Insurance company home offices should be designed to help inquiring individuals and agents. These home offices websites do not properly address captive insurance agents. Insurance company home offices want the business to be done directly, thus denying their captive agents.
After reviewing more than 200 websites of Life, Health, and Annuity Insurance Company home offices, I found out more than I had expected. It was my expectation to find a website that is user-friendly and provides information about the company’s history as well as their product portfolio. A section was then created for captive insurance information. Finally, I believed that a form could be created where visitors could inquire about a product.
Almost all HOME OFFICE WEBSITES HAVE THIS BUT WITH A TWIST
The inquiry form was in order. The inquiry form should have been sent to the local captive insurance agent to be followed up immediately. This is a perfect lead for an agent. This is a great opportunity for an insurance company to show it cares about their representatives’ future.
The Insurance Company instead uses over 40% of all web sites to attack its captive agent base. They gather the information needed to sell the prospect online and then attempt to do a quick sale. Insurance companies are a bit greedy. If they fail to sell the prospect, they will send this “lead” to the local agency.
LET’S DIG DEEPER UNDERNEATH THE SUPRFACE PRESENTED
Put your sales manager under the microscope. What is the average number of times that your sales manager goes out with you each week to close a sale? You should check the responsibilities of your sales manager. Some sales managers allow their employees to make appointments on their own to earn additional commissions. It’s easy to see who would be given a high-quality lead. Managers who are able to make additional commissions will look out for the number one person.
Before signing, make sure you actually read the contract. Examine the renewals clause. Are lifetime renewals offered by the insurance company? You will be rewarded for each year that your client pays premiums to keep their policy running. This is unlikely to be something you’ve ever done.
You will be held responsible for your actions from 3 to 10 or even your entire life. If you leave, all renewals will be canceled immediately. The same applies if you change to another insurance company or become a captive agent. All proceeds go to the 1st insurance company. The insurance handcuffs will get tighter the longer you stay. This is a carefully planned defense maneuver that the insurance company employs on all agents. Either you are under slavery or you surrender your future benefits. Each year, renewals become a bigger carrot of addiction.
Income subsidies can be a trap that allows you to make ends meet by getting extra pay from your company if you reach your monthly quota. These are only available to you while you’re still in training. You will only get a limited amount of hands-on training. After that, you will be forced to survive on renewals and commissions. The company will again work against you. They may pay 55% commissions the first year for a life insurance policy. You would probably receive between 65% and 70% commissions if you placed a similar policy with an external carrier.
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT EASY.
Agents have been in business for 4.5 years and are confident they can succeed without the help of the company. Over two-thirds of the experienced agents choose to be independent or semi-independent in order to write for any carrier. Half of them are fully independent and can no longer be controlled or competed with by the insurance company. They are completely free from the insurance company’s home office website and all other factors that could be detrimental to them.
It is worth it to let the insurance company handle all your small renewals, even if your commission rate suddenly jumps from 55% – 90%. Your renewals could even be life-long. Agents are not likely to continue receiving monthly renewal checks for as long as 10 to 20 years. This happens even though the agent has moved on to a different occupation or is no longer producing cases.
You have the choice to let the insurance company dictate your destiny or make it your own. The answer is obvious if you are confident, have the ability to sell, and can acquire leads. You can transform from an insurance agent to a respected independent producer.