As you do your due diligence you will undoubtedly come across a number of different agency models and will have to at some point determine what is best for you, your family and your career.
As we’ve met with agents across the region, we’ve found one common desire: to feel like you have a voice and that you are an active participant in your future. FMJ’s model will allow you to have that voice. Our model is truly different, unique and an extension of a proven agency and branch office model.
What sets us apart:
• Market Access
FMJ is a subsidiary of Scirocco Group, one of the nation’s Top 100 Independent Property & Casualty Agencies. The strong relationships Scirocco has nurtured over the past 60 years were utilized to develop the robust market access available to FMJ agents. FMJ Agents all work as part of Scirocco, and carrier production quotas apply to the whole rather than each office. You’ll have a huge market advantage over your local agency competition, without having to worry about quotas.
• Office Support
Our support goes beyond market access. As an FMJ agent you have a full back office staff to support you and your business. You will have direct access to a personal lines manager and a commercial lines manager, as well as the full support and infrastructure of a company that is recognized as a Best Practices Agency. The people and support system that drives and propels the parent organization also supports you.
• Software
As already stated, we are not an aggregator or wholesaler – our FMJ agents become a part of our professional family. Because you are a part of our family, and we believe you cannot run a successful independent agency without an effective agency management system, we have paid for Applied’s Epic System. You will only be required to pay for your office’s licenses, which will save you thousands of dollars and allow you the greatest opportunity for success from day one.
• Lead Generation
Our Proprietary Lead & Marketing Platform is one-of-a-kind – no other agency platform has anything like it. Realizing that the Internet is the greatest marketing medium ever created, we have invested in exclusive relationships with some of the nation’s top Internet Marketers and Search Engine Optimization firms. In our contract, they are bound not to work or consult with any other insurance agency. These relationships allow us to provide you with leads – people looking to purchase personal and commercial insurance in your area. We target specific business niches, then train your agents so they can pursue these niches with confidence. Internet Consultants routinely charge $25,000 per month and require a share of your profits. As an FMJ agent you will have the benefit of their experience without the large up-front cost.
• Facebook
Just as Google has eclipsed the Yellow Page Industry, Facebook is creating never-before-seen opportunity. We have a Facebook marketing team on staff with the stated purpose of helping our FMJ agents grow your individual books of business. Our team will walk you through setting up an account and provide tips and tricks to target your desired clients. Learning the ins and outs of Facebook advertising could take months of work and considerable expense for your agency. FMJ agents will have this knowledge and expertise from day one, and will have access to continued Social Networking training and support.
• No back-end buyout
You may be wondering, “Who owns the business I write?” You Do. Other models may talk about shared economic interest agreements – some going on for as many as 15 years. While this may seem a far off and distant concern as you are currently facing an immediate career change, this one clause could easily cost you $100,000’s or more. Every piece of business you write increases the amount you’ll pay at the end of your carrier. As an FMJ agent, your business will always be your business, and you’ll never have to pay to retain that business.
