Request: Questions to Ask for Interview this Week

[h3r3t0l3arn]

Hello, I've completed several interviews with a large national insurance brokerage.

My next interview this week is set up like this:

The branch president & one producer in each discipline (commercial P&C, personal lines, health) will be sitting at a table.

I will have the opportunity to ask any & all questions. The purpose of this interview is so that I can learn all about the company, and gather enough information to formulate a business plan & decide which discipline I will delve into.

SO: Producers/agents with more experience than I have, what are some quality questions I can ask that will:

1. Impress my potential coworkers & potential boss
2. Allow me to gather as much information about the company
3. Allow me to form an effective business plan & decide which discipline to go into?

 

[DHK]

The more details you can give us, the more we can help you. The more detailed you can be in your interview, the better off you'll be.

I take it that you're not currently licensed in any line of insurance?

What job did you apply for? If they aren't specific enough (meaning no job description)... that might be a bad sign.

1) Impressing your boss... is not a priority, unless they are paying you an hourly wage, benefits, and bonus compensation of some kind.

2) Most of the information you may need about the company you are interviewing... is probably on their website.

3) You can't form an effective business plan until you have a license to sell and you have an idea of what lines of business the agency engages and specializes in. Let me give you a clue: that information should be readily apparent on their website.

The only job for the interview that you have... is to determine if your skills and personality are a fit for their business and the clientele they serve.

Your questions should be all about HOW they will teach & train you and how they collaborate with each other to do a better job for their clients than they could individually do by themselves.

Maybe your job is to "bird-dog" potential clients? Your job is to sell the capabilities of the firm, its specialists, and your job is to collect the data to collaborate with the entire team and put together a comprehensive insurance proposal?

The more information you can share with us, the better we can help you. But you'll notice that my post is purely about speculation, as we have no idea about what you're applying for, the agency specialization, job requirements... nothing.

Success in insurance works backwards from most other industries. The sooner you learn about yourself and where your talents lie, the better you'll do. Just because they have a training program, does not necessarily mean that you'll be successful or ideally suited for that line of insurance.

I'm a life insurance, annuity, retirement & financial planning guy (who frequently dabbles with the idea of being securities licensed again). But I know enough about myself to know that I don't want to do much of anything in health, medicare supplement, or other kinds of insurance like that, even though I'm licensed in it. I'd rather refer that out. I'm not licensed in P&C insurance, but that requires a different license and a different mentality to be successful in that field.


When you think of the field of insurance, WHO do you see yourself doing your best work with? WHAT kinds of clients do you want to serve and what kinds of insurance do you want to sell them?

If you want to work with homeowners, and your agency primarily works with business owners with commercial insurance, you're not going to mesh well because your ideals may not be compatible.

Give us more information, and we can be more helpful.

 

[h3r3t0l3arn]

I'm applying for the position of an Insurance Producer.

They will be paying me a base salary (40-60k) plus health benefits while I train, learn, and get licensed. I won't be expected to sell anything until I complete my training (12-18 months), however all the leads I refer out to will return back to my book of business after my training is completed - and I will receive a piece of the commission at first as well.

The brokerage mainly sells personal P&C lines, commercial P&C lines, and employee benefits.

Since the brokerage will be risking (betting) such a large time & monetary commitment on me, the first three interviews were lengthy, in depth, and very rigorous. However they've deemed me worthy of this fourth interview, and I am very motivated to proceed.

Any questions I can ask for the next interview will be appreciated, and any questions you have for me I will answer!

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Also, from what I've learned about the industry, I'd like to sell commercial P&C lines.

 

[GingerNinja]

Ask one question:

Which one of you makes the most money?

 

[h3r3t0l3arn]

Just thought I'd update, I got the job!

Thanks DHK, I've found that your posts on this forum are very helpful, especially the ones I read on cold calling. I'm using your survey technique and people are very receptive!

 

[DHK]

Glad to hear it!