How did you get into insurance?
My family works in the hospitality industry, so much of my early professional life was spent helping in different hotels, restaurants, and bars. By 19, I was managing my first restaurant/bar, which was a great learning experience.
I was looking for a professional change with steady, 9-5 hours, so I took a customer service role at State Farm. I soon transitioned into selling life insurance and exploring opportunities in personal lines, and after a year, I found out I really liked the industry.
I reached out to Ward through a former contact. They were not looking for a producer at the time, but we stayed in contact until a position was made available. Joining Ward is when I began focusing on the hospitality niche. This is where I could blend my insurance expertise with my hospitality experience.
How do carriers support agents effectively?
Building trust between an agent and carrier is critical. We are really a team that is working toward finding a solution for our client. A new agent will learn best when working with a good carrier.
In turn, I believe that carriers should strive to be patient—particularly with new agents. There are times when I am reviewing a quote, and I’ll have lots of questions. Having a counterpart on the carrier team to walk me through the documents is instrumental. These meetings are opportunities to develop closer working relationships and gain a better understanding of the carrier’s appetite.
Opportunities for formal agent education programs can also be very helpful. I attended Cincinnati’s program, and it was key to building my insurance knowledge.
One area of improvement for some carriers is improving their speed. The pace of business is increasing, and my prospects and clients are eager to receive responses. The quicker the carrier can move, the quicker I can win business.
How do you use technology in your day-to-day?
For my prospecting, I live in emails. Emails provide me direct access to the decision-makers of hotels and restaurants. Often, their responses come in at 9 PM. Some agents continue to find success through cold calling, but in my experience, email works great.
What advice would you share with an agent that is new to the industry?
My biggest piece of advice is being comfortable with asking lots of questions. If you don’t understand the answer to a question, ask again—it never hurts. Understanding insurance concepts in plain terms will strengthen your own knowledge and help you communicate these ideas to your prospects and team members.
Also, new agents should take advantage of any existing tools that carriers and agencies have. For instance, my agency utilizes a checklist when speaking to any new client, which helps us understand our clients’ needs better and can often lead to important discussions about risks and coverage.
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