Are Millennial Insurance Buyers More Likely to Listen to Millennial Insurance Agents?
When you are young, who are you more likely to listen to – one of your peers or someone older than you telling you what you should do?
Studies show millennials depend on their peers’ opinions when it comes to making purchases from reading each other’s social media posts to online product reviews on Amazon. Why would buying insurance be any different? This is a follow-up to our post How to Hire Millennials – and Make Them Successful.
If you are hiring millennial producers for your agency, one approach to their sales efforts is to educate their peers about misconceptions they have about insurance. Here are just a few.
- 48 percent of millennial respondents said driving a red car increases your premium (it doesn’t)
- 35 percent said one’s home ZIP code does not affect the cost of auto insurance (it does).
- Millennials are less than eager to educate themselves about health insurance because, they don’t think they need it. (they do.)
Read more in this interesting article “Millennial Meltdown: How Insurance Ignorance Puts an Entire Generation at Risk.” And, share this article with your millennial producers.
How to Hire Millennials – and Make Them Successful
In a recent issue of Independent Agent Magazine, ANE CEO John K. Tiene discussed how to win the talent battle agencies like yours are facing. ANE, Agency Network Exchange, helps independent agents grow and stay independent.
Most insurance agencies are staffed primarily by baby boomers. How is your agency going to manage when your experienced producers and personnel who keep your clients happy retire?
The answer is millennials.
You might think millennials are job hoppers. Many millennials think the insurance industry isn’t for them. Here are some insights to help bridge the divide - millennials:
- Value job enjoyment above compensation, followed by job security and flexibility
- Are the most connected generation in history
- Want to understand how their work impacts clients, their employers and the world in general
Unfortunately, 80 percent of them have limited knowledge and understanding of the employment opportunities available in insurance. But, once they join the industry, 90% say their insurance careers provide job satisfaction, financial stability, and most plan to remain in the industry.
That’s one reason why we work with GAMMA IOTA SIGMA - the national fraternity for insurance, risk management and actuary science students. ANE can connect member agencies with interested students and graduates for internships and jobs.
If you are facing the millennial hiring challenge, learn more in our article (download). Then give us a call. We can discuss hiring - and help you solve any other issues your agency may face.
ANE's IA&B Platinum Profile
ANE is proud to be a platinum partner of Insurance Agents & Brokers Pennsylvania (IA&B). In July, IA&B ran a platinum profile on our organization.
ANE, Agency Network Exchange remains dedicated to helping independent insurance agents stay independent in a quick-changing industry. Our team has a deep understanding of the marketplace dynamics and trends affecting our member agencies.
The insurance industry is changing faster than most agencies can keep up. Profit margins are shrinking. Carriers are paying less contingency revenue and demanding more production. New technologies and evolving customer expectations are challenging the old ways of doing business. Complacency is limiting business growth. An aging workforce is putting pressure on agencies to find, recruit and keep new talent.
More than ever before, independent agents are finding it harder to own, control and operate their businesses. Our innovative approach adds tremendous value to help our agencies grow, compete and stay independent.
TO VIEW THE FULL IA&B PROFILE, CLICK THIS LINK..
ANE Adds Seven Agencies in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
More than $22+ Million in New Business Premiums Written Last Year
ANE, Agency Network Exchange, LLC announced it added seven new agencies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey last year to grow its membership to more than 50 independently owned and operated agencies. The network, which began with just seven agencies in 2009, helped its members write more than $52 million in new business premiums over the last three years and paid more than $5.6 million in profit sharing to members in the same period.
"ANE's continued momentum across New Jersey and Pennsylvania demonstrates that our business model is working for independent agencies that want to stay competitive and grow," said John Tiene, CEO, ANE. "ANE will continue to add talent, realign staff and invest in technology that drives our members' success and helps us achieve our goal of expanding the network across the Mid-Atlantic states."
ANE added four agencies in New Jersey:
- U.S. Insurance (Newton, NJ)
- Richards & Summers (Denville, NJ)
- Livingston Insurance Agency (Livingston, NJ)
- Fidella Insurance (Mount Laurel, NJ)
ANE added three agencies in Pennsylvania:
- Absolute Insurance Agency (Upper Chichester, PA)
- Commercial Insurance Providers Group (Levittown, PA)
- The DeAngelo Company (Wyomissing, PA)
ANE Personnel Announcements
ANE also named Neal Stanley as interim Chief Operating Officer and consultant. Stanley joined the ANE Board of Directors in 2016 as its first independent member. Jocelyn Rineer was promoted to Vice President, Field Operations.
Stanley has over 40 years of experience as the president or senior officer of insurance companies and agencies. He recently retired from United Valley Insurance Services, Inc., one of the nation's largest agency networks, where he was a director and COO. He continues in a consulting role with the company, assisting its member agencies in perpetuation and acquisitions.
Rineer joined ANE from E&K Agency, Inc. of Eatontown, NJ, where she served for 15 years as Commercial Lines Marketing Manager with responsibility for placing a wide variety of commercial lines risks with numerous standard and wholesale outlets. As Director of Field Services, Rineer was the primary contact for ANE's New Jersey members. A licensed producer, Rineer is also a Certified Insurance Counselor.
Hook and Retain New Workers Compensation Clients Using Balance Point
ANE Member Agencies have a competitive advantage in the marketplace when they leverage our exclusive partnership with Balance Point Payroll.
When you meet with a prospect, you have the opportunity to ask them about their previous audits, current insurances, cash flows, succession plans, etc. and spark a positive conversation about the value you can bring to the table. Go over all of the risk audits your client could potentially have, take time to educate them on Pay As You Go coverage and how Balance Point can help eliminate those worries.
Pay As You Go is one of the many services Balance Point can offer to help gain long-lasting relationships with current and future clients. They connect with 19 different workers comp carriers and will build custom files with any carrier of our Members' choosing. By using these benefits, opportunities to discuss other profitable lines of insurance will arise, making retention more likely.
Why Offer Pay As You Go Workers Compensation Coverage?
Offering Pay As You Go coverage to a potential or current client shows you are looking out for their best interest. If your client is paying workers compensation in a traditional sense, then at the end of the year, a premium audit may be conducted to verify payroll, class codes, and sub-contractor exposure. Getting your client a little cash back at the end of the year would be nice, but for those businesses who owe money - they won't be so thrilled!
The benefits of Pay As You Go:
- No money down.
- The quote is determined by payroll reporting in real time.
- No estimates = No surprises!
An audit still may occur, but the risk of your client owing money is much lower. For new or small businesses, having to owe a few thousand dollars at the end of the year could really make or break their future planning. Pay As You Go is a win/win for all and will create success stories you can share with your other clients and prospects. When ANE teams with Balance Point, clients truly get the best of both worlds - better consultation, better service, better everything!
Please contact your Balance Point representative today!
Pete Luciano pete@balancepointpayroll.com
2nd Annual SalesPro Producer Boot Camp
MarshBerry and ANE are teaming up again to offer the 2nd Annual SalesPro Producer Boot Camp to all ANE Member Agencies.
This intensive sales training workshop is designed to drive book of business growth through enhanced new business production. This session, created from top producer methods for building a sustainable and predictable book of business, is specifically geared towards Property & Casualty industry agents.
New and experienced producers looking to achieve a higher level of new business production are welcome to register and attend. Session topics will include:
- Defining success in terms of book size and years to reach milestones
- Breaking down new business goals into manageable activity metrics
- Using six levels of prospecting to open more doors
- Time management techniques
- Using LinkedIn and leveraging centers of influence for better referrals
- & much more!
All of our attendees will be going home with a comprehensive sales planner that encompasses all aspects of a proven successful selling system, as well as a Producer Benchmark Report which will help dissect your current book of business and set a roadmap to achieve yearly goals.
Dates/Times:
Day 1: Thursday, October 15, 2015
9:00am-5:00pm: Training (Breakfast & Lunch included)
6:00pm: Networking Dinner (included)
Day 2: Friday, October 16, 2015
9:00am-12:00pm: Training (Breakfast included)
12:00pm: Class Adjourns
Location:
Stockton SeaView Hotel & Golf Club, 401 S. New York Road, Galloway, NJ 08205
Phone: 609.652.1800
Cost:
$625.00 per attendee
Register today at https://anebootcamp2.eventbrite.com
For more inforation on this training, click here