PERCENTAGES DON'T MATTER IF YOU CAN SELL

[92builder]

I think there's been too much emphasis on this board lately about producer compensation and percentage splits. If you are a new producer reading this board and wondering if you've made the right career choice, don't.

I agree that splits are not perfect; I've lived off of them in a town of 2,500 ppl and seven other agents and done fairly well. HOWEVER, I would not have fed my kids and bought cars if I couldn't have sold insurance to begin with. Are they the best route to compensate a producer? It depends. What I've seen is ppl throwing out percentages about how many of you will be here in six mos., and percentages about how much a broker makes, and percentages about how much so. cal. producers should be making and it's getting a bit tired, folks. What you're looking for is someone to hold your hand and tell you that everything will be alright. Well, it will be if you'll work at it.

Here's the deal. ANYONE reading this board is welcome to come to Kansas. I'll give you 60% of whatever you produce. Out here, a 60/40 is common. Notice the catch? "whatever you produce" means I will not subsidize your laziness with a salary, and you will definitely earn what you're worth. It also means that you will have to treat every day with a positive attitude, and hit the streets with a goal in mind. Sure, you can take an hour and 1/2 for lunch, but you better come back with six contacts and/or leads. You can go play golf all afternoon, but I want to know the life history of the other three in your foursome. Do you like four-day weekends? Who doesn't, but you better have done some heavy-duty google searches and prospecting in your pajamas. The point I'm making is that I don't know a producer alive who doesn't want their name on the front door. You should be treating this "time in the trenches" as free education for when you can open your own agency and make these decisions on your own.

Now, us agency owners that post to this board are not the bad guys; we want all of you to succeed. Hell, the more of you that know what you're doing at the end of the next five years just means there'll be more of you to buy my agency. Just Kidding! DO NOT get discouraged by what you are going through now. Hone your skills and learn something new every day. It will pay off in the long run no matter what you're getting paid today. Of course, I'm not asking you to starve. If you're not making a decent wage off your book, you need to sit down with your principal and see if you can't make some adjustments. There is a line between fair and unfair compensation. Just don't spend all day with your chin in your chest and fail to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[CondoRisk]

About time someone said something here that was motivating...