What is the Best Way to Get Started?

[billyg]

Who all uses laptops on the road? I would prefer to use a GPS for directions and use my desktop at my home office, rather than toting one around.

I started by taking a laptop in the field. I am starting to move away from doing it. There are a few carriers that have mobile apps for calculating premiums (on my android), and these are my primary carriers. For all of the others, I am going back to the rate sheets. The reasons I don't want to carry a laptop:

• It's heavy, especially with everything else I carry.
• I almost never use it in an appointment, sometimes at a starbucks
• The few times I did use it in appointments, I think the customers might have felt a little put off.

 

[Frank Stastny]

I started by taking a laptop in the field. I am starting to move away from doing it. There are a few carriers that have mobile apps for calculating premiums (on my android), and these are my primary carriers. For all of the others, I am going back to the rate sheets. The reasons I don't want to carry a laptop:

• It's heavy, especially with everything else I carry.
• I almost never use it in an appointment, sometimes at a starbucks
• The few times I did use it in appointments, I think the customers might have felt a little put off.

I only work the senior market now. I would never bring a laptop on an appointment. I feel it does put them off a little plus if you bring a laptop for the purpose of showing them something they will have to be sitting next to you.

I want the prospect sitting across from me so I can see their eyes and read their body language.

 

[GreenSky]

I only work the senior market now. I would never bring a laptop on an appointment. I feel it does put them off a little plus if you bring a laptop for the purpose of showing them something they will have to be sitting next to you.

I want the prospect sitting across from me so I can see their eyes and read their body language.

Frank, we find it hard to believe you even have a computer.

Rick

 

[jacobtn]

Like I said before, opinions with no proof of what they are doing.

My numbers just updated and my group has $111,783 turned in as of today for new AP.....On pace for another record setting month!

Just because you are selling a lot of $hit doesnt change it from being $hit.

Can you start selling out in east tn? We need more folks out here carrying lincoln heritage. I know I get warm and fuzzy when I come across their policies.

 

[jdeasy]

Just because you are selling a lot of doesnt change it from being .

Can you start selling out in east tn? We need more folks out here carrying lincoln heritage. I know I get warm and fuzzy when I come across their policies.

Me too!! I replaced two LH policies yesterday. Putting people in a better place and also getting rid of LH policies. Doesn't get much better than that.

 

[Rearden]

As long as I get first dibs at them, Jacob...

Just because you are selling a lot of doesnt change it from being .

Can you start selling out in east tn? We need more folks out here carrying lincoln heritage. I know I get warm and fuzzy when I come across their policies.

 

[flashprash65]

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER assign commission. Against my better judgement, I did it for one med supp carrier/FMO, and it's been a disaster.

Having said that, Neither EFES or Securus require you to assign commissions. They are really FMOs, not traditional agencies. With both companies, you are still independent, so you can contract with carriers outside of the FMO's offering. However, in both cases, you need to make sure to place business generated from their leads with their carriers.

EFES will advance the lead cost and give you 10 days to pay for them after delivery. Securus makes you pay up front and then it will be about 3 weeks for the 1st delivery. So you will have more money invested up front with Securus. Securus is a flat rate (about $21/lead), where EFES is a sliding scale depending on your production. Securus dos not base their cost or commitment to deliver leads on your production, where EFES does. So with EFES, we've heard agents complain that they did not get the volume of leads requested after they had a few bad weeks. With Securus, this doesn't seem to be a problem.

They both have good training and a lot of training resources available to their contracted agents. They both have working managers that are top producers in their own right.

I would strongly recommend going with one of them, either EFES or Securus for a motivated green agent. To try to figure it all out on your own as a complete independent is tough. Too many potential mines in the road. Its much better to have the support of a strong team behind you.

Best wishes to you in NOVA.

This was really helpful... Thanks
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I don't know about Securus, but one sure doesn't have to invest that kind of money to get going with EFES. Less than $500 will get an agent going with EFES.

And as others have advised, Todd King would be a good starting place as well.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Where from in N Va? My Mom was from Fredericksburg. Still have quite a bit of family there.

You said Todd King would be a good starting place? Do you have a way i can contact him??

 

[jdeasy]

This was really helpful... Thanks
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


You said Todd King would be a good starting place? Do you have a way i can contact him??

He is right here on the forums and has his contact info in his signature.

 

[pfs.bjohnson]

@Reardon, and others...

for me, I do have sales experience. I have cold called in person & on the phone... set appointments... managed difficult clients, etc.

Not afraid of hard work, and am persistent to the bitter end, so failure is not an option for me. If I commit, there is no turning back.

The assignment of commissions scares the heck out of me, and I am guessing that most agencies, including Equita/EFES want you to assign commissions to them for a period of time, correct?

Much like in baseball, on an appointment to appointment basis, you will fail more than you succeed. It is very frustrating at first but then you will realize that it's part of the "process." At the end of the day, or week rather, you look up and you've made $1500 to $2500 only running appointments a couple, three days all the while striking out on 60 to 70% of your appointments. That's the FE business. Get fired up!

 

[FEX Quotes]

Back to a question I posted earlier --

Who all uses laptops on the road? I would prefer to use a GPS for directions and use my desktop at my home office, rather than toting one around.

For Final Expense all you need is your phone and FEXmobile.com