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It seems to me that every top producer I know or that I have discussed their story with, started from nothing.
I have seen well funded agents try to do this business and they seem to be the ones that fall out first.
Of course if someone could come into this business well funded and a plan B in place makes sense on paper. But in reality it just doesn't work like that.
What I've seen is the agents that have to make it, make it at a far higher percentage.
There is no easy button. Everyone is searching for it. And some recruiters push the easy narrative. They will use someone like me as an example, "look at JD, he's in the field 2 days a week and writes over $200K every year". Implying I only work field days. They completely ignore that the real work is the non field days. I had to tell my prior IMO to stop doing that.
I've been really lucky with my choices. My first IMO was really focused on teaching agents to sell life insurance back then. I say then because that's not their focus today.
My first FMO for Medicare sales was training focused back then too. They are not now.
My first FE IMO was training focused but especially so if you were under one particular RD, which I was. An RD I met because of this forum.
I would not have made it at my first FE IMO had he not been my direct upline. I butted heads with the marketer from the start. Looking back it was mostly my fault. But regardless of fault, it happened. I was taken off the lead program.
Only because of Travis Tubbs did I stay. Only because of Travis Tubbs did they let me stay.
Travis has a way of approaching this business and looking at this business that no other FE recruiter/trainer I've ever run across has. It is a true holistic approach. Everything matters. EFWC. If an agent comes into FEX and follows what Travis teaches to the letter, they will be successful.
I say I've been with only 2 FE IMO's and technically that's true. But really only one since Travis was my RD at the other one.
I just went with him when he started FEX. Mostly loyalty at that point. I'm a loyal person. Travis stepped up and was loyal to me so I was loyal to him when he started a new venture.
Travis' pitch to me was very simple, "I'm outta here. I'm starting an IMO focused on agents first and I would like you to join us. (At that point there was to be 3 owners), I know you are well established here and successful here and I will not be mad if you chose to stay."
It took me a minute or less to say "I'm in"
I have now worked with Travis for 15 years. He is one of my best friends in the world outside of insurance and my best friend in insurance.
I have seen agents come and go. The ones that have gone have been for a myriad of reasons. The ones that have stayed have one thing in common, they all listened. They all took the coaching and applied it. They didn't fight the system.
I did the same. It wasn't Travis' system. For me it was the Hudgen's system. We had hard copies and cassette tapes. I was still showing horses then. I listened to those tapes going and coming. My wife heard them so much she could do the Hudgen's presentation. I learned it word for word. And put it in practice word for word.
I did that because they knew how to sell life insurance and I didn't. I hated parts of it. But I followed it anyway. And it worked. I sold life insurance. As I got better and over time I removed the parts I hated and made it more of my own. But to this day I still use some of it.
The agents I see that immerse themselves in the system at FEX make it.
I tell agents that chose other IMO's now to do the same. Go all in with that IMO. Follow what they teach or don't go there.
I get calls, emails and texts regularly about getting referrals. I do get what seems to be a lot of referrals. I do not ask for referrals. I'm a firm believer referrals are earned.
When I start telling these agents everything I do to earn referrals they balk. Especially when I start telling them I deliver all policies. "I'm not gonna deliver policies, what else you got?"
It goes kinda like that on the rest. They want the referral easy button too.
This is hard work. It's mentally taxing. And even if one can do the work, many cannot run a business. They can't make their own schedule and stick to it. And the family has to be on board.
It's a wonderful career. It just doesn't fall in your lap though.
