CGreen, for instance, if someone on Clicks on my ad from North Carolina and fills out my online form on my site, I'm CC'd in an email, which is sent directly to my contact at MetLife or I can just copy and paste the info for MetLifeGA to call them. After two attempts and they can't get a hold of them, I try up to five more times and then transfer the call or set up a time for the MetLife GA staff member to talk with them. That lead at most cost me $1.50, if they clicked to get to my site. It's not like I'm spending $12 from one of these Internet lead companies and competing with up to 7 agents. I've grown past that.
As for Farmers GA, I'm unsure how the DOI will stop them or stop Farmers Agents from brokering business. Farmers is quasi-independent/captive hybrid. The Farmers GA main relationship and partnership is with Program Administrators or MGA's that offer Zurich products as well sub-producer appointments with Chubb, BTIS, CNA, Hiscox, and of course it's biggest partnership is with the Insurance Noodle, which Farmers Agents utilize to broker Safeco, Hartford, Travelers, USLI and others as a sub-producer.
I utilize Farmers GA for commercial writing only in my non-resident states and utilize BTIS and USLI the most in my non-resident states, except for the entertainment side, which Farmers GA doesn't touch and I already a firm relationship with the carriers, administrators or GA's, which I retail and wholesale those lines of business for.
I wish my books were bigger. As a Farmers Agent I focus on Farmers products locally, specially homeowners.
Nationally, I enjoy do entertainment insurance.
I see the MetLifeGA as additional agency producer selling additional products, which in turn helps me focus on my selling Farmers locally and of course my bread and butter, entertainment products. Plus I don't have to pay them hourly to quote, call, sell, nor service those clients.
CGreen, I see where you are coming from, if you were personally trying to write it and service it and spending money on purchasing leads or referring your primary base of clients there I can see how that split night be an issue and I would want to leave too. I'm not doing that and have no issue. I'm just outsourcing my agencies personal lines and standard commercial lines side for my non-resident states out to MetLifeGA. It's a win-win situation. I own the expirations and can roll those policies later to another GA, if I want. For commercial, I'll roll it to the Farmers GA prior to the renewal, where I'll get a much better split, plus it helps with my agency's overall profitability bonus,that Farmers pays quarterly out.
If I ever get Farmers appointments in my non-resident states, I certainly will have customers to already solicit to.
I'll be honest to say, that until about 6 months ago, I was only focusing on entertainment insurance in my non-resident states, but when I switched from purchasing leads to pay-per-click, I started to thinking about others was on making secondary income utilizing my non-resident licenses. I started to looking at outsourcing and that's how I learned about the MetLifeGA. Which recently I was approved and it's been hard up to know to place that personal lines business with anyone, till got that sub-producer appointment.
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Again sorry for any Grammar or Spelling mistakes. I'm on my cell. Lol.
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Bww143,
It is hard for them too, but that's where you may want to show some interest in purcashing the agency from them when they retire or have the first right of refusal, if they suddenly pass and there family members take it over.
That's s conversation you will need to have with them.
Agents hate loosing great producers. Specially those who they invested time and money in and made them lots of cash!
----------
By the way when I'm referring to the Farmers GA I mean the general agency, which Farmers owns-operates and not the state of Georgia.
As for Farmers GA, I'm unsure how the DOI will stop them or stop Farmers Agents from brokering business. Farmers is quasi-independent/captive hybrid. The Farmers GA main relationship and partnership is with Program Administrators or MGA's that offer Zurich products as well sub-producer appointments with Chubb, BTIS, CNA, Hiscox, and of course it's biggest partnership is with the Insurance Noodle, which Farmers Agents utilize to broker Safeco, Hartford, Travelers, USLI and others as a sub-producer.
I utilize Farmers GA for commercial writing only in my non-resident states and utilize BTIS and USLI the most in my non-resident states, except for the entertainment side, which Farmers GA doesn't touch and I already a firm relationship with the carriers, administrators or GA's, which I retail and wholesale those lines of business for.
I wish my books were bigger. As a Farmers Agent I focus on Farmers products locally, specially homeowners.
Nationally, I enjoy do entertainment insurance.
I see the MetLifeGA as additional agency producer selling additional products, which in turn helps me focus on my selling Farmers locally and of course my bread and butter, entertainment products. Plus I don't have to pay them hourly to quote, call, sell, nor service those clients.
CGreen, I see where you are coming from, if you were personally trying to write it and service it and spending money on purchasing leads or referring your primary base of clients there I can see how that split night be an issue and I would want to leave too. I'm not doing that and have no issue. I'm just outsourcing my agencies personal lines and standard commercial lines side for my non-resident states out to MetLifeGA. It's a win-win situation. I own the expirations and can roll those policies later to another GA, if I want. For commercial, I'll roll it to the Farmers GA prior to the renewal, where I'll get a much better split, plus it helps with my agency's overall profitability bonus,that Farmers pays quarterly out.
If I ever get Farmers appointments in my non-resident states, I certainly will have customers to already solicit to.
I'll be honest to say, that until about 6 months ago, I was only focusing on entertainment insurance in my non-resident states, but when I switched from purchasing leads to pay-per-click, I started to thinking about others was on making secondary income utilizing my non-resident licenses. I started to looking at outsourcing and that's how I learned about the MetLifeGA. Which recently I was approved and it's been hard up to know to place that personal lines business with anyone, till got that sub-producer appointment.
----------
Again sorry for any Grammar or Spelling mistakes. I'm on my cell. Lol.
----------
Bww143,
It is hard for them too, but that's where you may want to show some interest in purcashing the agency from them when they retire or have the first right of refusal, if they suddenly pass and there family members take it over.
That's s conversation you will need to have with them.
Agents hate loosing great producers. Specially those who they invested time and money in and made them lots of cash!
----------
By the way when I'm referring to the Farmers GA I mean the general agency, which Farmers owns-operates and not the state of Georgia.