New Guy from Sacramento Looking to Start

[Kris.R]

Hi all. My first time posting here and wanted to get some advice from the pros. My dad has been an insurance agent since '85 and has always wanted me to join the insurance world and I never wanted to, as a young man. As I have aged, I have grown an interest in insurance and what the job entails

I want to know where to start? Should I go P&C insurance? Life? Med? I've done some research on this site but most threads start from a question to e-buddies bustin each other's balls and the topic goes to la la land lol.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[DHK]

Welcome! Let me ask the more obvious questions:

1) What did your Dad do? (Is he still around?)

2) What do you see yourself doing? What is it about the insurance business that you find attractive?

 

[Kris.R]

Welcome! Let me ask the more obvious questions:

1) What did your Dad do? (Is he still around?)

2) What do you see yourself doing? What is it about the insurance business that you find attractive?

Thank you for welcoming me!

1) My dad was an indenpendant agent and sold Auto, Home, Life, Business, and annuities. He was a broker.

2) I see myself running/owning my own agency. I love customer service and selling products to consumers. I started in Cust Serv when I was 15 years old and I am now 32 years old (married with a daughter)

 

[DHK]

Sounds like you want to pursue a similar path.

Getting established in P&C is vastly more difficult than in life, health, and annuities. If I were you, I'd look further into getting established there first, then adding the other lines into your training.

I am not in the P&C business, but there are plenty of others that can help answer your questions in that regard.

 

[Kris.R]

Sounds like you want to pursue a similar path.

Getting established in P&C is vastly more difficult than in life, health, and annuities. If I were you, I'd look further into getting established there first, then adding the other lines into your training.

I am not in the P&C business, but there are plenty of others that can help answer your questions in that regard.

Out of the 3 you mentioned, which would you recommend the most?

 

[DHK]

I would recommend mentorship from your father - if he's still around.

Otherwise, I don't play that game. Everyone who gets licensed has a 'vision' of some sort as to what the job entails. Based on your response to my post, your vision is one who is selling all kinds of insurance, but is primarily P&C based, but can do other things as well.

In my opinion, all 3 can be a specialty in and of themselves. With the new DOL ruling regarding retirement plan advice, you really can't just "sell annuities". You should be in complete and total retirement income planning using annuities with a demonstratable knowledge of many aspects of retirement planning. I'm sorry, but you're "too new" to begin on that trip just yet.

http://www.insurance-forums.net/for...t-just-sell-annuities-t88394.html#post1181673

Of the remaining two, I personally believe that life insurance should be part of a financial planning conversation, not just a product sale. One of my (deceased) mentors is John Savage. I've listened to his MDRT recordings so many times. He did "total financial planning" and incorporated life insurance into the conversation and sold MILLIONS of it. Today, you can get fantastic training from the Insurance Pro Shop to learn how to do the same thing in a similar fashion. I've outlined quite a bit in this thread here:

http://www.insurance-forums.net/for...nsurance/guidance-new-life-agents-t29999.html

Based on my understanding of the degree of difficulty, and a philosophy of "begin with the end in mind", if I were you, with the post you made, I'd focus on P&C and learn that business... then expand into the other two areas over time.

 

[VolAgent]

Out of the 3 you mentioned, which would you recommend the most?

If I were you, I would be burning up dad to join his agency. Learn all the ropes and become his succession plan. That is probably what he wants as well since he has been trying to get you into the business.

 

[Kris.R]

Unfortunately my dad suffered a stroked a few years back and has never been the same ever since.. His memory was affected from result of the stroke otherwise he was a VERY successful insurance broker making $15K-17K a month.

I came here for help otherwise my dad would be my main source =)

 

[VolAgent]

Unfortunately my dad suffered a stroked a few years back and has never been the same ever since.. His memory was affected from result of the stroke otherwise he was a VERY successful insurance broker making $15K-17K a month.

I came here for help otherwise my dad would be my main source =)

Sorry to hear about your father. Does he know other agents in town? One of them may be willing to mentor you and bring you into their agency as well.

I'm not saying you can't get help here, but nothing beats someone you know personally with a vested interest in your success.

 

[NinjaNic]

I am not much of a NAIFA supporter, but having been in Sacramento most of my life (not in CA anymore) I can tell you there are some older producers still in NAIFA. Those older folks need a succession plan and partnering with younger producers like yourself is a win win for you both. You can even buy a P&C block for literally no money if the producer retains the renewals and you get the new business. Something to think about.