So, you’ve decided you’re ready to add a carrier to the lineup of companies in your portfolio. You call the marketing rep, set up an appointment, he comes to your office, you talk some more, go to lunch, and he reminds you of what he needs from you to take back to the Home Office to try to get your appointment underwritten. You shake hands, promise to get it all to him next week, and . . .
Your receptionist hands you seven phone messages, your email box has blown up, your best CSR left during lunch to go to Susie’s volleyball tournament, three referral sources have leads for you, the claim on your golf partner’s “missing” Rolex just got sent to SIU, and your mother-in-law is texting because her car insurance went up three-dollars-a-month and she never liked you in the first place.
Day after day, another batch of problems and it goes on and on. Three weeks go by, and you’ve forgotten all about Smiling Sam from Quick Sand Mutual and the information he needed for your appointment. He’s called and emailed you a few times, and has now more or less given up on you.
Sound familiar? There’s a much easier way. . .
This is where your Bullseye Agency Appointment Kit comes into play. This is where you shine and leave Smiling Sam wondering how you did, his bosses wondering why more agents don’t do it, and you ready to sign the contract. You already should have all of the information to build this readily available in your office and can assemble a few copies of your Bullseye Agency Appointment Kit, and here’s a list of ingredients to make this work:
- Clear picture of your agency location(s)
- Clear, preferably professional, photos of yourself and all key staff
- Agency Mission Statement
- Testimonial sheet from your agency
- Third Party Endorsement letter
- Biography of yourself and of each key staff member.
- Copies of licenses yourself, licensed personnel, and the agency in each state you’re seeking an appointment.
- Copy of your current E&O declarations page.
- Copy of a W-9 for your agency.
- Copies of your most current production and loss reports from each of your carriers. If the current report doesn’t include the three most recent year end reports, include those too.
- While it would be great to include your marketing plans, this information is strategic and proprietary, and you certainly wouldn’t want it falling into the hands of a competitor, do not include it.
Arrange all of the information in an orderly fashion in a loose-leaf notebook or even a PDF. I recommend loose leaf because you’re giving ole Smilin’ Sam something tangible to take back to his boss, and, more importantly, as you get updated production and loss reports, E&O decs, etc., you can update your book.
When you invest the little bit of time required to do this, you’ll set yourself apart from all the agents who have no time management skills and allow the interruptions of day-to-day agency life to prevent them from securing companies, growing their agencies, and having those agencies run on autopilot.
