EFES Agent/Manager Ad

[NewInsuranceLady]

Ok so I saw a local ad on craigslist. The person is an agent or manager with EFES. This is what the ad says:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We offer:

1. 15-30 fresh, exclusive FINAL EXPENSE leads to the agent. Run them 1st. . .pay for them later!
2. Lead cost based on AVERAGE production not above average! Average agent pays only $15 per lead FOR FRESH, LESS THAN A WEEK OLD, EXCLUSIVE DIRECT MAIL LEADS! You can get them as low as $11 per lead or EVEN $3 per lead! TV leads coming very soon!
3. Exclusive territories! We don't over hire so you don't step on each other's toes!
4. Top level contracts (Get 2 with each carrier 1 for lead sales. 1 for referral sales)
5. 9 month advance regardless if its drafting from a checking or savings account!
6. Free Funeral Planning Membership through a top rated organization for all clients to help plan for their final arrangements! (I'm a member too! I show the client my membership card with my name on it!)
7. GET FULL COMMISSION ON MODIFIED, GRADED AND ROP PLANS!!!
8. Get full home office support, training, and guidance. . .anything you need at your fingertips! Track your app from the time it leaves your fax machine all the way through issue and paid!
9. Home office support to help you conserve your business! Average persistency in the high 70's!?!?
10. Average agent makes $420 per sale! Average monthly AP per agent is $12-$13K Do the math!
11. Average agent works 4 days per week in the field!
12. Listen anytime you want to what our top producers do from start to finish! Our TOP PRODUCER WRITES $38,000K IN ANNUALIZED PREMIUM PER MONTH PERSONALLY!!! There is no typo here! You read it correct!


I can go on and on. There is no "perfect" company out there and there are no "perfect" lead programs. But we sure are darn close and consistent! Here's the bottom line. . .we know how to sell Final Expense The Right Way and we will show you and support you every step of the way. You just have to bring the work ethic and desire. We will do the rest. I am an open book. . .I get paid when you sell so I have just as much vested interest in your success. . .as you do. We are not NAA or Lincoln Heritage...Compensation between 50-75k"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I emailed the person and was informed they are with EFES. Now the person has a smartphone, but is not quick in responding to email. I had been trying to get a contact number for him since email doesnt seem like his thing, and it took for me saying "Listen, I have another contact at EFES that I can contact, but since you and I live in the same state, I figured I'd reach out to you instead of them. If you do not wish to speak with me, let me know so I can stop emailing you and reach out to the other person". He then responds saying "No not at all, I am just in the middle of moving, my number is xxx-xxx-xxxx".

I am a feeling hesitant about him, based on my email trails I've had with him because when you are trying to recruit, you should be responsive. What are your thoughts about his ad? Is he representing facts about EFES or is he fibbing? Also, do you think it would be a good idea to work with another Agent/Manager (I am not sure what he is yet since I haven't spoken with him on the phone yet) that is in the same state as me, or go with the EFES contact that has been provided to me here in the forum? Oh and what's up with the Ad saying compensation between 50-75k. Is he just lowballing to not get hopes up high?

Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

[LonghornMark]

I spoke to someone with EFES(won't mention any names) and they were supposed to let me know what the lead #s were in the counties I had requested to justify someone else in the area. 2 weeks later and still nothing. Needless to say, I went another direction. I did like what they had to offer though.

 

[jdeasy]

^^I can tell you straight out that the information contained in that ad is not correct. Some of it is, most is not.

I don't know who it is but I would be leery of signing up with someone that does not have the facts.

To elaborate, there is no one at EFES averaging $38,000 ap per month. That's over $450,000. The top producer last year was over $300,000 as was the 2nd highest.

The best lead price is now $13 not $11. The production and costs he seems to be providing are from Tim W. He did write over $450,000 ap for two year in a row. He has been gone from EFES for almost 2 years now. So at best the ad is 2 years old.

The lead cost is not based on "average" production. It's based on your personal production.

Saying the average agent makes $50,000 to $75000 a year is not lowballing. It's more likely on the high side.

Last year the top 2 agents wrote over $300,000. I believe there were 10 that wrote over $200,000. They read off the list of the top 20 on a recent call and you had to write over $140,000 to be in the top 20.

There were more than 50 agents that wrote over $100,000 ap. I don't know how many agents are contracted with EFES. I would guess it's over 1000. I heard someone say on a call that they get applications from 250-300 agents each month. The laderboard always lists the top 100. Many, many agents are contracted with EFES that never write business. I'm sure every IMO would say the same thing.

EFES can be a great opportunity. There is no reason to embellish to recruit. Stuff like that gives the marketers a bad name. But the first sign of that should have been that it was on Craig's List.

 

[NewInsuranceLady]

^^I can tell you straight out that the information contained in that ad is not correct. Some of it is, most is not.

I don't know who it is but I would be leery of signing up with someone that does not have the facts.

To elaborate, there is no one at EFES averaging $38,000 ap per month. That's over $450,000. The top producer last year was over $300,000 as was the 2nd highest.

The best lead price is now $13 not $11. The production and costs he seems to be providing are from Tim W. He did write over $450,000 ap for two year in a row. He has been gone from EFES for almost 2 years now. So at best the ad is 2 years old.

The lead cost is not based on "average" production. It's based on your personal production.

Saying the average agent makes $50,000 to $75000 a year is not lowballing. It's more likely on the high side.

Last year the top 2 agents wrote over $300,000. I believe there were 10 that wrote over $200,000. They read off the list of the top 20 on a recent call and you had to write over $140,000 to be in the top 20.

There were more than 50 agents that wrote over $100,000 ap. I don't know how many agents are contracted with EFES. I would guess it's over 1000. I heard someone say on a call that they get applications from 250-300 agents each month. The laderboard always lists the top 100. Many, many agents are contracted with EFES that never write business. I'm sure every IMO would say the same thing.

EFES can be a great opportunity. There is no reason to embellish to recruit. Stuff like that gives the marketers a bad name. But the first sign of that should have been that it was on Craig's List.

Thanks JD. I didn't think his ad being on Craigslist was a red flag since a lot of business are posting "employment ads" on Craigslist. I didn't strike me as strange that some insurance agencies are starting to do the same thing. I really like EFES however I think instead of working with this guy who is in my state and apparently is too busy "moving" during the normal work week to respond to phone calls and emails and call the contact that I've received from you before JD. "$50,000 to $75000 a year is not lowballing. It's more likely on the high side." Are we saying 50-75k AFTER lead costs and other expenses are taken into consideration?

 

[magagent]

Here is the deal with responding to an ad on craigslist, if someone post ad saying you can make 2K a week if you work hard!!!! Most likely you will make 1K a week after working hard!!!

Just understand most stuff on craigslist is highly inflated like JD said.

Thanks JD. I didn't think his ad being on Craigslist was a red flag since a lot of business are posting "employment ads" on Craigslist. I didn't strike me as strange that some insurance agencies are starting to do the same thing. I really like EFES however I think instead of working with this guy who is in my state and apparently is too busy "moving" during the normal work week to respond to phone calls and emails and call the contact that I've received from you before JD. "$50,000 to $75000 a year is not lowballing. It's more likely on the high side." Are we saying 50-75k AFTER lead costs and other expenses are taken into consideration?

 

[jdeasy]

Thanks JD. I didn't think his ad being on Craigslist was a red flag since a lot of business are posting "employment ads" on Craigslist. I didn't strike me as strange that some insurance agencies are starting to do the same thing. I really like EFES however I think instead of working with this guy who is in my state and apparently is too busy "moving" during the normal work week to respond to phone calls and emails and call the contact that I've received from you before JD. "$50,000 to $75000 a year is not lowballing. It's more likely on the high side." Are we saying 50-75k AFTER lead costs and other expenses are taken into consideration?

I don't know those numbers but I would be very surprised if the average EFES agent is making in that range before lead costs.

That one could be right and I can't argue it with facts but my gut tells me that's an inflated number. Just do the math. The average lead cost at EFES is $19. Most fulltime agents get 20 per week. That's right close to $20,000/yr in lead costs. So to make $65,000 after lead costs the agent would have to issue/paid $85,000. Assuming a 20% loss ratio then that's writing $106,000 per year. A little more than 50 agents wrote over $100,000 last year with EFES.

Marketers always hope that agents won't put a pen to paper and go cipherin, {as we call it in the country}.

They also hope that ego kicks in and the person will consider themselves above average.

This is a very tough business. All insurance is, not just FE. More than 9 in 10 agents fail at this across all lines. It's a very rewarding career for the 10 percenters that do make it.

As a personal producer Tim W is the gold standard. He is quite talented at this business, very charismatic but more than all of that he is a tireless worker. I will readily admit that I do not work as hard as he does nor will I. If you have to work that hard to be at his level then I won't get there. But I have a lot of company because no one else is getting where he's at either.

 

[RAMBLER AND A GAMBLER]

There lead cost is steep and on a sliding scale.

 

[jdeasy]

There lead cost is steep and on a sliding scale.

Not so. Well I guess "steep" is a subjective term? There is no sliding scale. You pay for leads to start at whatever level you negotiate. Let's just say it's $20 per lead. That's what you will pay for your first 90 days. After 90 days then what you pay is based on production, PPL, {Production Per Lead}.

You can work you per lead cost down to $13 per lead based on your production. it can also go up from the hypothetical $20 if you don't produce. The most one would pay on the PPL chart is $28 per lead. To pay that your PPL would have to be below $79. To show how low of a number that is it means that if you got the minimum order of 15 leads per week you would have to average less than $1185 ap per week over 90 days.

That should never be an issue since an agent that can't average $1200/wk in ap while getting 15 leads per week is in the wrong business. That may sound harsh but this is a harsh business.

Now for good producers that stay with EFES they have a rewards program that takes dollars off your lead cost based on lifetime production. I'm not sure what all the levels are but I know mine is diamond level and I get $2 off per lead. The next step up is platinum and $3 off per lead. I should hit that level late this year.

I will say now what I have always said about EFES, I believe they are the best deal out there for the fulltime FE producer. They are not for part timers unless you just broker with them. I also don't believe their system is the best out there for the agent that wants to build an agency and have sub agents. Now some will disagree with me on that, {especially the ones that are building teams}, but that is my unvarnished opinion.

 

[digfesales105]

Frankly, there's nothing wrong with CL except that everyone and their mother is advertising on there. It's not the fact that ads are inflated BUT that many of the posters sound like this guy. Trying to build and appear to be bigger than they are.

If he is moving and too busy to respond to email, that means he is doing most of the moving himself. If so, he must not be making that much money as a manager or he would have hired movers so then he would have the time to at least respond to emails.

We place ads on CL and a ton of other places. No need to inflate because the agent will find out the "truth" soon enough. That's my first point. My second point is this...I am SLAMMED busy! There are NOT enough hours in a day and I have assistants. BUT, I still at least respond to emails in a timely fashion. Most people on here has even pm'd me or emailed or even text message me late night during the week and on weekends. I go to bed early...I'm up early so I respond a lot in the early morning hours. I live to work and work to live!

That's the type of manager(or marketer as we are called on here) that you want to work "with"....not for.

Good luck. Let me guess...you're in MI?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Frankly, there's nothing wrong with CL except that everyone and their mother is advertising on there. It's not the fact that ads are inflated BUT that many of the posters sound like this guy. Trying to build and appear to be bigger than they are.

If he is moving and too busy to respond to email, that means he is doing most of the moving himself. If so, he must not be making that much money as a manager or he would have hired movers so then he would have the time to at least respond to emails.

We place ads on CL and a ton of other places. No need to inflate because the agent will find out the "truth" soon enough. That's my first point. My second point is this...I am SLAMMED busy! There are NOT enough hours in a day and I have assistants. BUT, I still at least respond to emails in a timely fashion. Most people on here has even pm'd me or emailed or even text message me late night during the week and on weekends. I go to bed early...I'm up early so I respond a lot in the early morning hours. I live to work and work to live!

That's the type of manager(or marketer as we are called on here) that you want to work "with"....not for.

Good luck. Let me guess...you're in MI?

If not MI then east coast area like DE?

 

[RAMBLER AND A GAMBLER]

I have a copy of there lead cost sent to me from shannons office. its a sliding scale, leads cost 34-13 depending on production. not only that but it has a bunch of other strings attached.

i would be happy to send it to you.