sdinsure4life
New Member
Scenario: Another health agent (A good friend for many years) asks you to make a presentation to a 50-person group that she has already initially contacted, made the first appointment and met with alone to discuss becoming their agent for all group products.
She feels that you are better-qualified with group products knowledge-wise at that time and she also wants to make sure that the group is not lost. You agree to go with her to the second appointment.
After this appointment, you make such a great impression on the HR Director and Accounting Manager that in a subsequent meeting, they request you to be the Agent of Record on all future business.
When you tell the originating agent about the group's request, she is reluctant to go along since she has never given up control of a group she has originated. But she finally gives her consent as long as she will be paid commission regardless of not being the AOR. You assure her that this will happen. She relents only because she trusts you implicitly.
Since she owes you some money from a previous loan to her, you suggest that a 60/40 split be enacted until the loan is repaid, then the split will go to 50/50. The loan is repaid in full within 6 months, but the change to 50/50 never occurs.
Through your joint work, the case moves forward to generate a very good living in commissions earned, which you receive and then cut a monthly commission check for her portion to your friend. You handle the day-to-day management of the group and you request that she (The originating agent) help you from time to time upon demand, which she does without fail.
There is a rather odd caveat which you have insisted on from the beginning - that is, the agent is required to work a number of hours every month to EARN her commission.
At the end of the first year, you feel that you are doing more work on the case, but then again, you are still getting an additional 10% commission for your troubles. And the commission will be increasing because premiums rise on the anniversary date of every year. The agent has followed through with every request you have made to help you without reservation. You have never shown any dissatisfaction (Either in writing or verbally) to the originating agent.
Keep in mind that even most ancillary carriers (AFLAC, Colonial, Combined, etc.) pay 50% commission indefinitely to the independent agent/agency for allowing them access to their groups - and the ancillary agent does ALL of the work! In addition, you would have never made one penny of the nice commission income you now enjoy if this agent had not captured the case in the beginning.
Q. What would you do?
A. Stop paying the agent any commission in the future because you want the entire commission for yourself;
B. Lower the agent's commission to 25% from 40%;
C. Pay a ridiculously low amount of say, $125.00 per month, for the next two years and then stop paying commissions altogether, or
D. Continue to pay the agent the 60/40 agreement and ask her to continue helping as necessary, thereby retaining a friend.
Thank you for your input - I'm sure that it will be interesting.
She feels that you are better-qualified with group products knowledge-wise at that time and she also wants to make sure that the group is not lost. You agree to go with her to the second appointment.
After this appointment, you make such a great impression on the HR Director and Accounting Manager that in a subsequent meeting, they request you to be the Agent of Record on all future business.
When you tell the originating agent about the group's request, she is reluctant to go along since she has never given up control of a group she has originated. But she finally gives her consent as long as she will be paid commission regardless of not being the AOR. You assure her that this will happen. She relents only because she trusts you implicitly.
Since she owes you some money from a previous loan to her, you suggest that a 60/40 split be enacted until the loan is repaid, then the split will go to 50/50. The loan is repaid in full within 6 months, but the change to 50/50 never occurs.
Through your joint work, the case moves forward to generate a very good living in commissions earned, which you receive and then cut a monthly commission check for her portion to your friend. You handle the day-to-day management of the group and you request that she (The originating agent) help you from time to time upon demand, which she does without fail.
There is a rather odd caveat which you have insisted on from the beginning - that is, the agent is required to work a number of hours every month to EARN her commission.
At the end of the first year, you feel that you are doing more work on the case, but then again, you are still getting an additional 10% commission for your troubles. And the commission will be increasing because premiums rise on the anniversary date of every year. The agent has followed through with every request you have made to help you without reservation. You have never shown any dissatisfaction (Either in writing or verbally) to the originating agent.
Keep in mind that even most ancillary carriers (AFLAC, Colonial, Combined, etc.) pay 50% commission indefinitely to the independent agent/agency for allowing them access to their groups - and the ancillary agent does ALL of the work! In addition, you would have never made one penny of the nice commission income you now enjoy if this agent had not captured the case in the beginning.
Q. What would you do?
A. Stop paying the agent any commission in the future because you want the entire commission for yourself;
B. Lower the agent's commission to 25% from 40%;
C. Pay a ridiculously low amount of say, $125.00 per month, for the next two years and then stop paying commissions altogether, or
D. Continue to pay the agent the 60/40 agreement and ask her to continue helping as necessary, thereby retaining a friend.
Thank you for your input - I'm sure that it will be interesting.