As a Principal of a Multi Carrier Life Brokerage General Agency, our advisors and our carriers rely on us to provide what they have been calling “value added” services in order to maintain relationships, build the relationships and build our franchise at the same time. While this is part of what we do in the normal course of business, it is important to note that the term “value added” is used so often by so many people that it is beginning to lose some of its intended meaning.
Of course much of what we do is day to day servicing for our advisors in order to give them the best service, product knowledge, underwriting and compensation that they have been accustomed to for the many years they have been doing business with ASG. While we continue to do these things, our carriers also want and need us to provide these same services to our advisors so that their and our production and profit goals are met each and every year. What company do you know that does not wish to meet these goals, grow with steady profits and maintain reasonable margins while attaining these goals which can seem lofty at some times ?
I can continue for hours speaking to this topic and especially to the term “value added” but really, in the thick of it all, what does this really mean in terms of maintenance, development and growth in our business. The big questions are those that are the most difficult to talk about and to answer- and for this reason, I continue to question the use of the words “value added”.
At each and every meeting we have with advisors, carriers or vendors, we are still asked “What is your value proposition and what are your Value Added Elements of ASG? This is when I think to myself-“OK – what is your value added features that assist us in our Growth and Agency Building Features of the Business? It is not a secret that the Life Insurance Industry as a whole is in the back of the pack in terms of great technology, excellent internet based policy service to both the end customer and the General Agent, innovation in mobile technology, New Business Processing etc. Mind you, I am not picking on the carriers at all, just speaking to the fact that we as an industry need to change our thought process and begin to move as one force towards the greater good of the use of Best Practices in these areas. In having to deal with State and Federal Insurance Law as well as NAIC, and different regulations from NY and 49 other states, our jobs do not allow us the luxury of being what is still being called Value Added Agencies.
So you are asking- what is his point? What is he talking about? Well here it is and here is the ASG Answer – We are not a Value Added Agency, ASG is an Agency that Adds Value to your relationship with us to build your firm, your revenue, your professionalism and your reputation in our great business.
Here are the areas that we have spent money and resources building our firm for a long term future in this business for both you the advisor and for our relationships with our carriers.
- We re-invest in our firm and infrastructure each and every
- We are not a lifestyle agency- we use our profits to provide new and innovative technology and employees.
- We built an interactive Mobile App and Website so that our advisor can have most ASG features in the palm of their
- We have a formal on-boarding program for all advisors to educate you on our website, mobile app and business
- We have the best case managers in the business, as well as a complete design team and LTC/DI and Annuity Department for your
- We have an onsite Board Certified Medical Director to review your cases and when needed to provide summaries for our
- We hold two major educational meetings each year with nationally recognized
- We hold Smaller Sales meetings to educate you on the newest products and sales ideas in the
- We provide IT and Technical Support for now cost for our advisors who need assistance with their own systems
- We provide free of cost- point of sales assistance when needed for advisor
- As a member of LifeMark Partners- we provide a large assortment of carriers and underwriting clout for you, Our Advisors -as we are one of the country’s largest providers of life insurance in the
- We have an in-house expert in Banking and Premium Financing for your special cases as well as two specialists in the Foreign National
- We provide Brokerage Services that start with submissions and end with not only commissions but superior post issue policy
- We provide reasonable, competitive and timely compensation for all
- Most important- we have provided and will continue to provide you, our advisors, these added values plus more to enhance and assure our relationships stay strong and relevant each and every step we take in this
Thank you for your business and may 2015 be an even better year than 2014.
Gary Bleetstein, Principal