Hi I'm new to this forum...and rather new to the insurance business. This has been more helpful than any other places I've been to.
I'm currently working as agent staff for a State Farm Agent office. I work in sales and I get paid a base salary.
My question is... is it a common thing now that sales who have a base salary doesn't get paid commissions per sale? In our office we only get commission if we sell an X number of policies, if we are 1 or 2 short of that goal, we get nothing, zippo. Up to now none of the staff has met the expectation, so none of us has collected commission since Feb of last year...
My agent (employer) tells me that she is doing us a favor that they even offer paying commission because State Farm now doesn't pay agent commission if the agent doesn't meet their quota, which is up to the agent staff to meet. So if the agent gets no commission, neither does the staff?
Is that true? Sorry I'm very much a Noob and it is my first full time job... I have a feeling the agent just tells me whatever she wants.... please shed some light?
Thanks
Production requirements should be an expectation if you want gravy with them taters honey. If you are getting a base salary your sponsoring agent is paying you regardless of what you bring to the table, pretty darn generous if you ask me. He's not only paying your salary but unemployment taxes on that salary - and that's a pretty hefty check I can attest. If you want to earn commission based on the criteria the agent has established then do it or hike up the hill and do it yourself, you'll quickly see just how demanding it is, it isn't easy or cheap and managing employees who want more and more for doing less and less is really annoying. So do the job you got and do it well, you will be rewarded. If you don't meet the expectations set up for you then you have no one to complain to but the guy in the mirror. If you are not selling what is expected you likely are not even covering the expense of having you onboard so you might want to quieten down the chatter - or pick up the tempo. There are no free rides.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You are being lied to.
You know...whoever signs your paycheck can tell you whatever they want to - including "take a hike". If you don't like the rules of the game he/she offers, go elsewhere, don't sit and whine about it. Your agent has outrageous overhead and company induced expectations, sleepless nights worrying about meeting all the expectations, unreasonable clients, company demands, employees in general, and making a living. If you can't do it solo, shutup and dance with the one that brung you and do the best job you can. This whining I'm getting ripped off really irks me. Try signing the paychecks each week, that will change your outlook on your agents office and compensation practices, until you are signing the checks I suggest an attitude adjustment or a work address change.
Last edited: