KEEPING THE CLIENT HAPPY IS HURTING YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
Let's cut to chase. As an insurance producer you want to get paid. When a lead comes into your office, calls you on the phone, texts you, or sends a social media message they want only a few simple things - quality service, affordable rates, and to feel like their insurance is there to protect their family.
So, what happens when you quote them with your captive agency and the price is not competitive? Do you hang up? Do you say "sorry, my carrier doesn't want you!" or do you do the "you should call Johnny Agent down the street, I have worked with him a lot and sent him clients. He is fair priced. I will call and give him the heads up and have him call you."
LET'S BREAKDOWN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DO THIS
First thing is first. Just like a warm lead or an agency referral lead is more likely to bind for you, you sending a warm lead to a competitor is more likely to bind for them. You are essentially giving a live sales pitch to tell a lead how great your competition is and how much better they are than you - since the public shops with money as the highlight you have told them he is "fair priced" and you have sent clients there before.
Second, even though we all want to pretend like the client will remember us as some kind of hero for going the extra mile and getting them a policy; we need to face the hard fact, any social media post, review, Google review, or referrals are going straight to the "fair priced" agent and not to your agency.
And third, but not least, you - the producer - did not get paid for letting the policy walk about the door. Well, maybe the agent you referred to sends a $10 gift card or maybe he sends you a Christmas card. But, let's face it, love doesn't pay bills in 2021 - you need money. And the way a producers makes money is by producing, period.
SO HOW DO YOU FIX THIS CYCLE
The answer is fairly simple: Refer the policy to EIA and leverage the EIA Platform™ to close the deal. EIA pays you a commission share as our "Thank You" for the referral and you collect a % based commission for the new business and for the renewal every year.
BUT WHAT ABOUT MY CURRENT CAPTIVE AGENCY
Look, we are not legal experts; however, we have found that most non-compete contracts involve "representing" a carrier or "binding" policies. With the EIA SILVER PLAN you do not do either. You are not appointed with any carriers and you do not bind the policy. Essentially you are doing the same thing as before. You are referring the policy to someone who may be able to help the client. In return you are receiving your legal commission share and retaining the client in your book of business and not sending them to your competition.
The silver plan is designed to give active producers the ability to quote using our comparative rater technology but NOT bind. You get E&O coverage and the override commission share benefits also. But, at its core this plan is for agents who produce and want to remain employed full time at their current agency or in another industry.
HOW DOES THE SILVER PLAN WORK
You sign up for silver and within 2 business days you will have access to our comparative rater. When a potential client / lead calls your current office and you cannot help them, for whatever reason, you STOP REFERRING THEM TO YOUR COMPETITION DOWN THE STREET!
Once you have quoted that client in your current agency and it has been denied, isn't competitive, or whatever else; you then quote them in our comparative rating software. You know instantly if you are competitive and can help the client BEFORE you refer them anywhere. Is Safeco Cheaper? Maybe Progressive? Maybe it is a fit for State Auto? Either way you know instantly and then you simply place the client on hold and transfer the call to one of our sales support agents.
Our sales support agent then pulls the exact quote with all the work you did and they bind the policy for you. You are done with the client (you can wait on the phone or just transfer them). The servicing agent handles all the e-sign and new business paperwork, gets their mobile app setup, and you collect a new business commission share + renewal share for the referral, and you retain the client for their referrals and follow ups including Facebook or Google reviews.
SUMMARY
The insurance landscape is changing. EIA has built a platform with different plan levels that help you as a licensed producer reach your full potential; even if you are currently working in another agency.
For agency owners, it would be naïve to think that "referring clients to the competition" is helping them. Stop letting agency owners, generational wealth, captive carriers, and fear stand in your way.