Hello

[SUPERSALESMAN205]

Hello, I have been selling insurance (P&C and L&H) FOR 4yrs now and I I think it's time for me to step out on my own and I'm kind of leaning towards the independent side vs. the captive side. But that's why I joined the site to get some more insight so that I can really make the best decision. Right now I'm working for one of the best Agents in Birmingham but due to some research I have done I don't know if I really want be an agent w/this company.

So that's my story!

Again Hello!

 

[Paradigm]

My advice would be you will never make as much money working for someone as you will on your own. I can only speak about health. life and financial services; I dont know how P&C translates to the individual side.

 

[xrac]

Hello, I have been selling insurance (P&C and L&H) FOR 4yrs now and I I think it's time for me to step out on my own and I'm kind of leaning towards the independent side vs. the captive side. But that's why I joined the site to get some more insight so that I can really make the best decision. Right now I'm working for one of the best Agents in Birmingham but due to some research I have done I don't know if I really want be an agent w/this company. So that's my story! Again Hello!

Welcome, I think you will find some good advice on here but be warned that a large number are life and health.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I was captive only one with Mega and as the saying goes "you don't know what you don't know." I went indie after about 6 months and never looked back.

 

[SUPERSALESMAN205]

We'll I really appreciate the warm welcome that you guys have displayed!

I have a meeting today with a independent agent today that has been in birmingham for a while. I'm really going to just sit down and really pick his brain and soak up has much information as I can, good and bad. I'm going to used all of this to fuel my decision, I dont mind taking risk, but I feel a little better if they are calculated.

So I will start a new post later letting you guys know how everything went.

 

[Mark]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[CPACINS]

Welcome and good luck!

 

[insuranceexec]

Welcome to the forum. We are glad to have you here.

 

[SUPERSALESMAN205]

Well I met with the guy(independent agent) today and I must say that I walked away with a two-fold opinion. He seems like someone that you could learn some good things from and he seems like someone that can go out and get business and make sales. But what he seems to lack is the drive to help people help him and what I mean by that is he seems to have time to bring you under his wing and tell you to sell sell sell, but not enough time to train you on something as simple as how to use the qouting system...... He seems to lack structure as well..... is this the norm???

Another thing that I picked up is that he doesn't really like captive agents very much and it comes across as jealously to me.... I mean..... I think that every sucessful agent has some degree of arrogance (some more than others) but for it to come across as jealous really speaks to one's character.

But enough about him, one point that he made was that before stepping out completely on your own you should work for an independent agent so that getting the P&C contracts won't be as hard. Has anyone gotten any P&C contracts w/o prior work with an independent agent????

I am very good @ leading in with a demand product and then cross-selling to the other products. It makes me feel more confortable, b/c to me if you can save someone some money on there home/auto products then you may can even sell them on some non-demand products. So I really feel that getting a P&C contract will be very essential part of my decision.