yourself fortunate. Most of the carriers I use have a merry-go-round, swapping reps every 12 - 18 months. About the time I get one trained they quit or move on and I have to start over again.

 

[DS4]

I've always found, if you can't make it as an indy agent, become a carrier rep.

 

[somarco]

if you can't make it as an indy agent, become a carrier rep.

It wasn't always that way, but seems to be that way now. Carriers used to hire folks out of college and train them.

MONY hired me after a brief stop in a small, family run benefits agency that was a dead end for me. I had a month in the field, shadowing my manager, then 2 weeks in NY followed by another 2 weeks back in the field with my manager shadowing me.

I was already ahead of the pack when I started but it was an unusual situation. Most of the reps at MONY and even competitors were really sharp, well educated and very well trained.

It hasn't been that way in quite some time.

Now they do hire people they don't have to train other than just the bare minimum.

 

[Norwayguy]

This is more than just a carrier rep issue. I talk with agents in the life business for 40-50 years and they speak of days gone by you could call the home office ask a question and take it to the bank...How many of you here have called the home office lately ask a question get an answer that doesn't sounds right so you call back a couple more times and get different answers each time?

 

[Newby]

If the rep really understood the products, don't you think they would be selling them instead of on a salary?

There is no one at any company that has been out of the field a few years or more often NEVER been successful in the field that understands their own products as well as the average agent.

At least I've never met one.

 

[leevena]

It wasn't always that way, but seems to be that way now. Carriers used to hire folks out of college and train them.

MONY hired me after a brief stop in a small, family run benefits agency that was a dead end for me. I had a month in the field, shadowing my manager, then 2 weeks in NY followed by another 2 weeks back in the field with my manager shadowing me.

I was already ahead of the pack when I started but it was an unusual situation. Most of the reps at MONY and even competitors were really sharp, well educated and very well trained.

It hasn't been that way in quite some time.

Now they do hire people they don't have to train other than just the bare minimum.

I beg to pardon. As I was the new group rep at MONY Atlanta after you left that position, I can state with authority that I was not that good. LOL

 

[somarco]

As I was the new group rep at MONY Atlanta after you left that position, I can state with authority that I was not that good.

Obviously things went downhill after I moved on and never recovered. I suppose you are the reason MONY got out of the health insurance business . . .

 

[leevena]

Obviously things went downhill after I moved on and never recovered. I suppose you are the reason MONY got out of the health insurance business . . .

Half true, Ken Sperling went on to a stellar career at Hewit and now AON, but the rest of us...

 

[ABC]

I have a lot of frustration with these carrier reps.

I appreciate the carrier invests in some type of sales support but some of the representation is not worth the investment.

The young kids (20 something) that they are recruiting are worthless. Then you look at some of the people that were moved from other areas and they are ok but weak.

I had a lunch meeting with a new rep and a customer service rep. The were both in mid 20's and they had no clue. After lunch they were like do you want to go swimming? I am like WTF.

I guess I am just a square now!