IMHO, You Don't Deserve 120%

[Agentguy5]

Ok, time for me to put in my 2 cents about STREET... and this is IMHO

A new agent who has the ability to go into an office to learn and be trained, mentored, hand held with ride-alongs, should ALWAYS be at a MUCH lower level than Street!

The education that I received while learning to sell mortgage protection life insurance while at a 60% contract and paying full price $30 for leads was priceless. Going into that office 5 days a week for years is what prepared me for today. That education prepared me for Final Expense.

With that being said, new agents that come into FE with NONE or LITTLE insurance sales experience should NEVER get street level, even if they are able to get on the weekly training calls and get to study scripts and get to ride with an agent from the IMO.

New agents should ALWAYS have to pay their dues, after all, THE UPLINES are taking RISK on losing a lot of money if the agent writes bad business and walks away!

My favorite, Unbiased model is the one that Reardon has...

Start agents around 80% while hand holding, ride alongs, daily phone calls, weekly/regular meetings or web conferences... Train them... One agent at a time! Give them a goal and then once they hit that number, move them up to Street....

As an Independent 2 YEARS AGO, my contract level was 110% and I was advanced 6 months... that was MORE than I was worth and I was VERY happy with that!

For those of you that are shopping around for contracts, maybe you need to ask yourself, "IMHO, what am I worth?"

AGENTS wanting a 120%-130% contract with out the business that is WORTHY of such a contract level, kinda disgust me... Get your LAZY ass off the computer and go out and sell something!

Most of the agents that come to the forums DO NOT HAVE THE WORK ETHIC to even write $50,000 a year in AP and are trying to figure out how to get a RAISE so they can do even LESS work....

IMHO

I Respect those with a STRONG work ethic!

1. BBOMAN who will drive 8-10 hours and pretty much anywhere

2. Spurcity who is willing to fly all over the country

3. Thad.sipple who is willing to give FREE leads and a 100 Point Contract to ANY FE agent

To WORK and CREATE A FUTURE

ALL 3 started at the BOTTOM and worked their way up the hard way!

RESPECT EARNED THROUGH ACTION

IMHO

 

[Thad.Sipple]

I agree 100%! Funny thing is most if not all successful agents today went down the same road as you and I before we came to this great land.

We are raising agents like we are raising kids, everyone is a winner, everyone gets a trophy, and everyone is liked.

I believe the success rate of these coddled agent will be allot less than it was when I started. And they have the super high fancy street level commissions.

 

[jdeasy]

I agree. Everyone wants to start at the top and work down today.

I started at 65% and wasn't worth that much. But I thought the 65% was terrific. I got great training that I still use today.

If I were to recruit and have agents under me that I was training and also responsible for their debt and such, they would start at no more than 90%. Maybe even 85%?

Of course they would move up with prodution but only after months of proven production, not weeks.

 

[GreenSky]

Newby promised to start me at 45% and give me a free (one month only) membership to Independent Life Insurance Agent Association so I could learn the business.

He told me this was a good deal and likely twice as much as I was worth.

I respect him for being truthful.

Rick

 

[Gooner]

I think I heard a joke about this...

What did one recruiter say to the other? ^^^^^All of that^^^^^^



Seriously guys,

I started at high contracts, with just training phone calls and do pretty darn well.

I completely disagree with you guys on this one. Why would someone who is going to be successful need to "pay their dues" at a lower commission level. Sure, if they need the hand holding...then it is a good option Reardon has a pretty good system in place...so I agree with you there.

I know it isn't your intention, but it does sound a little like sour grapes. It is true that most agents won't write near $50K, but that doesn't mean that every agent shouldn't be able to have access to top commissions.

I know the post wasn't directed at me AND I certainly agree with the fact that most of the agents posting on this board aren't writing a high volume of business...and those are the ones looking to squeeze the IMO's. So I applaud the "quit yer bitc hing" attitude of your post, I feel the same way...just different perspectives I guess.

 

[Newby]

Ok, time for me to put in my 2 cents about STREET... and this is IMHO A new agent who has the ability to go into an office to learn and be trained, mentored, hand held with ride-alongs, should ALWAYS be at a MUCH lower level than Street! The education that I received while learning to sell mortgage protection life insurance while at a 60% contract and paying full price $30 for leads was priceless. Going into that office 5 days a week for years is what prepared me for today. That education prepared me for Final Expense. With that being said, new agents that come into FE with NONE or LITTLE insurance sales experience should NEVER get street level, even if they are able to get on the weekly training calls and get to study scripts and get to ride with an agent from the IMO. New agents should ALWAYS have to pay their dues, after all, THE UPLINES are taking RISK on losing a lot of money if the agent writes bad business and walks away! My favorite, Unbiased model is the one that Reardon has... Start agents around 80% while hand holding, ride alongs, daily phone calls, weekly/regular meetings or web conferences... Train them... One agent at a time! Give them a goal and then once they hit that number, move them up to Street.... As an Independent 2 YEARS AGO, my contract level was 110% and I was advanced 6 months... that was MORE than I was worth and I was VERY happy with that! For those of you that are shopping around for contracts, maybe you need to ask yourself, "IMHO, what am I worth?" AGENTS wanting a 120%-130% contract with out the business that is WORTHY of such a contract level, kinda disgust me... Get your LAZY ass off the computer and go out and sell something! Most of the agents that come to the forums DO NOT HAVE THE WORK ETHIC to even write $50,000 a year in AP and are trying to figure out how to get a RAISE so they can do even LESS work.... IMHO I Respect those with a STRONG work ethic! 1. BBOMAN who will drive 8-10 hours and pretty much anywhere 2. Spurcity who is willing to fly all over the country 3. Thad.sipple who is willing to give FREE leads and a 100 Point Contract to ANY FE agent To WORK and CREATE A FUTURE ALL 3 started at the BOTTOM and worked their way up the hard way! RESPECT EARNED THROUGH ACTION IMHO

I agree that a daily mentoring close connection up line has a lot of value to the brand-new agent. I like how Reardon has set his up too. That the agent has definite goals to where he will be boosted up to the higher commission levels. That's fair to the trainer and fair to the agent who's getting trained.

But you know the majority of agents to get signed onto lower commission levels that are going to get supposedly trained never get any decent training. A lot of them got a lower commission level just because they were later to the game then what the guy above them was. And many times the guy who's on the lower commission is the hardest worker of the whole bunch and the lazy ones are the uplands.

I don't see agents as disgusting or moochers or anything else that want to have the full commission level they entitled to get. If they can become successful with the standard offerings of the IMO whatever that may be they should get the full commission that the IMO offers.

Some of us of been hard at it and knocking it out of the park for 18+ years while still giving back to the agent community. But that shouldn't hold back a new guy starting today from getting the best opportunity that he can find either. And he is the only one who gets to decide what he feels is the best opportunity. Added personal attention is definitely worth giving up some commission up for IF it's the agent's choice and he is not doing it out of ignorance of what he is giving up.

Bring us your tired, your downtrodden and yes even your disgusting and we will make a producer out of them.

 

[jdeasy]

I think I heard a joke about this...

What did one recruiter say to the other? ^^^^^All of that^^^^^^



Seriously guys,

I started at high contracts, with just training phone calls and do pretty darn well.

I completely disagree with you guys on this one. Why would someone who is going to be successful need to "pay their dues" at a lower commission level. Sure, if they need the hand holding...then it is a good option Reardon has a pretty good system in place...so I agree with you there.

I know it isn't your intention, but it does sound a little like sour grapes. It is true that most agents won't write near $50K, but that doesn't mean that every agent shouldn't be able to have access to top commissions.

I know the post wasn't directed at me AND I certainly agree with the fact that most of the agents posting on this board aren't writing a high volume of business...and those are the ones looking to squeeze the IMO's. So I applaud the "quit yer bitc hing" attitude of your post, I feel the same way...just different perspectives I guess.

I needed the training when I started and that's where I'm directing my comments. To the agent that needs training and support.

If they don't need that then of course they should go with the best deal from day one.

Also most don't get the training that is supposed to come with lower commissions so I get that too. If they are not getting the training promised then they should also just take the highest commission and run with it.

 

[Gooner]

I needed the training when I started and that's where I'm directing my comments. To the agent that needs training and support.

If they don't need that then of course they should go with the best deal from day one.

Also most don't get the training that is supposed to come with lower commissions so I get that too. If they are not getting the training promised then they should also just take the highest commission and run with it.

My "joke" was aimed at Thad and Doug...when I started typing they were the only 2 responses...then I submitted and all you jokers came to the party

I understand that SOME need the training, which is why I said that Reardon's model is a good one.

I saw the LH, One Life and NASB models before I joined my IMO...they were low contracts with a lot less to offer in the way of training. So, yeah I have a biased point of view...I started at high contracts, had great training and have been relatively successful. This is why I disagree with the notion that you need to "earn your stripes" in this industry. If you have the drive and motivation, then you can be successful...why not at the highest contract available to you.

Also, being at the highest contract level for the agents, sure doesn't seem to be hurting the IMO's...or else they wouldn't still be offering them.

 

[jdeasy]

My "joke" was aimed at Thad and Doug...when I started typing they were the only 2 responses...then I submitted and all you jokers came to the party

I understand that SOME need the training, which is why I said that Reardon's model is a good one.

I saw the LH, One Life and NASB models before I joined my IMO...they were low contracts with a lot less to offer in the way of training. So, yeah I have a biased point of view...I started at high contracts, had great training and have been relatively successful. This is why I disagree with the notion that you need to "earn your stripes" in this industry. If you have the drive and motivation, then you can be successful...why not at the highest contract available to you.

Also, being at the highest contract level for the agents, sure doesn't seem to be hurting the IMO's...or else they wouldn't still be offering them.

There are always exceptions. You and Matt are examples of the exceptions. But you guys "get it". Most do not ever get it and even for the ones that do it normally takes time to get it.

I agree with your assesment of yourself. But, again, you are an exception.

Now, that's all the kindness you will get from me for a while.

 

[TwiLight]

There are always exceptions. You and Matt are examples of the exceptions.

Exactly, They are the 5% that are the Leaders as are you.

Sifting through the other 95% that is the issue. It is easy to spot good agents. They will produce out of the gate.

I look at it this way. If I gave an agent 90% out of the gate to train them and they suck and sell nothing, I get $0.00 override.

The same is true if I gave them 110% with little training, and they Suck. I still get $0.00 override.

As an Agency builder that mentors and trains each agent and provides solid methods at marketing & promoting themselves (Teaching an agent to FISH instead of just giving them a meal), you will find those agents that excel with an opportunity placed in front of them.

My point being, 80% of IMO/MGA production is from 20% of their agents.

They make the most off the mediocre that do not excel. The agent's that do excel always get paid correctly.... Eventually. It's just nice when it is by an MGA that has a program in place to move contracts up when goals are reached and not make an agent beg for a raise.