GET CONTRACTED
Edward@Croweandassociates.com
Call us: 1.203.796.5403
Crowe & AssociatesCrowe & Associates
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • Sales Blog
  • Sales Tools
    • Online enrollment
      • Connect4Medicare
      • Sunfire
    • Quote and comparison site
    • Application Processing
    • Free Medicare lead program
    • Agent website
    • Predictive dialer
  • Free Leads
  • Products
    • Medicare Plans
    • Life Insurance Plans
    • Final Expense Insurance
    • Long Term Care Insurance
    • Fixed and Indexed Annuities
    • Healthshares
    • Dental and Vision Plans
    • Other Products
  • Training Webinars
  • Contact Us

How to become an independent insurance agent

    Home agentblog How to become an independent insurance agent
    NextPrevious
    How to become an independent insurance agent

    How to become an independent insurance agent

    By Ed Crowe | Agent blog | 0 comment | 7 February, 2020 | 0

    How to become an independent insurance agent

    Learning how to become an independent insurance agent can be very rewarding due to the opportunity and flexibility involved. The steps to becoming an insurance agent vary from one state to another but in general, they are all similar.  How long will it take you to become an insurance agent?  Depends a lot of the individual person but usually you can get set up within a month.  A great deal of it depends on how long it takes you to study for the test.   Click here to learn more about getting an insurance license.

    Becoming an independent insurance agent is different than a captive agent.  Independent agents are usually 1099 general contractors that have access to numerous insurance carriers.  This will give them a great deal of flexibility with product choice. It also allows them to be competitive in almost any situation from a product and benefit standpoint.

    Benefits of becoming an independent insurance agent

    There are a number of benefits for an independent agent over a captive one.   First, as mentioned above, is the ability to offer multiple companies.  The second major advantage is that the agent owns their own book of business and can get the full commission payout.  This is the case even if the agent is working with an up line agency, sometimes called an FMO “Field Marketing Organization”.  Other benefits are the schedule flexibility and the ability to write off a number of expenses that would not be possible as a w-2 employee.

    There are also some negatives to being independent. The main concern can be the lack of direction.  Since the agent is working as their own business, it can be difficult to get all the answers they need.  The other is that no-one is telling them when they should or should not be working.  As a result, a independent agent needs to be motivated and disciplined.  There are a number of tools an agent will need to in order to operate efficiently.  Some to consider would be…

    • Access to contracts with the competitive companies
    • Ability to quote the various plans without the need to go to each companies sites for quotes
    • Application processing for paper apps and access to electronic online enrollment
    • Guidance on compliance
    • Maintaining insurance licenses and keeping them in good order
    • Marketing and finding ways to get in front of enough prospects to make sales
    • Sales and product training

    Decide which type of plans you will sell

    There are a number of types of insurance that can be offered.  Some agents will focus on just one type of products while other will offer multiple or all of them.  Ideally, it is great to cross sell multiple lines of business and get the most out of each opportunity.  The challenges of doing so are the need for multiple licenses and trying to keep up with all the rules, rates and benefits for multiple product types. Common product types sold are listed below:  Some product types compliment each other very well and are easy to cross sell.

    • Property and Casualty Insurance “P & C Insurance”- Home, auto and commercial-  Need to have a P & C license to sell this product type
    • Life insurance- Many types such as Term, Universal Life, IUL, Whole Life and Variable Life.  Final Expense is also a life product
      • Life insurance can be sold with a Life license
    • Medicare- Medicare is the hottest product being offered today.  Agents need a Health license in order to sell it.
    • Annuities– Various types such as fixed MYGA’s, Indexed and variable
    • LTC– Long Term Care sales are historically low compared to 10 and 20 years ago but it still can be offered
    • Health Insurance- Either through the exchange (ACA state offerings) or direct with a company.  Individual and group policies
    • Health share plans- Alternative to health insurance
    • Vision, Dental and indemnity products

    Get an insurance license – Take the insurance exam

    Most states require you to take a pre-licensing class or exam.  In many states it is possible to study and take the exam online but a witness/proctor may be required. Once the pre-licensing exam is taken, the official state licensing exam needs to be scheduled. Exams are proctored by different companies in a number of states.  You need to have the proof of the completed pre-licensing course and identification in order to take the exam. You will find out immediately if you have passed or failed after taking the test. After passing the test, all licensing requirements are sent to the state to apply for an insurance license.

    Getting insurance company contracts

    Agents will need to contract with the insurance companies they want to offer.  Some product types will require certifications in addition to contracting in order to get started. An up-line agency or FMO can assist with finding the best/most competitive carriers in a given area.  Most companies will also require the agent to have E and O insurance in order to apply for a contract.  Crowe and Associates gives agents access to a quote site which they can use to find the most competitive carriers in their area.   CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO A WEBINAR ON USING THE SITE

    Ready to get contracted?  CLICK HERE FOR CONTRACTING KIT

    Marketing and prospecting

    The biggest challenge with any insurance agent is how to get in front of enough qualified prospects.  Agents can have a great sales strategy and know all the lowest cost or best fitting products.  That will not matter however if they are not able to get in front of enough qualified prospects.  As a result, it will be important to have a marketing and prospecting strategy.  Regardless of the products the agent offers they still need to implement a strategy to be successful.  There are a number of strategies that have proven to work for independent agents.  The ones that work best will depend on the agents interest and skill set.

    Learn more about the Crowe and Associates free lead and marketing program

    Webinar on lead and marketing strategy 

    Have a business plan

    As an independent agent, it is vitally important to have a plan for your business.  Too many agents start the business without setting goals and expectations. They fail to come up with a game plan of what they need to do on a daily basis to be successful. As a result, many agents have a lack of direction and purpose when trying to be in business for themselves. Before you get started it is important to plan. Here are some of the things that need to be considered:

    • How much time per day will you spend prospecting
    • What is your prospecting game plan
    • Come up with the minimum amount of revenue that will be needed to succeed in the early stages
    • How many sales do you need to make a daily basis to hit your revenue goals
    • How many appointments do you need to generate the needed amount of sales to hit your revenue goal
    • Who can you build relationships with to help you generate more leads
    • How will you access all the tools you need to run the business

    Take the time to plan out your business plan and then execute it on a daily basis. Avoid the trap of spending your day doing activities that are not essential to success.

    How to become an independent insurance agent – Call us for guidance and help getting started

    We work with new agents on a daily basis to help them get started as an independent agent.  We can provide access to the training and support a new agent will need in order to get through the growing pains of working on their own. Our technology and support such as our free lead and marketing program, application processing, online enrollment, online quote engine and marketing best practices have been proven to help new agents.  Call us today to get started.

     

     

     

    captive vs independent agent ,how to become an insurance agent ,independent insurance agent ,independent insurance sales ,independent insurance sales person ,independent sales agency

    Ed Crowe

    More posts by Ed Crowe

    Related Post

    Leave a Comment

    Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    NextPrevious

    Categories

    • Agent blog
    • Annuities
    • Broker Contracting
    • dental insurance
    • Employer health insurance plans
    • Errors and Omissions coverage
    • final expense
    • General Article
    • How to start selling insurance
    • Investments
    • Lead Programs
    • Medicare compliance
    • Medicare election periods
    • Medicare information
    • medicare online enrollment
    • Medicare Sales for Agents
    • social security

    Recent Comments

    • Thanukumar N on Connect4Medicare Online Enrollment Personal URL
    • Best FMO for Medicare Agents - Crowe & Associates on Agency Programs and Product Offerings
    • Jerry Cohen on Insurance Agent Quote Site
    • bobbie balfour on Gerber Life Guaranteed Issue Broker Contracting
    • Debra Gruber on Agent Contracting Kit

    Social Icons

    .

    Archives

    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015

    Recent Posts

    • Crowe & Associates agent events 2022
      14 June 2022
      0

      Crowe & Associates agent events 2022

    • Medicare Advantage commissions 2023
      10 June 2022
      0

      Medicare Advantage commissions 2023

    • Liferaft Insurance
      07 June 2022
      0

      Liferaft Insurance

    • Medicare E&O Insurance
      07 June 2022
      0

      Medicare E&O Insurance

    With licensed sales professionals in both the investment and insurance fields, the experienced and knowledgeable team at Crowe & Associates can tend to your various needs.

    Latest News

    • What are Part B Excess Charges

      What are Part B Excess Charges

      Individuals enrolled in Original Medicare probably have a pretty good understanding of

      14 May, 2025

    For agent use only.

    We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800 MEDICARE to get information on all options.

    Not affiliated with the U. S. government or federal Medicare program. This website is designed to provide general information on Insurance products, including Annuities. It is not, however, intended to provide specific legal or tax advice and cannot be used to avoid tax penalties or to promote, market, or recommend any tax plan or arrangement. Please note that [Agency Name], its affiliated companies, and their representatives and employees do not give legal or tax advice. Encourage your clients to consult their tax advisor or attorney.

    Follow Us

    • Follow Us on LinkedIn
    • Find Us on Facebook
    • Watch Us on YouTube

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Edward K. Crowe & Associates LLC BBB Business Review
    • Home
    • About
    • Agents
    • Quote
    • Retirement
    • Services
    • Blog
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    Copyright 2025 Crowe & Associates | All Rights Reserved |

    Insurance Agency Website by Stratosphere

    • Home
    • ABOUT
    • Sales Blog
    • Sales Tools
      • Online enrollment
        • Connect4Medicare
        • Sunfire
      • Quote and comparison site
      • Application Processing
      • Free Medicare lead program
      • Agent website
      • Predictive dialer
    • Free Leads
    • Products
      • Medicare Plans
      • Life Insurance Plans
      • Final Expense Insurance
      • Long Term Care Insurance
      • Fixed and Indexed Annuities
      • Healthshares
      • Dental and Vision Plans
      • Other Products
    • Training Webinars
    • Contact Us
    Crowe & AssociatesCrowe & Associates

    Online Enrollment- Enroll prospects online without the need for a face to face appointment. Access to all major carriers with the ability to compare plan benefits and prescription drug costs. Link to recorded webinar https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2899290519088332033

    All agents receive a personalized enrollment website. Prospects can use the site to compare plans, check doctors, run drug comparisons and enroll in plans. Agents are credited for all enrollments. Click Here

    Error: Contact form not found.