101 Things Young Agents Like MOST

The exclusive 2010 Insurance Journal Young Agents Survey asked independent agents 40 years old and younger: What do you like most about being an independent agent? Here’s what some of the 631 agents who responded had to say:

1. The freedom to go after whatever business I want. Being able to put my skill set to the test every day with potential clients. Getting to meet new people and interacting with new people. Not having to sit in an office or at a desk all day.
2. Flexibility in my schedule.
3. The freedom to market to any business I want and the freedom to work on my own schedule as long as I continue to produce results. Building a book and knowing that what you retain will continue to pay year-after-year is awesome.
4. Connecting with multiple individuals in a professional and social manner. You learn about how businesses function and the trials, strains and successes of their immediate market, as well as the economy. Once you’ve solved a major problem for them you’ve earned the privilege of becoming not just a business partner, but a respected professional in your craft and often times … a friend. In an industry like insurance, the notion that you get out of it what you put into it is highly true. You won’t win every account, but if you’re active and generating opportunity more than your competition, you will likely be successful.
5. I get to work with the people in my community on a level that never existed before my becoming an insurance agent. The satisfaction of helping someone in need is the best feeling you can have.
6. Being able to write insurance for friends and family. Keeps me constantly in touch with the people I care about while also taking care of them.
7. Freedom.
8. Schedule, people, atmosphere and compensation.
9. The freedom to learn.
10. The different things you get to do — everyday there is something new — no day is like the last.
11. I enjoy the selling part of the business and acquiring new customers. That’s a lot of fun.
12. Working hard for the right reasons.
13. Every day, every client and their risk tolerance is different. It’s a constant learning process, which makes coming to work fun.
14. Flexibility. There is no ceiling.
15. Having lots of companies to choose from.
16. Growing my book and watching my employees do well. I also still enjoy working with clients who really want to protect themselves and are not just looking for a quick quote.
17. Dealing with people. People are so interesting. You sure can learn a lot if you listen.
18. The ability to grow something that I own and have more control over my future.
19. My wife jokes with me that I’ve become a complete insurance geek, but honestly the independent agent industry is a hidden jewel in the financial services realm. Each individual agent gets to set the level of complexity at which they work and can reap serious rewards from the relationship building.
20. The exciting new challenges every day, and the opportunity to meet and work with an ever-changing client base.
21. Building and owning a business.
22. Flexibility of having multiple markets.
23. Social aspects.
24. Being challenged each day.
25. Autonomy, flexibility.
26. I like the fact that people look to me for advice. They trust me to sell them a policy that will meet their needs and give the best protection possible.
27. Earning potential. If you work hard, the sky is literally the limit to your earnings.
28. The freedom to be able to tell people that you can provide them value. You are not tied to a particular carrier or set of rules. You can show the customer a variety of options and customize the placement of business to their needs.
29. When comparing it to being a captive agent, it would be the ability to represent multiple companies and products in order to satisfy the diverse needs of our clients.
30. Ability to make more money.
31. The income opportunity is fantastic. I also enjoy the freedom to pick who I want to do business with.
32. Future possible compensation. Great relationships with various people in the industry.
33. The opportunity to make money every day. Visiting with and learning about all different types of business and industry. I love competing but even more than that I like winning!
34. Independence.
35. Ability to meet with different people, no set schedule.
36. I like that it’s a generally stable industry and I like that a lot of it is self-supporting after the initial work.
37. Working with clients and developing long term professional and personal relationships with them.
38. Being part of a small business and being able to control my salary.
39. Work on something new every day with new people.
40. Ability to serve a wide variety of businesses no matter what their insurance needs may be.
41. Freedom of schedule, earning potential tied to my willingness to work.
42. The ability to learn about different people and their business.
43. The challenge of solving clients problems.
44. Ability to make more money, freedom, relationships, etc.
45. Working with clients to solve their insurance problems. It is like a puzzle that needs to be put together — making sure that all the pieces fit and that they are all covered.
46. The people. I enjoy meeting and talking to new people everyday, whether they be company representatives, retail agents or other brokers.
47. Ability to offer more markets, competing against captive carriers and the freedom it gives me.
48. Low stress compared to where I have been.
49. That I answer to no one but myself.
50. The unlimited earnings potential and control over my career.
51. What I like most about being an agent is helping people out with their insurance needs.
52. I love the freedom. I enjoy the relationships with not only the customers but the people in the business. I am very involved with my local association IBA. I love my roll there and want to continue to work among those people.
53. Unlimited earning potential.
54. The ability to be able to quote many different carriers.
55. The flexibility.
56. Helping people and learning the businesses in general. … Even though it’s a 24-hour job these days, I enjoy the fact that I can choose to schedule my day however I wish, thus maximizing efficiency and allowing myself to do more, especially with regard to starting a family.
57. The social aspect and the fantastic exposure to all different types of clients and industries.
58. The freedom and independence. Having worked for a large corporation, I really enjoy the flexibility that the career allows for. I also like that I am working towards something that I will eventually have the opportunity to own.
59. It’s interesting!
60. The people, insuring their livelyhood.
61. Relationships developed, ability to be creative and interact with people everywhere, as well as the flexible work environment.
62. Freedom. Period. My ideas. No set schedule. Willing to accept the failures and successes of my own agency.
63. Independent business owner.
64. I like the freedom of being able to quote different options with different carriers, to find a policy that best suits a client’s needs.
65. Every business needs P/C insurance, there is no limit to potential clients. No limit to income potential. Very flexible. Interaction with decisionmakers on a daily basis. I can go after any niche I want to really.
66. Autonomy and meeting different types of people from different backgrounds. I also like the feeling that I am helping people protect their assets.
67. I like the freedom and development of business relationships with our retail agents.
68. Analyzing policies and coverages. Compensation.
69. The hours, how easy the job is. The people you get to meet.
70. Helping clients manage their risk.
71. Multiple streams of income/multiple markets. Freedom to pursue your own interests within your markets.
72. Broad canvas to write business.
73. Independence, relationships with clients, ability to earn as much as I want.
74. Keep my own hours. I can leave early, work late, as long as I hit my numbers. … I will leave in a couple more years and take the business with me, now that I’m finally making money for the agency after they carried me for years. What a country.
75. Opportunities are what you make of them.
76. The independence to grow a book of business and run your own business from within a business.
77. The hunt, and also the capacity to earn $500,000/year if I can build my book well enough. Residual income is something I did not enjoy in my last industry (finance/lending).
78. I really enjoy the freedom to prospect, it allows me to use a certain creativity to obtain clients that, if successful, is rewarded monetarily. There is, however, a time in each day where service work is necessary, but when it’s time for sales and cold calls, there is a huge opportunity to utilize a creative, less redundant way of thinking as compared to servicing existing clients.
79. I sell something that businesses have to have, no matter what condition the economy is in. I also sell something that most people don’t have a full grasp of, which allows me to really use my expertise to gain trust.
80. I like the daily challenge … nothing is ever the same, no two stories are alike and customers constantly keep you on your toes! I also like the challenge of proving that while I am young, I am educated and very knowledgeable about the insurance products that we write.
81. The ability to have unlimited income.
82. Ability to choose clients and potential future earnings.
83. There are many opportunities for advancement within the industry.
84. Interaction with people and the feeling of accomplishment when I am able to make them happy or feel good about their insured status.
85. Freedom and ability to determine your own success.
86. Being your own boss.
87. I enjoy working one-on-one with businessowners. I also enjoy the competition and the knowledge that an individual can control his or her own success to a certain extent.
88. Helping people.
89. The freedom of being able to put my clients’ needs ahead of anything else. I don’t have to sell something to someone who doesn’t need it. In addition, because we run our own business we do not have quotas to meet. We are always keeping the best interest of our clients in mind and I feel like a better person.
90. Helping my customers protect their assets and explaining the importance of insurance and why one should carry it.
91. Being my own boss. The harder I work the more I make.
92. I love helping people. That’s the number one reason I love what I do. The freedom and flexibility of my schedule doesn’t hurt either.
93. The insurance environment is constantly changing and evolving. Not one day or year is the same as the one before.
94. I like the thrill of the hunt and the anticipation of writing a new account. I like being the person who people come to if they have questions. I really enjoy being able to give people examples from my experiences that show them that the coverage I’m offering is what they need (my past claims experience).
95. Consultative nature of the business and the ability to development a long term customer base.
96. Getting to interact with clients and develop long lasting relationships with my clients and their friends and family.
97. It is an underrated job, there is endless opportunity for advancement and you can make a very good living. It is not what I dreamed of doing as a child but it isn’t as bad as people make it out to be; there are good people doing good things.
98. The opportunity to work at my own pace.
99. I control my future. I can make whatever I want, work as hard as I want.
100. Challenges and diversity of clients.
101. Sky’s the limit!

Topics Agencies Profit Loss