In this episode of Seated2Serve, host Jeff Bickerstaff interviews Mary Ann Olsen, Associate District Manager of Farmers Insurance in Dallas. Jeff and Mary Ann give a shout out to Sachse Chamber of Commerce, which is where they met around seven years ago.
Farmers Insurance is set up differently than other insurance companies as they have district managers, which are independent business owners. Mary Ann in her position as Associate District Manager is responsible for bringing on new agency owners, getting them through the process, helping with licensing, and assisting them as they get started in their agencies. She continues to help them throughout their careers.
The Farmers Insurance agent is a business owner and the district manager is also a business owner. They have an invested interest in their business and their employees. As Mary Ann notes, there is no perfect background for starting your own insurance business and agents come from all different backgrounds. Farmers Insurance looks for the right person who is self-motivated and wants to be a true business owner, which includes all aspects of running a business and who want a residual income. You are a business owner first, an insurance agent second.
Relationship building is a huge component of the business. Agents are compensated for renewals and as they take care of their customers and build their relationships, they have repeat customers for years. The common denominator for success is being a people person and a relationship builder.
When considering getting into the business, Mary Ann says she would talk to the candidate to find out their goals for the next 15 years and about the different programs available such as retail, flex, protege, or going to work directly for an agent. Mary Ann clearly states that Farmers Insurance is not a franchise.
If interested in finding out more, reach out to Mary Ann Olsen, Associate District Manager, Farmers District 20, at 214-708-2148, via email at mary.jiv1@farmersagency.com or on LinkedIn.
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Jeff Bickerstaff has worked with the city councils of Richardson, Murphy, Forney, and Garland, and currently holds place 6 in Sachse, Texas. Jeff knows firsthand the importance of small family business relationships and how communities work. To be a guest or advertise on Seated2Serve, call 972-771-4992.
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