Pros
Opportunity for Experienced Agents: If you already have an established book of business and know the ropes, Strong Family can be a platform where you can operate independently and potentially expand your client base.
• Commission Potential: There’s no ceiling on commission if you do land deals. Theoretically, you can earn well if you manage to close business.
• Autonomy on the Job: You do get a lot of independence. If you’re a self-starter, you have the freedom to manage your own schedule and client visits.
• Promotion: Paths to promotion are clearly outlined and attainable through sales activity.
Cons
• Lack of Training and Support for New Agents: One of the biggest drawbacks is that if you’re new to the insurance industry, you receive minimal hands-on training. After a brief Medicare overview, you’re essentially on your own with a call sheet.
• Delayed Access to Necessary Tools: There were significant delays in getting access to the carrier appointments, agent portals, dialing tools and other resources which meant waiting weeks before being able to reach and help a larger number of leads efficiently.
• High Out-of-Pocket Costs: You’re using your personal phone, personal vehicle, and covering all your own travel expenses.
• Lead Quality Issues: A notable percentage of leads were outdated, with wrong addresses and phone number and with some leads being a decade old and clients even deceased. This made appointment setting unreliable and discouraging. Should also be noted that these leads are not exclusively yours. They have been passed from agent to agent to agent for years.
• Limited Earning for New Agents: As a new agent, you may end up doing a lot of legwork for senior agents. Without being fully appointed or licensed for certain products, you can’t close deals yourself, leading to months of effort with little to no income where the income you do make is split with someone that can write the business.
• Feels more like new agents are just free in-house marketing for the sr agents.