What is the Best Way to Recruit Agents?

insurance123

Expert
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My network has been the most effective and I have tossed out some ads on Craigslist. Some of the larger sites like Monster can be very costly. Does anyone else have thoughts on this?
 
Just don't follow the lead of Jim and dozens of others and spam the forum. Every post is not a recruiting opportunity.

However, lots of people have recruited off of this forum. They let it be known they have training and contracts to offer, give good advice and let the people contact them.
 
Thanks VolAgent. I read Jims post and was thinking the same thing. Last night as I read around on some other threads I noticed he is spamming the crap out of the forum. I'm simply looking for some insight and examples of what others have found success with.
 
You can go one of two roads. Recruit everything with a pulse and spend all your time replacing what you lost. Every once in a while you'll find someone worthwhile. However if you spend all your time recruiting, you won't be able to help the valuable one and they'll eventually leave you for someone who can take care of them.

Or, you can be very selective and only recruit people you think have potential. Won't get as many agents under your belt, and you'll still get people that won't produce. But you won't spend as much time spinning your wheels.

One gets you off to a fast start, the other is slower. Just depends on who you want to be and which you think will pay off in the end.
 
Network where good agents are. I hired an agent that I befriended at a CIC institute and he joined me roughly a year later. Shortly after that his old firm was sold to a bank and 2 of his former co workers joined me on his recommendation that I am honest, generous and easy to work with/for. Those three control roughly $1.4m in annual P&C commission.

I have purchased books of business from older producer I met through involvement in IBA West and PIA. Not every IA is direct competition so it is good to make friends within the industry.

Third way I meet and recruit agents is on the recommendation of my marketing reps. Reps won't tell you everything but they will point you in the direction of good producers that are not a cultural fit within their agency or agency owners that need a perpetuation plan but don't really have anything in place.

I tried craigslist and monster but the quality of the applicants were pretty poor overall. I did end up hiring one former Nationwide agent and he has done well considering he started from scratch... but I much prefer to bring on an agent that can roll over a book of business.
 
I have brought on my 5 agents through networking and just agents that I know or have worked with in the past. I agree the book transfers are very nice. Just had a significant book of commercial business roll over with a new agent. A lot of work to get set up but definitely worth it.
 
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