Please post if you are a State Farm Agent

[Larry Tew]

The condition must also severely hamper your typing and grammar as well. Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm a bad person, and I know it.

 

[DeeDee]

Agents can purchase insurance through SF corporate and also purchase insurance for their employees.

Just ask the recruiter these questions.

 

[scratching]

On reflection, Dubya is not likely dumb, cocky or a know-it-all. He is just a new agent.... I remember how I was when I was a new agent.....he just hasn't been in the business long enough to know any better.

Dubya, having a career is not a "love it or leave it" proposition. You don't have to love everything about a job in order to continue working for a company. You can think critically and seek to understand what makes sense and what does not. That is what Defender has done. He has finally realized that he can not follow the outline of everything the company would have him do and still make money.

I am a slow learner, too. For many years I tried to sell the life and financial products because that is what the company wanted me to do, even though (on the old contract) I not only made no money, it actually cost me money to sell that stuff. Plus, it totally stressed my staff and me out, year after year, trying to hit the numbers to make the company happy. And why? They still stacked agents all around me and told me it was a "business decision." I finally realized that TC does not continue to sell products that are unprofitable (we can only hope they eventually dump the bank and MFs, too) and I should not be spinning my wheels to market products that do not make money for me either. So I made my own business decision and I stopped marketing the stuff that makes me no money and stresses me and my staff. Life is much better and P&C production is way up.

Apparently a lot of people have serious problems with the new contract, as demonstrated not only on this forum but in other forums and directly heard from new agents. Lets hope the company is listening. In my experience, it may take a while, but usually they start to understand when one of their great ideas to generate production has backfired. I hope this is still that same great company.... I hope we get back to a focus on what we do best--auto and fire insurance--we regain the market share we lost, and we are able to continue to attract entrepreneurs that want to truly have their own small business with the potential to make a really good income and control their daily activities, while representing a company we can all be proud to be associated with.

The new contract is totally in the best interest of State Farm. Dubya is probably a new agent that inherited a sizable business ($2 mill or better) in a rural area with very little competition.

Dubya, don't even try to argue with me. I'm a scratch agent who traveled in his first year and because of the stupid decisions that State Farm management is making (including hiring a bunch of dummies in corporate), I'm quite concerned for my future with State Farm.

Dubya is probably like one of my training class members who is being paraded around on the stage of every SF event because of his outstanding production. He inherited a $3 million book in a rural area where the next closest agent is 30 miles away. Geez, a monkey could do well in that agency.

DO NOT START A STATE FARM AGENCY FROM SCRATCH! I made my own choice to start from scratch, and I'm not whining or bellyaching. I've led my entire AFO in auto production from day one and I'm in more personal debt than I've ever been in. It was not the wisest choice for me, but it was my choice and I own that.

I'm very good at marketing and am seriously considering going independent, where I can get 15 to 20% commissions, and I own the business.

Don't fool yourself, you are not independent and entreprenurial with the State Farm opportunity. They own you and everything you do - and will constantly threaten you with your contract renewal, if you are a scratch agent.

If you want to do the State Farm thing, wait on a rural area with a decent book inheritance. Period.

 

[togatown]

I'm a 6th year agent on the AA05 and am struggling to stay ahead of the debt I incurred growing the past several years and now have cut marketing and staffing since my pay got cut 25% with not being able to hit the SVMC targets.

Dubya is a stooge that sounds like perfect DAFO leadership material and is definitely the exception to the rule on this contract, and I am sure they parade him around and send unknowing prospects to him to let him further the pretense that this is a great contract. Good for him, let him be a good mushroom and enjoy his situation.

 

[defender]

There are serious issues with AA05. Because of readily available information now (like this forum) that SF is having serious dificulty attracting new candidates for agency. I met recently with a leadership person who was frustrated because of how much pressure and time they're spending getting people to just take the profile. Even with our high unemployment, they are far behind their quotas. "Our current agents are referring people like they used to," she said. Even with the $ incentives agents are fearful to send people they care about into harms way. SF is still the best insurance company on the planet and becausde they know this, they have the worst contract on the planet as well. It is evident they are not getting what they need on this contract. I've been on it for 6 years and hate it. You have to game the system to even get paid. When I was finally smart enough to dump my fancy office, staff, and marketing was the first time I began to make money. Nobody understands the contract nor can explain the scorecard. With this type of information now always available, no wonder they are having a tough time finding new suckers.

 

[GaPCproducer]

Hello, I'm a newly appointed team member

 

[togatown]

There are serious issues with AA05. Because of readily available information now (like this forum) that SF is having serious dificulty attracting new candidates for agency. I met recently with a leadership person who was frustrated because of how much pressure and time they're spending getting people to just take the profile. Even with our high unemployment, they are far behind their quotas. "Our current agents are referring people like they used to," she said. Even with the $ incentives agents are fearful to send people they care about into harms way. SF is still the best insurance company on the planet and because they know this, they have the worst contract on the planet as well. It is evident they are not getting what they need on this contract. I've been on it for 6 years and hate it. You have to game the system to even get paid. When I was finally smart enough to dump my fancy office, staff, and marketing was the first time I began to make money. Nobody understands the contract nor can explain the scorecard. With this type of information now always available, no wonder they are having a tough time finding new suckers.

I am the same tenure and agree totally. I understand the contract better than my AFE and VPA but they would never admit that. All I know is I will soon be making the lowest commissions possiblle (8%) through no fault of my own and not for lack of trying, which is less than when I started 6 years ago, only now I have to pay extra team members to service instead of sell and my expenses are on the rise. I refuse to go back into debt this far in. I would never recommend anyone I liked to start an agency on this contract.

 

[xrac]

........I would never recommend anyone I liked to start an agency on this contract.

Wow! What a statement!

 

[0b1kanobee]

This all sounds like some kind of cult.

 

[VolAgent]

This all sounds like some kind of cult.

Hey, just remember they insure more people than Geico and Progressive combined.

They may be good to their policyholders, but it sounds like they aren't so good to the agents.