Newer P&C Agent - Couple Questions

[ZMonster]

Hi Everyone -

I am a newer P/C producer and the independent agency I am working with has me on a 50/50 for new and renewing, which I understand to be very generous. It is a small agency with two owners and myself and I plan on being here for a while but my questions are:

What kind of support should I expect from my agency? Both in customer servicing and in sales support.

Are most non-owner agents stuck at a set xx/xx cut? Or are there sliding commission scales based on the size of the book?

What does my agency expect from me as far as performance is concerned?

I understand that every case is different but I am wondering if there is an industry norm or if there is a resource out there somewhere available to new agents that will fill us in on what to expect from our agency, as well as what they expect from new agents.

I look forward to your responses!

 

[Aram Fingal]

There are almost as many ways to compensate producers as there are producers. Some pay a straight up split on commissions, some will do a base salary plus a smaller split, some will do a salary and then bonus based on production.

Looking for a "standard" compensation isn't going to do you any good, because there isn't one really. If what you're asking us is actually whether or not we think your particular compensation plan is fair, then you have to answer a few questions. Are you getting any support from your agent? For instance are they providing you office space, office supplies, a phone, leads, etc? Are you expected to service your clients or do they have CSRs for that? What kind of P&C are you selling, commercial or personal lines? If personal lines, is the agency preferred or non-standard or a mix?

And why are you asking us what your agency expects from you as far as performance? Haven't they outlined that for you? If they haven't, that's a red flag to me. If they're just telling you "as much production as possible" then they haven't really thought it out themselves.