How do I get started

[okiegirl]

Hi everyone. I have alot of questions and hope this is the place to find out what I want to know.

So, here I go. I am an Oklahoma resident. I used to work for ING about 5 years back. Worked in their call center in North Dakota. I did the paper work to license insurance agents. So, I have a bit of insurance knowledge. I have a AA degree in Medical Systems Admin..Buisness/medical degree. No accounting classes though. I don't work outside of the home anymore due to having little ones. But, would like to start a small buisness in the insurance industry from my home.

However, I really don't know if I need a financial degree or really what to do to start or the best way to get started. I don't have any licensing or certificates. So, any help on what to do to get started would be great. Working in an office outside my home to get started is really not an option for me at this time with my kids. I appreciate any info yall have to offer.

I would like to sell life/health/auto/and homeowner/renters insurance. Want to have variety.

Thank you.

 

[zackarychapple]

Curious

I am a little curious why you want to do everything. There is a little known fact that trying to do everything well make you do nothing well. P&C or L or H. Though I have not been in the industry very long my mentors have. I have seen them and my own car insurance agent struggle. Some people can make it doing everything but the key to real success is to focus.

 

[LaffAgent]

There is a certain "critical mass" of effort required to make it in the insurance business. It sounds like your thinking about starting part time, that's a really hard way to make it in this business. Not impossible, but REALLY hard. My advice is always to dive in whole-hog (in whatever market you decide on), otherwise you're really working against the odds.

 

[zackarychapple]

Good point

 

[Wprice]

I am a little curious why you want to do everything. There is a little known fact that trying to do everything well make you do nothing well. P&C or L or H. Though I have not been in the industry very long my mentors have. I have seen them and my own car insurance agent struggle. Some people can make it doing everything but the key to real success is to focus.

Hi Okie,

I quoted this message because I'm a P&C and L&H agent (work both) and take care of my family pretty well, I think.

You can have a P&C and L&H and do well, it's all about what you want your focus to be in each area. For example, I'm a homeowners specialist, I MARKET Real Estate Agents and Mortgage Brokers because I know they can refer more business than I can go out and get on my own. I use my health license to sell disability insurance to protect their biggest asset in event the get injuried and I sell Life MP in the even that they die. I also dabble in Cancer and offer it as a just in case, but really I just let them know about it.

I can write auto, and if our office is really busy and they need me to, I will, but I try to spend a majority of my time in homeowners because it's what I know.

You have to take them same approach regardless of what kind of insurance you want to sell. It depends on who you want to be your client. 95% of prospecting is knowing your target client, because you already know they have a NEED, your job is to show them how to reduce the risk associated with that need. It becomes a point where you aren't really selling anymore, you're advising.

I'll be honest with you, I hate to sell, I hate pushing stuff on people, it stresses me out to no end. I feel slimy and ridiculous. I present information to people, answer any questions they have, follow up, and sign agreements. Agreements, not sales.

Now I've only been an agent for two years, so I don't know everything. I just know what works for me.

 

[Guest]

I'll be honest with you, I hate to sell, I hate pushing stuff on people, it stresses me out to no end. I feel slimy and ridiculous. I present information to people, answer any questions they have, follow up, and sign agreements. Agreements, not sales.

I used to say I hate sales too. I, too, used to think that just presenting information was not sales--but it really is. You are selling yourself--as someone who is not pushy and presents options to his clients. If you accept that, then you can actually turn this non-salesman approach into an art--which of course is part of being a salesperson. You have got to accept that you are a salesperson and not hate it...just change the image people have of salespeople.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I feel the same way. Make up for it with lead volume and only deal with people who are intersted in your products and services.

 

[Frank Stastny]

I don't work outside of the home anymore due to having little ones. But, would like to start a small buisness in the insurance industry from my home.

However, I really don't know if I need a financial degree or really what to do to start or the best way to get started. I don't have any licensing or certificates. So, any help on what to do to get started would be great. Working in an office outside my home to get started is really not an option for me at this time with my kids. .

Thank you.

You don't need any kind of degree. I know agents who didn't even make it all the way through H.S. and are making tons of money.

I don't know very many people who have been successful doing anything part time. It's like saying I'm going to be a good part time husband. That sure doesn't work!

If you are pretty much house bound with your kids how are you going to go on appointments when it is convenient for the prospect? Because of modern technology a lot of agents think they can be "underwear agents". You know, stay at home and sell insurance over the phone. I don't know about others but I can't do that exclusively. I sell a lot of referrals that way but not a lot of insurance to people I have just gotten leads on.

John, didn't you try that for a while and are now going on appointments again, or is it someone else who said that?

I'm not trying to discourage you, there is plenty of business for all of us, but you may be setting yourself up for a fall. For me, selling insurance is a 24/7 job. I live insurance.

I know a lot of guys who won't take calls after 5pm, won't go on a weekend appointment, won't drive "too far" to go on an appointment and only want to sell insurance in their "back yard". They may be agents, but they are not "successful agents".

If you only want to make a few thousand dollars a year it might work for you.

 

[okiegirl]

How do I get started?

Thank you for all of your comments. I think We strayed by staying part time in there.. I am a workaholic to begin with. When I stopped working outside of my home I do my home life just like I did my work life 100%.

I have a sitter for me to watch my kids when needed so that isn't a problem for appointments. Because I have kids I don't want to work in an office for someone else, when I can still be with my kids and work out of my home. A bit of both worlds.

I will have my primarytype of insurance that will be my first step, but also offer the other types, I feel this will just make me and my buisness more versitile. I have 2 +years of cold call sales experience so that doesn't scare me in the least bit. I also ran a daycare for 4 years out of my home, I was open 24/7 and had never had a open slot. Hard work, and a challenge is what I like.

I want information on what I have to do and what is good and bad. I think the best information comes from people that have been doing a particular buisness for years then a book. So, all your advise is greatly appreciated and thank you. So, keep it coming.

I really don't know where to start? or the best way to start. What do I do to start?

 

[Frank Stastny]

I misunderstood your original post. Sorry. There are a lot of people who think that selling insurance from their home is "easy money" and they can do it "part time". I can now see you are not one of them.

If you want to get into the senior market I will be happy to help you in any way I can. It is a lot easier to talk about it over the phone than it is to try to do it here or in an e-mail.

You have my toll-free number.