So I've decided to branch away from the Allstate call center and start my own agency. As of right now I have P&C licenses and will eventually get L&H with a medicare supplement license as well.
I have 16 months of PL experience and sales but I was in a call center, not a local agent's office. I'm trying to see the best way to get everything done on my own two feet since it's apparent that I can't seem to find someone that isn't either trying to get me to buy a franchise store with them, make six figures working part-time at night after buying a 2k selling system, or poach a book of business into their agency from Allstate.
Thus far here is what I'm thinking but would like to see if anyone else has any ideas:
Contact the carriers directly and see if they are willing to appointment me with a business plan I have set up to target 2-3 particular SIC codes for commercial and then also for personal lines. What exactly do they look for in such a presentation and will this be even feasible starting off from the bottom up?
I'm trying to research who has the best insurance rates in my area and try to get those appointments. When looking at Smartchoice, for example, they don't have some of the carriers that many people would like to see such as progressive, liberty mutual, and the like. Also, *I would like to have my own book of business rather than have someone else own it for me and I get commissions* Though if I ABSOLUTELY have to give this right up then I guess I will.
Looking into a cluster around my area, with Smartchoice looking the nicest right now. however, I am not familiar with any of the carriers there and they are looking to take like 25-40% of the commissions, and then I don't get the commissions directly to me. Smartchoice cuts me the check. However, I would have my own book of business, though I think it'd be a hassle to move them when I no longer need their assistance.
I also need to find an excellent place to ask questions if the need arises besides these forums. I know how to write a homeowners, for example, but I don't know how to look at the home and tell if the roof is an unacceptable risk for the policy or not unless there is something blatantly obvious. I also don't know a few of the nuances in auto such as if the Medical payments are used before health insurance, or after, though I believe the med pay can be used to cover deductibles that the health insurance has for the insured.
I also need a system in order to quote people with my current carriers, though I don't know if this is provided by the carriers themselves or not. I would also like a way to pull the credit, MVR, and the like and give an exact, final quote rather than a tentative one only to find out that a ticket everyone forgot has raised the premium on a young driver, or a property claim that was made 5 years ago was actually 2.5 years ago (true stories all around.)
But really, I guess the 2 points I need help with are the following:
-Getting contracts from *somewhere* and how. I'll even contract under another agency to get the carriers if necessary and never hear from them again, but I'd like to try to get direct appointments from carriers through meetings and business plans. One of the issues with annoying carriers until I get the appointments are that it could take FOREVER to get appointed, which is lost time and leads expiring with people I have.
-Getting someone to talk to if I have questions on the coverages on a policy. I know a lot of that comes from my own experience and training (CIC for example should probably cover a bit of this) but people always have random circumstances that make it hard to answer all of the questions off the top of our heads. I also have several friends who are in their own business that would probably like my assistance, as well as some others that probably need scheduled items and safety deposit box items protected.
I can provide my own leads and have several contacts to get started, but I don't know how to get myself off the ground and get running. Smartchoice looks interesting but I'm not familiar with all of their carriers and would like to obtain a few more on my own if possible. And there aren't any real agencies in the area willing to take me on. The mentor I was going to have crapped out on me due to some other reason he isn't explaining to me.
For reference, these are the carriers provided in my area for smartchoice:
Hartford CL
Alpha Alliance
Central Insurance
Discovery
Donagal
GMAC
Foremost
Lincoln Financial Group
Instrust
Mobilehome Insurance
MetLife Auto & Home
One Beacon
NC Grange
Travelers (PL and CL)
Safeco
Main Street
Zurich
MedLink
Encompass
Prime Insurance
I don't see a few other ones here that people recognize like Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Farmers, Fireman's fund, The Harford (personal lines) and the like. I'd prefer to obtain these just so that way I have names people recognize; it's partially for my reputation. If someone wants a quote and I have these (in their opinion) no-named insurance companies but not some of the bigger ones in the area then they will take me less seriously. It's already been said to me by a friend who isn't versed in insurance at all.
Can anyone point me in the right direction in how to get this off the ground? I'm roaring to go but it seems that I'm caught wheels spinning in the mud.
I have 16 months of PL experience and sales but I was in a call center, not a local agent's office. I'm trying to see the best way to get everything done on my own two feet since it's apparent that I can't seem to find someone that isn't either trying to get me to buy a franchise store with them, make six figures working part-time at night after buying a 2k selling system, or poach a book of business into their agency from Allstate.
Thus far here is what I'm thinking but would like to see if anyone else has any ideas:
Contact the carriers directly and see if they are willing to appointment me with a business plan I have set up to target 2-3 particular SIC codes for commercial and then also for personal lines. What exactly do they look for in such a presentation and will this be even feasible starting off from the bottom up?
I'm trying to research who has the best insurance rates in my area and try to get those appointments. When looking at Smartchoice, for example, they don't have some of the carriers that many people would like to see such as progressive, liberty mutual, and the like. Also, *I would like to have my own book of business rather than have someone else own it for me and I get commissions* Though if I ABSOLUTELY have to give this right up then I guess I will.
Looking into a cluster around my area, with Smartchoice looking the nicest right now. however, I am not familiar with any of the carriers there and they are looking to take like 25-40% of the commissions, and then I don't get the commissions directly to me. Smartchoice cuts me the check. However, I would have my own book of business, though I think it'd be a hassle to move them when I no longer need their assistance.
I also need to find an excellent place to ask questions if the need arises besides these forums. I know how to write a homeowners, for example, but I don't know how to look at the home and tell if the roof is an unacceptable risk for the policy or not unless there is something blatantly obvious. I also don't know a few of the nuances in auto such as if the Medical payments are used before health insurance, or after, though I believe the med pay can be used to cover deductibles that the health insurance has for the insured.
I also need a system in order to quote people with my current carriers, though I don't know if this is provided by the carriers themselves or not. I would also like a way to pull the credit, MVR, and the like and give an exact, final quote rather than a tentative one only to find out that a ticket everyone forgot has raised the premium on a young driver, or a property claim that was made 5 years ago was actually 2.5 years ago (true stories all around.)
But really, I guess the 2 points I need help with are the following:
-Getting contracts from *somewhere* and how. I'll even contract under another agency to get the carriers if necessary and never hear from them again, but I'd like to try to get direct appointments from carriers through meetings and business plans. One of the issues with annoying carriers until I get the appointments are that it could take FOREVER to get appointed, which is lost time and leads expiring with people I have.
-Getting someone to talk to if I have questions on the coverages on a policy. I know a lot of that comes from my own experience and training (CIC for example should probably cover a bit of this) but people always have random circumstances that make it hard to answer all of the questions off the top of our heads. I also have several friends who are in their own business that would probably like my assistance, as well as some others that probably need scheduled items and safety deposit box items protected.
I can provide my own leads and have several contacts to get started, but I don't know how to get myself off the ground and get running. Smartchoice looks interesting but I'm not familiar with all of their carriers and would like to obtain a few more on my own if possible. And there aren't any real agencies in the area willing to take me on. The mentor I was going to have crapped out on me due to some other reason he isn't explaining to me.
For reference, these are the carriers provided in my area for smartchoice:
Hartford CL
Alpha Alliance
Central Insurance
Discovery
Donagal
GMAC
Foremost
Lincoln Financial Group
Instrust
Mobilehome Insurance
MetLife Auto & Home
One Beacon
NC Grange
Travelers (PL and CL)
Safeco
Main Street
Zurich
MedLink
Encompass
Prime Insurance
I don't see a few other ones here that people recognize like Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Farmers, Fireman's fund, The Harford (personal lines) and the like. I'd prefer to obtain these just so that way I have names people recognize; it's partially for my reputation. If someone wants a quote and I have these (in their opinion) no-named insurance companies but not some of the bigger ones in the area then they will take me less seriously. It's already been said to me by a friend who isn't versed in insurance at all.
Can anyone point me in the right direction in how to get this off the ground? I'm roaring to go but it seems that I'm caught wheels spinning in the mud.
