- 748
Looks like M&M needs to get some facts straight.
Thought this may come in handy for you
What NOT to Do as a New Agent Getting Started
- Thread starter InsuranceBenefitsGroup
- Start date
Thought this may come in handy for you
- 1,328
Actually a line is forever.
A diamond is forever...
- 933
I agree that any newly licensed agent entering the business should start captive until they have a grasp on sales, products, their state's market etc. Has any seasoned agent on this board started indy?
Being newly licensed and thinking an association will get you off the ground is wishful thinking. You can buy as many discounted leads as you want, grab a Norvax quote engine and get some great marketing ideas...feel great about all the money you're going to make because of the ROI numbers thrown around...but without enduring all the rejection we've all experienced, thinking on our feet when when it comes to objections, knowing every plan in our state and having the confidence in our recommendations...these newly licensed agents will slowly fade out without an organization holding their hand, training them, encouraging them through the lows etc.
From my perspective, the association is great for agents coming from captive outfits or still new in the business and have a handle on their market, which I believe is their core membership. Also any agent that buys leads should join. For newly licensed agents with no clue about their state's market, you need to hook up with someone from your state or a captive agency to start. In my opinion, it's the quickest way to ramp up.
Being newly licensed and thinking an association will get you off the ground is wishful thinking. You can buy as many discounted leads as you want, grab a Norvax quote engine and get some great marketing ideas...feel great about all the money you're going to make because of the ROI numbers thrown around...but without enduring all the rejection we've all experienced, thinking on our feet when when it comes to objections, knowing every plan in our state and having the confidence in our recommendations...these newly licensed agents will slowly fade out without an organization holding their hand, training them, encouraging them through the lows etc.
From my perspective, the association is great for agents coming from captive outfits or still new in the business and have a handle on their market, which I believe is their core membership. Also any agent that buys leads should join. For newly licensed agents with no clue about their state's market, you need to hook up with someone from your state or a captive agency to start. In my opinion, it's the quickest way to ramp up.
- Staff
- #15
I go with walk softly and carry a big stick......send your $19.95 to stibroker at po box 746 cedar park texas......
- 14,808
I don't have many members at all where the ink's drying on their license. 95% of all members have been in the biz for a while - most coming out of some of the more unethical shops around.
Recently, I've had an influx of agents well into 2, 3, 5 years as agents - by month's end I should have over 20 companies all offering discounts....which you will not be able to get on your own.
When I line up discounts with vendors I discuss that it's of no real value if the member's discount can be negotiated by just anyone. All have agreed.
As membership grows so do the discounts. Most members have never posted on this board - they know about it but are not "board posters."
You can assume that all agents are inclined to get their information from posting on boards - I will tell you that's not the case. I'd also ask whether or not you want hundreds of agents on this board, all asking for information. Would get real old real fast.
The bottom line is if you want to run 4 weeks worth of searches on this forum and try to grab information from 500 different posts that's fine. Most would rather pay the rather steep fee of $19.95/mo and get it all at once....and ongoing for a year.
- 748
I did my "training" with Mega (It was PFL back in 1990).
I week of classroom training. (I was not allowed to bring a pillow). Most of this consisted of the NASE booklet and how bad Blue Cross, Aetna etc are.
"Field training"
I listened to my district manager make a few phone calls, from telephone room leads, and set up a couple of appointments.
The following day we set off to run 5 (Yes five) appointments.
3 of them no showed, the other 2 were no money and no checking account. Total income from this day ZERO, not to mention wasted time and petrol.
From this "training I learned quite a lot.
1. How not to set appointments (I'll be in your area etc)
2. The Mega credo of NOT quoting prices is totally stupid.
3. Managers don't know S*** from shinola when it comes to product knowledge. Mind you, they knew all of the bad points of the competition.
The following day I got on the telephone and set some appointments, quoted them an exact price, and qualified the hell out of them, including that this was going to be a bank draft.
First week I sold three, and have never looked back. (Without the hour wasted on trying to explain how NASE would pay for the insurance).
Obviously if you are able to hook up with an ethical local agent who will let you listen in and sit in on some appointments, this is the best training of all. You may have to split or forgo your commissions, but it is worth every penny.
I week of classroom training. (I was not allowed to bring a pillow). Most of this consisted of the NASE booklet and how bad Blue Cross, Aetna etc are.
"Field training"
I listened to my district manager make a few phone calls, from telephone room leads, and set up a couple of appointments.
The following day we set off to run 5 (Yes five) appointments.
3 of them no showed, the other 2 were no money and no checking account. Total income from this day ZERO, not to mention wasted time and petrol.
From this "training I learned quite a lot.
1. How not to set appointments (I'll be in your area etc)
2. The Mega credo of NOT quoting prices is totally stupid.
3. Managers don't know S*** from shinola when it comes to product knowledge. Mind you, they knew all of the bad points of the competition.
The following day I got on the telephone and set some appointments, quoted them an exact price, and qualified the hell out of them, including that this was going to be a bank draft.
First week I sold three, and have never looked back. (Without the hour wasted on trying to explain how NASE would pay for the insurance).
Obviously if you are able to hook up with an ethical local agent who will let you listen in and sit in on some appointments, this is the best training of all. You may have to split or forgo your commissions, but it is worth every penny.
- 9,744
Thank you Expat. You've made my point very eloquently. As my Dad used to say, "you can even learn something from a moron."
When I asked him what, he'd say, "how NOT to be a moron."
- 748
- Staff
- #20
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