D's appreciate your thoughts- certainly something to ponder-- to clarify we are a small - 2 agent no staff office. Our expectations may be more limited than many others. But it is a niche that we are comfortable - we have no expectations to become a mega agency in either size, staff or locations. Ou...

I have always found D's postings to be insightful and interesting. while I think the market trend that he has identified for on line competition competition to grow is valid. it is my view that on line companies will always be a smaller end of the overall market place because its growth will stall o...

I was a Farmers Agent (FIG) for 22 years - I was terminated about 4 years ago. I was profitable for all but about 3 years when we had large hail storms. I was running about $1.2 million in Gross Written Premium for the last five years with FIG. I recieved a call from my District Manager at the end o...

NY Agent you have some good points but as you know==as a general rule usage questions and rate class questions are there to otherwise help distinguish one risk from another. so is the risk higher??, going to & from various work sites part time versus someone who is truly retired?? probably by it...

D -- I bet you probably saved yourself & your carriers a boat load of claims by asking the right questions over the years.

Policyman

You make a good point about referrals -- it is persistency & large numbers that are needed to make a good referral program work to generate the numbers needed.

Do you include any type of gratuity as an incentive or just simple thanks?

Furrie Princess

I am the same way

I am usually clueless trying to spell out a number

After thinking about my example in the flower business

the catchy 800 number is the province of a national effort - don't see how a local IA could benefit

My wife had a flower shop for a few years She belonged to FTD FTD had the chance to protect & use 1-800-Flowers they passed - today 1 800 Flowers does more business than FTD I generally agree with the other comments here - it could be a scam but it might be worth checking into - particularly ins...

I have found, Referrals is definitely an art

What works does change over time

But like all sales it involves repetition and law of large numbers.

Letters or cards are important & have helped our agency but by themselves they still fall short

Well I guess I found out something too-- it has been more than 15 years since I checked out State Farm -- After I had been with FIG (Farmers) a little over 5 years, I almost decided to jump ship to State Farm -everything that I looked at back then was a much better situation than what I had with Far...

BJ for what is worth -- of all the companies you mentioned --- State Farm is the best opportunity on a captive side -- SF also tends to make agency opportunities available to its employees -- so you might think about taking your current skills set to State Farm to begin with -- It has been many year...

uwalka03 is gving very good advice - We have not dealt with Superior Acess but from agents I have talked to they complain about slow turn around time & the lack of the ability to bind When I left Farmers we went IA with SIAA membership- but we were committed to a full time operation with full kn...

A lot HAS changed at Farmers. I am not an employee ----- having an unlimited earning potential. Just to clarify I would not have had a problem with DM's post or reacted as I did until he wrote the above magic recruitment slogan. I don't know of anyone who has been an agent for any length of time wh...

BJ Island Girl & TCS are giving you advice that is right on & I don't think it is not that much different than what I was suggesting Sales is quite different - if it was easy or a comfortable secure career - everyone would do it Justthere I don't think I disagree with anything you posted - b...

BJ I agree things have changed with Farmers they have gotten a lot worse I am not sure what part of the BB you went to on the UFAA site but there are lot of posts, copies of correspondence etc that is from today, yesterday, last 30 days galore not just from 2007. I left as an agent Jan 2010- I have ...