New agent question

[WinoBlues]

Free leads come with a price.

Often extremely old, over-worked and over-sold.

If you find a place that will allow you to work part-time (your hours, not theirs) and give you free leads, you will probably quit within a few months.

Some of us (myself included) worked as a FULL TIME salaried rep in an agency or for a carrier before going out on their own. Working on a salary there were no "free leads". We had to find and cultivate prospects on our own.

In some cases you could be given a territory with existing customers but it was often the territory with the worst track record.

I spent the first dozen years or so taking over areas where the rep before me was a complete screw-up so I became the clean-up man (not in the baseball sense). By the time I turned the territory around from last place to first I was assigned a new territory and had to start all over. Same salary, no bonus. I had to EARN my bonuses.

Of course this was 45 years ago so I am sure things are much easier today.

Same

At 50% comp. As earned, full underwriting, pick up two months check, everything done by snail mail, turn around time 60 - 90 days average. No cell phones or internet.

But I got free leads. Well, actually I got a worked over client list.

 

[somarco]

No cell phones or internet.

My first cellphone circa 1988



Before that I used this

 

[DayTimer]

Calling yourself a field underwriter is gross. It's trying to puff yourself up more than you have to..

Again, I don't use the term, and I do not see it as you do, especially when a number of FE companies with whom I am contracted explicitly refers to its FE agents as "field underwriters." I don't think it is "puffery."

In my opinion, outside of a client's family I am likely one of the five most important people in his or her life. No need for false pride. And if some calling himself a "field underwriter" is what it takes to get a member of the public to hear our message and put him- or herself and the family in a much better position, so be it.

You seem a bit touchy. Everything ok?

 

[Travis Price]

Again, I don't use the term, and I do not see it as you do, especially when a number of FE companies with whom I am contracted explicitly refers to its FE agents as "field underwriters." I don't think it is "puffery."

In my opinion, outside of a client's family I am likely one of the five most important people in his or her life. No need for false pride. And if some calling himself a "field underwriter" is what it takes to get a member of the public to hear our message and put him- or herself and the family in a much better position, so be it.

You seem a bit touchy. Everything ok?

Yes sir, thank you for asking. I was essentially agreeing that I may be letting my opinion bias what is generally done and I probably don't know what I'm talking about.

Simply stating an opinion.. it's gross to me..

I do telesales, Medicare, and inbound leads.. so my approach isn't getting the appointment.. I already have it. It's earning trust, finding an issue, creating a solution, and doing an app.

It's likely why I don't sell FE.

That's all. Sorry if it was coming off as aggressive.

 

[BarryNY]

But you also need training: you need a script to get in the door and a scripted presentation once you are inside.

if anyone here tells you that you do not need a script, that person is wrong.

Everyone who performs at a high level in sales has a scripted prospecting pitch and a scripted presentation. Now, you wouldn't know it to listen to them in action anymore than you are aware of a the script when watching a movie. The reason for the script is to keep you and the sale moving toward the goal: getting a yes decision from the prospect.

This right there is tremendous advice.

You are giving a performance...especially with telesales...your tone and how you communicate empathy are extremely important...

Never forget - People will do business with people they know, like & trust...

 

[rousemark]

Please don't call yourself a field underwriter.

I get that some people believe that calling themselves an insurance agent may put them at a disadvantage, but that field underwriter is double speak and a bit manipulative/cringy.

Hey this X. The reason I'm calling today is because YOU filled out a form requesting more information about X insurance.

I'm wondering, what's going on to make you think about X insurance now?

Some people like to just sell the appointment. That's fine.. I guess. But shoving an appointment down someone's throat is so... Meh..

Use the phone to learn a little more about the person before you just show up. You don't have to do a full prequal.. but finding out what's going on and building a few minutes of rapport w/10-20 leads to find a pain point is only going to help you.

That old sales grind system doesn't really help you anymore. With the expansion of the internet, people don't really need you for life insurance. You need to.offer something bigger.

Field Underwriter has been a legitimate description of what we do as long as I have been in the business. And that has been a LONG time!

I never us the term but there is nothing wrong with it. Many company manuals will tell you that you are the field underwriter and they depend upon you do do your job correctly. Some applications, especially FE applications require the agent to perform underwriting chores when they ask the agent to make the decisions to whether or not an application should be submitted and at what rate based on the answers to the application.

Personally, I think insurance agent best describes what I do and what my obligations are and therefore that is the title I prefer. Years ago when I was recruiting I used Agency Owner but no more.

 

[rousemark]

Yes sir, thank you for asking. I was essentially agreeing that I may be letting my opinion bias what is generally done and I probably don't know what I'm talking about.

Simply stating an opinion.. it's gross to me..

I do telesales, Medicare, and inbound leads.. so my approach isn't getting the appointment.. I already have it. It's earning trust, finding an issue, creating a solution, and doing an app.

It's likely why I don't sell FE.

That's all. Sorry if it was coming off as aggressive.

Not aggressive.. Just stating your opinion which everyone should have the right to do. All of us have our little "quirks" that tend to annoy us.

 

[Travis Price]

Not aggressive.. Just stating your opinion which everyone should have the right to do. All of us have our little "quirks" that tend to annoy us.

No, no... On this one I shat the bed.

First off, I didn't realize I was in the Life insurance forum. I thought I was in either getting started or general. As soon as the discussion was FE, I really should have not said anything.

I have heard people call themselves Field Underwriters, even in Medicare... And that's always make me puke a little.

FE is not Medicare, and the sales process doesn't transition the same. I mean, it all works the same, but nuisances are different.

I worked Industrial Life for like 2 months and I hated every minute of it. I own a small whole life policy on my in-laws, my dad, my wife and myself, but we're not the same as grinding it out day in day out.

Just like I shouldn't give any advice on DI, I should on FE. I just don't know the market.

I spoke outside of my expertise, so my bad.

 

[rousemark]

No, no... On this one I shat the bed.

First off, I didn't realize I was in the Life insurance forum. I thought I was in either getting started or general. As soon as the discussion was FE, I really should have not said anything.

I have heard people call themselves Field Underwriters, even in Medicare... And that's always make me puke a little.

FE is not Medicare, and the sales process doesn't transition the same. I mean, it all works the same, but nuisances are different.

I worked Industrial Life for like 2 months and I hated every minute of it. I own a small whole life policy on my in-laws, my dad, my wife and myself, but we're not the same as grinding it out day in day out.

Just like I shouldn't give any advice on DI, I should on FE. I just don't know the market.

I spoke outside of my expertise, so my bad.

Even the agents in the health arena are referred to as Field Underwriters. The national association is the National Association of Health Underwriters.. The life folks were The National Association of Life Underwriters until they got too fancy for such a demeaning title and changed to National Association of Life Insurance and Financial Advisors . Haven't been a member since. I am a salesman not an advisor. I can advise all day long and my family will starve to death. I don't get paid for giving advice... And, that brings us to my little "quirk" about titles. I do not think a person should use the title advisor unless their compensation is fee based.

 

[Travis Price]

Even the agents in the health arena are referred to as Field Underwriters. The national association is the National Association of Health Underwriters.. The life folks were The National Association of Life Underwriters until they got too fancy for such a demeaning title and changed to National Association of Life Insurance and Financial Advisors . Haven't been a member since. I am a salesman not an advisor. I can advise all day long and my family will starve to death. I don't get paid for giving advice... And, that brings us to my little "quirk" about titles. I do not think a person should use the title advisor unless their compensation is fee based.

That's what I'm saying... I'm an insurance agent. I find that I feel gross. That's me. I shouldn't project that on others.