Agency Network

  • Race cars crossing the finish line with a checkered flag in view.
    Blog

    How Independent Insurance Agents Can Win in a Hard Market

    Although we’ve been seeing indications of a hardening market for some time now, the state of the insurance industry shows no signs of shifting directions. Independent insurance agents will be feeling the squeeze when it comes to being able to provide coverage for clients. Here's how you can succeed despite the hard market.
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  • Two independent insurance agents reviewing policies on a computer in a dark office at night.
    Case Studies

    Tenacity to Become an Independent Agent

    Gulraiz brought a lot to the table. He had experience as a claims adjuster and analyst. He spoke six languages and had done a lot to establish himself. So, he was looking for a place where he could use all his acquired skills and knowledge. When he heard Smart Choice® could help him set up his own agency, get his foot in the door with the carriers, and he didn’t have to pay anything, he said, “Great!”
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  • An independent insurance agent shaking hands with a customer after finalizing an insurance package.
    Case Studies

    Serve Like No One Else

    “I knew from the very moment I met with Jeremy that he had that the “IT” factor that would absolutely make him successful not only in insurance, but any field he chose to be involved in. With that mentality, success will absolutely follow.” Rick Mathews, Smart Choice® Marketing Manager. And the success did follow. Jeremy Powers, a former captive, built his new agency from zero, to a book of approximately $1.6 million, within 18 months.
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  • An independent insurance agent preparing to call their Smart Choice territory manager on a mobile phone to ask for advice.
    Case Studies

    Just a Phone Call Away

    In 2008, Lee Ann Pridgeon became a first-time agency owner when she purchased the Smart Choice® agency she’d worked at for 15 years. She now owns eight agencies across the state, and six of them came to her through her local network of Smart Choice® agents.
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  • Blurry image of an independent insurance agency meeting to discuss their growth strategy.
    Case Studies

    Not Only for Startups

    Bryan Clinkscales’ relationship with Smart Choice® started early on in his agency’s history before his father’s retirement. “A mentor of mine introduced us to Smart Choice® and we did a contract, which gave us the chance to get some markets.” As the years went by, Bryan’s agency grew. When he acquired another Smart Choice® agency years later, he had a chance to look at all the different programs Smart Choice® offered.
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  • Blog

    The Networking Web Works

    Insurance Journal recently published its 101 Sales and Marketing Ideas for Agencies*, and our president and CMO offered the following tips.
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  • photo of a wall calendar propped up on the floor
    Blog

    Get Out Your Calendar

    Almost every salesperson in the world has some method of keeping track of appointments; most often it’s a calendar of sorts. And, while it should come as no surprise, so do most people who make appointments with salespeople.
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