farmers insurance agent- good career choice?

[Harold falcon]



I am currently working for an agent for this company and I have to say I do not agree with this stuff. I am going for my P&C license. I started as only the office manager. Its me and the agent in this office and we have another office with another agent there. I know that to get my license I will pay $177.00 and that is for books and the 2 day class for my PA license. I've been here almost a year and have no complaints and yes we still use the phone book scrub the numbers and make calls I have gotten some business from that. I will remain here in the office doing the same that I do now but my pay will be less and I will get 50% of my commission and the agent will get the other 50% this goes both ways i will also get 50% of his sales just for this office he splits with the other agent as well. So I get a flat hourly rate and commission. As long as I bring business he has no problem paying out to me. I have not sold to any of my friends or family at all. When I see more commission rolling in things may change and I will go full commission but that's on my terms. Still I will not pay to start my own business I will work with my agent we are working on I do all P&C stuff (auto and home) he wants a commercial agent for all our commercial policies and that give him time to go to life appointments and oversee the rest. We do  many more lines of insurance also and I am quite busy from 9-6 these are my office hours which also will stay the same. This also will give me more freedom and I will be able to work from home as well on days that I really have to.

My suggestion..........don't go in business yourself at first work for an agent with the company and see how things go and go from there. I happen to work for a great person and I am very thankful for that and when you work for the company stay at least a year before committing to anything then work out the license and pay with the agent you work for. 

 

[agent007]

Good luck to you Carey P, you're one of the fortunate ones! I'm desperately looking for a exit!!!!!!!!

 

[Harold falcon]



He put a big push for this one particular meeting as some big shot was going to be there. So finally I relented and went. The big shot speaker started off with,

Don't ******* keep us in suspense you ****.

 

[Piobaire]

This thread just never stops delivering. It goes into hibernation and then comes back with gold.

 

[breanne]

If you think there is nobody to sell to other than your friends and family, please never go into sales. Most insurance, i.e auto insurance or homeowners insurance if you have a mortgagee, is required by law. Thus, everybody with an auto or home needs it, not just your friends and family. If you cant sell to people outside of your circle you are not a good sales person. If you have the ability to talk to everyone you see about insurance, you'll do just fine.

A percentage of that $2500 needs to be paid back to farmers after a certain amount of time, discussed in your contract, if you don't meet certain requirements. If you can sell 40 P&C policies and 5 life policies a month, you don't have to pay any of it back. They aren't there to make money off of you, you are getting all commission off of those policies. But, you are strengthening their business and building their client base, so if you are good at what you do, that's enough for them.

 

[Piobaire]

This thread is the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[Gibonius]

It's like catnip for insurance salesmen. They're lured in to defend their choice of career.

 

[HORNS]

This ******* thread

 

[Harold falcon]

******* love this thread.

 

[VaderDave]

I hadn't seen this thread before. It was very educational.

 

[MrG]

 

[Piobaire]

I have been studying this as a possible career change.

 

[Chester Cat]

Ok so I work for State Farm and am considering a career change. Everything you have said is correct about the industry if you're not a salesman. If your a salesman 40 P&C policies should be done half way through the month. I sell that in Abilene in the middle of butt **** no where. Its the law of averages you and your team run 1000 quotes half are going to say no, so you're left with 500, half of those are going to say maybe.... so then 125- 250 half of those will purchase or at least set a date to purchase depending on your close ratio..... Its called a ******* sales funnel if you don't know how it works stay the **** away from the industry for the rest of us.... unless you want us buying you book for pennies on the dollar or given away for free... so if you just do the numbers and are not a ***** you shouldn't have any problems

 

[Piobaire]

Thank you for this sincere post. So as someone with experience, would you suggest a short fat man with a bald spot could make a 100k a year living in this field? Does it help a guy get a little something something?

Ok so I work for State Farm and am considering a career change. Everything you have said is correct about the industry if you're not a salesman. If your a salesman 40 P&C policies should be done half way through the month. I sell that in Abilene in the middle of butt **** no where. Its the law of averages you and your team run 1000 quotes half are going to say no, so you're left with 500, half of those are going to say maybe.... so then 125- 250 half of those will purchase or at least set a date to purchase depending on your close ratio..... Its called a ******* sales funnel if you don't know how it works stay the **** away from the industry for the rest of us.... unless you want us buying you book for pennies on the dollar or given away for free... so if you just do the numbers and are not a ***** you shouldn't have any problems

 

[MrG]



Ok so I work for State Farm and am considering a career change. Everything you have said is correct about the industry if you're not a salesman. If your a salesman 40 P&C policies should be done half way through the month. I sell that in Abilene in the middle of butt **** no where. Its the law of averages you and your team run 1000 quotes half are going to say no, so you're left with 500, half of those are going to say maybe.... so then 125- 250 half of those will purchase or at least set a date to purchase depending on your close ratio..... Its called a ******* sales funnel if you don't know how it works stay the **** away from the industry for the rest of us.... unless you want us buying you book for pennies on the dollar or given away for free... so if you just do the numbers and are not a ***** you shouldn't have any problems

This motherfucker is ******* alpha as ****. I'm ******* glad I don't have to try to sell in his ******* market.