Med sup agent needing next step

[Frank Stastny]

You mean to get the fact that you are an IMO into the discussions, eh?


Winter

What part of, this is an agents discussion board doesn't he get?

I am really not remotely interested in anything he has to say.

If he wants to peddle his crap he should start a thread in the Insurance Offers section. This is not his personal marketing tool and I for one would appreciate him keeping his shallow comments to himself.

 

[Joe Moore]

If you have valuable information to contribute then please do so. This swill is not valuable information, especially coming from a self proclaimed IMO.

I was simply responding to your "self proclaimed IMO" statement. Which I thought was truly unjustified. Seems there are plenty of hair triggers in this bar.

I thought there may be some good discussions here instead of rock throwing with no basis. You know we could all learn a lot more here if you guys had a little better attitude, and don't take offense to everything said. I am not sure why there is so much resentment and personal attacks here, but I think some grouches need to get a life. Or, if this business is causing such furor, get a real job.

Joe Moore
National Senior Benefits
grouches Insurance Marketing
PO Box 1954
Morristown, Tn 37816
1-800-226-1004

 

[Non-golfing Agent]

I was simply responding to your "self proclaimed IMO" statement. Which I thought was truly unjustified. Seems there are plenty of hair triggers in this bar.

I thought there may be some good discussions here instead of rock throwing with no basis. You know we could all learn a lot more here if you guys had a little better attitude, and don't take offense to everything said. I am not sure why there is so much resentment and personal attacks here, but I think some grouches need to get a life. Or, if this business is causing such furor, get a real job.

Joe Moore
National Senior Benefits
grouches Insurance Marketing
PO Box 1954
Morristown, Tn 37816
1-800-226-1004

Would you consider a real job making money off the back of agents?

 

[Joe Moore]

Would you consider a real job making money off the back of agents?

Most marketing companies EARN the overrides they make. They perform a marketing function much more efficiently than a home office is able to. Why do you think so many companies use this method of marketing? Because it is cheaper and more efficient for them. Marketing companies can offer agents more points than a company operated captive shop.

A good captive company would normally offer no more than 60-70%, at the most. Most marketing organizations will be in the 100% range, and no captive contract. Simply more money for the agent.

If you consider this "making money off the back of agents", so be it. You have your opinion, I have mine.

Check to see whose agents are the better paid. It will not be the company direct agents. It will be the independent agent. We have one agent that is on track to have personal commissions around $300,000 this year, and he works alone.

Yes, we may gross $30,000 from his efforts, but without us bringing him the top contracts, he would not have the set up to make his $300,000.

With the top contracts, working agents can do very well with someone riding on their backs.

Joe Moore
National Senior Benefits
Asurco Insurance Marketing
PO Box 1954
Morristown, TN 37816
1-800-226-1004

 

[Non-golfing Agent]

Most marketing companies EARN the overrides they make. They perform a marketing function much more efficiently than a home office is able to. Why do you think so many companies use this method of marketing? Because it is cheaper and more efficient for them. Marketing companies can offer agents more points than a company operated captive shop.

Yes I guess IMO's are better than a captive agency. That's like saying HIV is better than AIDS though.

A good captive company would normally offer no more than 60-70%, at the most. Most marketing organizations will be in the 100% range, and no captive contract. Simply more money for the agent.

Yet still taking money off the top of independent agents while, for the most part, offering ABSOLUTELY no support. I really couldn't care less about the captive example.

If you consider this "making money off the back of agents", so be it. You have your opinion, I have mine.

Then what is it exactly?

IMO, IMO's and temp agencies are just another step to socialism. Both useless to the working man and beneficial to the rich and the people with no moral compass who will ride the gravy train and take advantage of the working man.

Check to see whose agents are the better paid. It will not be the company direct agents. It will be the independent agent. We have one agent that is on track to have personal commissions around $300,000 this year, and he works alone.

Captain Obvious. Again what's this have to do with independent agents?

Yes, we may gross $30,000 from his efforts, but without us bringing him the top contracts, he would not have the set up to make his $300,000.

Laughable. You're not bringing him the top contract if you're making a 10% cut.

With the top contracts, working agents can do very well with someone riding on their backs.

With a little less than the top contract, a large group of working agents can do very well for the guy who sits in the office looking at the clock every 10 minutes to make sure he doesn't miss his tee time.

Yeah.

 

[Non-golfing Agent]

I was pretty strong with the comparison to socialism...but I could argue my way through it.

That being said, I wouldn't make that accusation if all insurance companies gave us the option of contracting direct instead of being forced to use the FMO. The thought of helping some of these people out makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[Frank Stastny]

I was pretty strong with the comparison to socialism...but I could argue my way through it.

That being said, I wouldn't make that accusation if all insurance companies gave us the option of contracting direct instead of being forced to use the FMO. The thought of helping some of these people out makes me sick to my stomach.

I agree totally.

He said, "Most marketing companies EARN the overrides they make." I've never had one of them do anything for me.

I am contracted direct with the main Med Supp company I am licensed with. They have done so much more for me than all of the marketing organizations put together that I have been forced to go with.

Am I the only one who say his SPAM thread before one of the Mods deleted it? It was so full of crap. He is here for one reason and one reason only. To try to sucker agents into contracting with him.

Since his thread was deleted he is trying to be everyone's "good buddy" and "join in". Give him time, he will start pushing that crap again. We don't like spammers here.

 

[Joe Moore]

I agree totally.

He said, "Most marketing companies EARN the overrides they make." I've never had one of them do anything for me.

I am contracted direct with the main Med Supp company I am licensed with. They have done so much more for me than all of the marketing organizations put together that I have been forced to go with.

Am I the only one who say his SPAM thread before one of the Mods deleted it? It was so full of crap. He is here for one reason and one reason only. To try to sucker agents into contracting with him.

Since his thread was deleted he is trying to be everyone's "good buddy" and "join in". Give him time, he will start pushing that crap again. We don't like spammers here.

Darn, aren't we mad at the world, or at least the system that works?

Do I sense a very strong resentment to anyone making any money unless it is you? By reading the front page of this website, it seems you are still a "ground pounder". I am too. I love the ground pounding, because this is the way our business was started and I do not want to lose touch with the clients in the field. Also, it pays the bills if our marketing organization needs money. Marketing Companies are not all profit, in case you did not realize this.

We are not someone with no experience in the field. I started this business in 1987 under the name Tennessee Senior Benefits, and spent many years in the field, always working in the Marketing Company type of environment, because it was the best deal going. In 1997 we got our first IMO contract and have thankfully expanded on that since.

I personally worked a retail store the last 3 years with MAPD plans. I have written personally somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 of these in the past year. With this venture, WE ASKED to be put under another IMO, due to their knowledge of the Home Office, that we did not have. I do not resent them overriding us around 12-15%. It has been worth it to us to have everything go smooth. They make good money off our efforts, but they EARN it. I do not resent their experience and profits off of us.

It seems you are hung-up on the word "spam". I opened your link where you are trying to sell your "office assistant". A lot of people would consider this "junk" or "spam", because they have no need for it. A lot of items could be consider spam.

This statement was made by another agent resenting any overrides: "With a little less than the top contract, a large group of working agents can do very well for the guy who sits in the office looking at the clock every 10 minutes to make sure he doesn't miss his tee time."

Well, I hate to tell you guys, but I am 61 and still probably work 60 hours plus per week. I do have a son that loves golf and this is why he loves the insurance business. He has been in this business 19 years, and has the income to play golf 2-3 days a week in the summer. This son does not work in our office dealing with agents (he says too many cry babies out there, that want to cry about not making money instead of working and making money).

Another son is our office manager. He does a great job dealing with agents problems.

Of course we did not start this business as an IMO. But feel we have also moved to the next level by using many new tools now available and we have learned how the system works.

I have a question: Do you guys resenting any type of marketing structure making a profit? What about your local grocery store? This is an efficient way for the food producers to get their products to market (remember the old home delivery Milk Man? I do.)

What about your car dealership? I do not remember when I saw a major car company trying to sell directly to the consumer.

You guys can argue, cuss, and denounce the way insurance products are marketed. It is simple, if you do not like the offer, do not take it. Find a company direct contract at 20-30% less commission and run with it.

Why do companies do it? IT WORKS! One of our companies sales went from $2 million new premium to $250 million in around 10 years, by using the IMO structure. Try to do that with company employees recruiting agents.

You folks resenting overrides by marketing companies can argue until you are blue in the face, but try to get a company to see it your way. YOU WILL LOSE this argument!

By the way, the agent making over $300,000 is not captive. He is a personal friend of mine that I have known over the last 20 years (an escaped undertaker, city councilman and vice-mayor of his hometown). He could go direct with many companies and probably have his own IMO structure, but this is not what he wants. He has other interests and leaves the problems of working with the companies to us.

Joe Moore
National Senior Benefits
Asurco Insurance Marketing
PO Box 1954
Morristown, TN 37816
1-800-226-1004

 

[Kimber]

Wow, it's like releasing Pandora's box. I just made a simple comment of the take it or leave it variety... Didn't mean to trigger a war.

 

[Trish]

Hello Everyone ...new to this site.I have really appreciated all the information. I have been solely in the Commercial Insurance side. My specialty is Truckers. With the way the premiums are decreasing lately and will continue I have been thinking of reactivating my L&H license and selling long term care, health products and then the senior supplement products. I have an extensive list of Trucking contacts etc. I love cold calling , love selling and enjoy the company of older people.

So my questions: what company is the best to work with? I am not in a position to be on commissions right now. I could work with a draw.

Who would help me the most with product training and support???

Forever grateful for your feedback..

trish