Independence Through Teamwork

While the tendency is for independent agents to stress their independence and go solo, a team approach can be very valuable to producers who are new to the industry.

“When producers first come in, instead of handing them the Yellow Pages and saying, ‘You are on your own, go hit the streets,'” more agencies are pairing a younger producer with a more seasoned producer, maintains Joey O’Connor, vice president of Daniel & Eustis LLC, based in Metairie, La., and chairman of the Big “I” Young Agents Committee. “I think that alleviates a lot of frustration and the inclination to say, ‘This isn’t going to work for me, I’m going to quit.'”

Joel Geddes III, a 30-year-old agent at the Modesto, Calif.-based Capax Insurance, says being part of a selling team has helped him generate new business, although his partner is not an older veteran but rather a fellow young agent.

Geddes, who has been an agent for five years, says about a year ago he and his partner decided to team up to get new business. “Being a young agent is all about building your book and if you are not out there proactively marketing, cold calling, building relationships, then you are not going to get any new business, especially in today’s market,” Geddes said. So the two producers decided they would be able to encourage each other’s marketing efforts better as a team. “The encouragement has been really good,” he said.

“We go out and do team selling especially with the larger accounts. Team selling seems to do very well with the larger customers,” Geddes explained.

Geddes says the team splits everything.

Another benefit, “We are able to be very frank with each other. … The ability to be candid is a very valuable asset.”

Gaining credibility in the eyes of clients who may be 10, 20 or even 30 years older is a challenge for any young salesperson.

In addition to teammates, there are many resources to help younger producers succeed more quickly, notes O’Connor. The Big “I’s” Virtual University is one example. There are also many national education and training programs for new producers.

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