AGENCY GROWTH
The most common reason agents, or salespeople for that matter, consider moving organizations or exploring new professional opportunities is the promise of growth or profitability. For the insurance agent, while enhanced compensation can lead to agency growth in the long term, there are multiple factors that are equally important to facilitate this growth. Reduced overhead, efficient processes and mature technology help to minimize the agent’s overhead burden and new access to markets provides better opportunities for carrier selection and competitive sales.
At Pacific Crest, we believe there are two critical components to agency growth – the agency (or agent) and the alliance. A cohesive relationship between the two entities, we believe, not only makes growth and profitability attainable, it makes it certain. Pacific Crest’s initial agent selection process is the first step in ensuring the agent will fit both the Pacific Crest culture and be disciplined enough in their approach to realize consistent growth. The most basic responsibilities of the ideal Pacific Crest agent follow:
Agent Requirements
- Sincere focus on building a business – Requires a plan to build the business (marketing, calling, lead generation) and the ability to execute the plan without reservation
- Client Retention – Genuinely interested in their clients well-being and diligence to follow-up appropriately
- Account Rounding – Retain customers and build brand loyalty by cross-selling multiple lines of insurance within a household
- Referrals – Efficiently track and exploit the source-to-sale process
- Integrity – Never lie, cheat, or steal. Any short term gains will be immeasurable to the adverse legal issues that follow
These simple steps are often overlooked by the average insurance agent and serve as single points of failure for an agency seeking renewed growth. The ability of an agent to master these areas essentially guarantees that they will be successful in their goals to increase the size of their agency, their book of business and ultimately their revenue. At Pacific Crest, we believe it is our responsibility to afford our agents with the essential infrastructure that allows them to focus all of their time pursuing client-based activities.
Pacific Crest Responsibilities
- A steadfast, entrepreneurial commitment to grow the alliance and all agents associated with Pacific Crest
- Provide industry leading compensation; to include contingency bonuses, profit sharing and more
- Minimize or remove agency overhead burden through technology – agent and client portals, database management, multi-raters, cloud computing & a forward looking approach to integrating present day technology into the alliance
- Secure competitive markets to afford agents the most competitive environment for their clients
- Provide agent training on all aspects of Alliance systems, carriers, processes and new business initiatives
- Manage Alliance production across all carriers to maximize carrier profitability and overall agent revenue
This model for growth as implemented by Pacific Crest has witnessed significant gains by both the alliance and agents that comprise the alliance in recent years. Coupling the activities of the motivated and regimented agent with the extensive services provided by the alliance is a recipe for growth that continues today. For more information on agent opportunities with Pacific Crest, contact us here.
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Meet Our Most Valuable Player
Alex Pieters
Pieters Insurance - Minden, Nevada
MINDEN, Nevada — A small community of just more than 3,000 residents east of the southern tip of Lake Tahoe, Minden, Nevada, is a quiet little town in the heart of the Carson Valley.
For just about a quarter of a century, Alex Pieters was one of a handful of police officers in the county seat of Douglas County.
Knowing the community as he does, it made sense that Alex would hang his shingle in this community that once boasted it was a getaway destination for some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Clark Gable and Jean Harlow.
Alex understands that to succeed in a small town, being competitive with price is important.
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