Danielsfuture
New Member
- 13
Hello everybody I want to say that I have been reading the information in these forums for quite some time and I think its time I come out of the insurance forum closet. There is so much good information on these forums, although most is just experienced posters derailing threads which imo is quality entertainment.
I figure I should give a strong intro where I leave out nothing so that my intentions and history are out there. This way I think Ill be able to get the best advice possible from readers.
Reader Beware! Wall of text incoming.
My name is Daniel and I am interested in becoming and independent multi-line insurance agent/producer. I like to think that I have aspirations of one day opening my own agency. I hope to one day become a one stop shop being able to actually take care of and quote the best prices for my clients. One day I hope to sell and understand a large variety of products of which to offer my clients. I do however understand that I need to start somewhere and expand my knowledge over time.
Semi-recent history about myself:
I am a 27 year old graduate from the University of South Florida with a degree in Criminology. I had aspirations of going to law school when at the last minute decided that it was not the career for me. I have no debt because I worked my butt off and paid for everything myself. After college I was living in Sarasota near my family. I started working in a few restaurants to make some money. After a while I found myself working in a fine dining establishment. I realized that I felt very comfortable up selling and loved the rush of when I sold an expensive bottle of wine. I knew that a career in sales was right for me. My father is a successful financial adviser and after talking with him one night I decided to check out insurance. I was offered a job with prudential and farmers but ended up turning them down. Turns out I was turned off by how they just wanted me to sell out my family and friends on the 100 list and I did not want to sell out my family and friends unless I was 100% sure that I could take good care of them. This in the end turned me off of insurance and I ended up taking a look at an MLM company. I started selling products for Melaleuca. While I did pretty well selling their products I started to feel bad that I was selling the overpriced products that they had to purchase a minimum every month. I felt like I was taking advantage of the people I sold to and bewitching them into selling under me. So I stopped selling and looked to a different type of business, vending. I had a bit of money saved up just sitting in the bank and I was looking for something productive to do with it. I started a small vending operation mostly selling and pitching my healthy vending machines to Gyms, YMCAs, and schools. Things were looking great. All while I was selling melaleuca and servicing my vending machines I was still working at the restaurant keeping my sales verbiage sharp. A close friend of mine was working for a PEO and they were looking for a guy to do their workers comp. They offered to train me up and help me get started. This was my second look at insurance this time I got to see the inside of the business working directly with multiple carriers and their adjusters. I found myself opening and managing workers compensation claims for 20,000 employees in 20+ states. Each state had different carrier coverage. I would train the client companies staff on how to properly open and file a workers compensation claim and acted as a middle man when getting it to the carriers. After working for this company for only 5-6 months I got news that I would eventually need to move to Minnesota because my now fiance would be going to school at U of M for her masters in Occupational therapy. (getting married December 28th). This brings me to the present I am now an unemployed 27 year old living in Hastings MN who needs to get a move on with his career because I am getting married soon and am hungry to succeed!
To the insurance part!
After recently talking to a retired state farm agency owner of 25 years and reviewing endless information in this forum I have decided that Independent Agent is the way I want to go. I had no idea that one could be an independent agent until recently selling and quoting multiple carriers to find the best price for your clients is right up my alley! I want to eventually be a one stop shop opening an agency that specialized in multiple types of insurance and build a book of business that I can be proud of. But I need to start somewhere. I am getting ready to go knock on doors of surrounding agencies but I am nervous that they wont give me the time of day being green. So my current plan unless advice on here tells me otherwise is to get a job at a restaurant (do what you know) and study for the licenses during the day. I feel like I will be more attractive to an independent agency if I already have and paid for my licenses. Or maybe it is possible to get a different job at an agency while i study and sit on my tests. Id rather not have an agency pay for my licenses if they do that because I want to be attractive to them for hopes of securing a decent contract. Should I be emailing resumes/cover letters or walking in the door handing them to agency owners. I know the pitfalls and turnover of being an insurance agent as well. But I think that I have a very strong family tie/ family friend network that will allow me to get quite a few great referrals. I know how to market myself and set appointments. One thing that worries me is that I will need to get licensed in multiple states MN, FL, and prob OH. Would this be a problem? Another issue seems to be that we may move back to Sarasota after my fiance Colleen finishes school 3-4 years from now. Would my business that I do in MN follow with me to Florida to allow me enough time get started back up in a different state? Or would I need to start over from scratch. I wouldn't try and sell my friends/family then because I would want to be the one to service them and take care of them.
I am hungry to learn and get into the game. If you took the time to read all of that I thank you very much. I am willing to find any books/online training and soak everything and anything up. I am a fast learner and a hard worker. I want to know the products that I am selling inside and out, but I also want to know in my heart that I am selling a competitive product. That I can say to my grandmother confidently, "Id like to give you a quote when your insurance comes due I think I can save you some money."
If I cannot find work now at an agency and have to go to work in a restaurant again while I study for my licences. Which should I start with knowing that I intend to hold as many as I can. Maybe start with P&C, the L&H, then go for my series 6/63.
I probably left some stuff out but if any questions pop up ill keep updating. Any advice helps! I have very little financial obligation in the next 3 years and minimal expenses so I am pretty sure I wont be apart of the 92 or so percent that wash out of insurance. I am highly motivated by money and once I see the check come in it will only fuel my fire. I just want to be able to provide my future children with a decent education and a junker car when they turn 16.
Chasing the dream. Thank you for your time!
-Daniel
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Come on, fellas, one at a time. Plenty of me to go around!
I figure I should give a strong intro where I leave out nothing so that my intentions and history are out there. This way I think Ill be able to get the best advice possible from readers.
Reader Beware! Wall of text incoming.
My name is Daniel and I am interested in becoming and independent multi-line insurance agent/producer. I like to think that I have aspirations of one day opening my own agency. I hope to one day become a one stop shop being able to actually take care of and quote the best prices for my clients. One day I hope to sell and understand a large variety of products of which to offer my clients. I do however understand that I need to start somewhere and expand my knowledge over time.
Semi-recent history about myself:
I am a 27 year old graduate from the University of South Florida with a degree in Criminology. I had aspirations of going to law school when at the last minute decided that it was not the career for me. I have no debt because I worked my butt off and paid for everything myself. After college I was living in Sarasota near my family. I started working in a few restaurants to make some money. After a while I found myself working in a fine dining establishment. I realized that I felt very comfortable up selling and loved the rush of when I sold an expensive bottle of wine. I knew that a career in sales was right for me. My father is a successful financial adviser and after talking with him one night I decided to check out insurance. I was offered a job with prudential and farmers but ended up turning them down. Turns out I was turned off by how they just wanted me to sell out my family and friends on the 100 list and I did not want to sell out my family and friends unless I was 100% sure that I could take good care of them. This in the end turned me off of insurance and I ended up taking a look at an MLM company. I started selling products for Melaleuca. While I did pretty well selling their products I started to feel bad that I was selling the overpriced products that they had to purchase a minimum every month. I felt like I was taking advantage of the people I sold to and bewitching them into selling under me. So I stopped selling and looked to a different type of business, vending. I had a bit of money saved up just sitting in the bank and I was looking for something productive to do with it. I started a small vending operation mostly selling and pitching my healthy vending machines to Gyms, YMCAs, and schools. Things were looking great. All while I was selling melaleuca and servicing my vending machines I was still working at the restaurant keeping my sales verbiage sharp. A close friend of mine was working for a PEO and they were looking for a guy to do their workers comp. They offered to train me up and help me get started. This was my second look at insurance this time I got to see the inside of the business working directly with multiple carriers and their adjusters. I found myself opening and managing workers compensation claims for 20,000 employees in 20+ states. Each state had different carrier coverage. I would train the client companies staff on how to properly open and file a workers compensation claim and acted as a middle man when getting it to the carriers. After working for this company for only 5-6 months I got news that I would eventually need to move to Minnesota because my now fiance would be going to school at U of M for her masters in Occupational therapy. (getting married December 28th). This brings me to the present I am now an unemployed 27 year old living in Hastings MN who needs to get a move on with his career because I am getting married soon and am hungry to succeed!
To the insurance part!
After recently talking to a retired state farm agency owner of 25 years and reviewing endless information in this forum I have decided that Independent Agent is the way I want to go. I had no idea that one could be an independent agent until recently selling and quoting multiple carriers to find the best price for your clients is right up my alley! I want to eventually be a one stop shop opening an agency that specialized in multiple types of insurance and build a book of business that I can be proud of. But I need to start somewhere. I am getting ready to go knock on doors of surrounding agencies but I am nervous that they wont give me the time of day being green. So my current plan unless advice on here tells me otherwise is to get a job at a restaurant (do what you know) and study for the licenses during the day. I feel like I will be more attractive to an independent agency if I already have and paid for my licenses. Or maybe it is possible to get a different job at an agency while i study and sit on my tests. Id rather not have an agency pay for my licenses if they do that because I want to be attractive to them for hopes of securing a decent contract. Should I be emailing resumes/cover letters or walking in the door handing them to agency owners. I know the pitfalls and turnover of being an insurance agent as well. But I think that I have a very strong family tie/ family friend network that will allow me to get quite a few great referrals. I know how to market myself and set appointments. One thing that worries me is that I will need to get licensed in multiple states MN, FL, and prob OH. Would this be a problem? Another issue seems to be that we may move back to Sarasota after my fiance Colleen finishes school 3-4 years from now. Would my business that I do in MN follow with me to Florida to allow me enough time get started back up in a different state? Or would I need to start over from scratch. I wouldn't try and sell my friends/family then because I would want to be the one to service them and take care of them.
I am hungry to learn and get into the game. If you took the time to read all of that I thank you very much. I am willing to find any books/online training and soak everything and anything up. I am a fast learner and a hard worker. I want to know the products that I am selling inside and out, but I also want to know in my heart that I am selling a competitive product. That I can say to my grandmother confidently, "Id like to give you a quote when your insurance comes due I think I can save you some money."
If I cannot find work now at an agency and have to go to work in a restaurant again while I study for my licences. Which should I start with knowing that I intend to hold as many as I can. Maybe start with P&C, the L&H, then go for my series 6/63.
I probably left some stuff out but if any questions pop up ill keep updating. Any advice helps! I have very little financial obligation in the next 3 years and minimal expenses so I am pretty sure I wont be apart of the 92 or so percent that wash out of insurance. I am highly motivated by money and once I see the check come in it will only fuel my fire. I just want to be able to provide my future children with a decent education and a junker car when they turn 16.
Chasing the dream. Thank you for your time!
-Daniel
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Come on, fellas, one at a time. Plenty of me to go around!
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