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How to Become Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Agent

Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance

Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance: Farm Bureau’s local agents live where you live and are invested in your community.

Farm Bureau’s courteous agents efficiently provide what you need.

Insurance agents are responsible for fitting their clients into suitable auto, health, homeowners, renters, and/or life insurance policies.

There are many insurance providers, and they are not all the same.

Therefore, it is important that the agent you choose be well-versed in policy differences from provider to provider, informed of the latest industry news and trends, concerned with your personal insurance needs, and capable of explaining your options in a way you can understand.

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Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance: BusinessHAB.com

Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance

Getting Recommendations

Start with word of mouth.

Put out the call on Facebook or other social media outlets that you are looking for some good referrals.

A friend may recommend an agent they have dealt with.

Be sure to ask your friend if the agent was responsive, whether or not they were licensed and if the agent address their needs quickly and seriously?

  • Ask if the person making the referral compared policy quotes from various agents, researched the type of insurance they were looking to get, and whether they researched the company and agent.
  • This will give you a sense of whether the agent they are referring to has already been screened.
  • You’ll still want to thoroughly vet any potential providers.

Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance

Pay attention to complaints.

Listen to friends who have dealt with an agent you are considering.

If it didn’t go well for them, chances are your experience with the agent or company won’t either.

Also, look for online testimonials and steer clear of the agents with numerous complaints.

  • Finding out that a company doesn’t process a claim in a timely fashion will help you avoid that company and save you a lot of headaches.
  • The experience of others, when dealing with an agent or company you are considering, may also help you keep looking until you find a company that suits your needs.

Consider the type of insurance you need and ask related professionals.

For example, if you need homeowners insurance, you may ask a title company for recommendations. If you need health insurance, you may want to ask your trusted healthcare provider.

  • Keep in mind that recommendations from related professionals may be a way for the professional to get a kickback, so be sure to check out the agent or company.
  • The agents they recommend may have higher premiums.
  • It is best to compare companies and get multiple quotes.

Try an independent insurance agent.

An independent insurance agent is not tied to one specific insurance company.

They likely have several companies for whom they can provide quotes.

Therefore they can help you compare rates and coverage information.

  • If you feel comfortable that an agent will be forthright, then ask for multiple referrals.
  • You’ll need to be sure that the agent is making referrals to companies that offer policies with similar coverage and deductibles.
  • Ask questions like why they chose a particular agency and why they think that coverage is best for your situation.
  • With an Independent Agent, you’ll need to check the agent’s credibility and on the credibility of the companies for which they provide quotes before enrolling in a new policy.
  • Do this through online research, word of mouth, and interviewing the agent.

Checking Out the Agents

Compile a list of potential agents.

After you have done your research, it is time to make a list of agents with whom you may be interested in working.

This will help you stay focused when making phone calls and setting up appointments.

Research those agents who are on the list you compiled.

Research them online. You can check out the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Type this in the search bar and then search for the site that is specific to your state.

The website will most likely have the information you need to answer the questions you have about the insurance policy and perspective companies.

  • Check their rankings on business rating directories.
  • See if they offer products that you need.
  • Stay away from the ones that work with providers that you don’t like. If they do, take them off your list.
  • The key is to ensure you get the coverage you need at the best price from a reputable company.
  • Make sure the agent deals with your specific issue.
  • A truly helpful agent will give personalized advice.

    Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance

Search for complaints against a specific company.

One source is the Consumer Information Source page on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners website.
This should provide more in-depth information about complaints or issues than a more generic search of a company.

Research agents through your government’s insurance regulatory agency.

Make sure the agents you are considering are licensed to practice in your locality.
Additionally, find out what professional designations your prospective agents hold.
A good insurance agent should belong to a number of professional boards and should hold professional accreditations.

Choose a good commercial insurance policy.

Commercial insurance addresses the needs of a business.
Such needs include theft, injury, disasters, and so on.

You should know the difference between commercial and personal insurance.

  • Personal insurance will be in an individual’s name.
  • Commercial insurance will be under a number of entities like a sole proprietor, LLC, partnership, and corporation.
  • Personal insurance insures such things as homes.
  • Commercial insurance insures offices, storefronts or other locations where business is conducted.
  • Personal lines consider premises concerns while the concerns of commercial insurance are much broader.

Meeting the Agents

Schedule interviews.

After you narrow your potential agent list down to the most promising prospects, call each agent to schedule a face-to-face meeting to discuss your insurance needs.
Information you should find out includes the specific services they offer, whether their premiums are lower than other popular agencies and why they are placing you with a particular agency.

A good insurance agent should possess the following characteristics:

  • Knowledge. Your chosen agent should have a working knowledge of the variety of products that may be suited to your needs. If an agent doesn’t have an immediate or definitive answer, that agent should be willing and able to use appropriate resources to get you an answer.
  • Effective communication. Insurance agents should not use a lot of industry jargon in their product and coverage explanations. You want to choose an agent who explains things on a level you can comfortably understand.

    Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance

  • Questions. In addition to answering your questions, a good insurance agent should ask you a multitude of questions in order to identify the product offerings that best suit your needs.
  • Experience. Not only should your agent be experienced, but the agency should also have an established and proven history. Your agent of choice should also be experienced and comfortable working with your particular socio-economic and age sector, as these factors play a large part in determining insurance needs.

Interview potential agents.

It is important that you feel comfortable with your agent.
They should not only be knowledgeable about their products, but they should also have outstanding credentials.

Look for their certificate on the wall. The letters behind their name represent the credentials they have earned from insurance organizations.

  • Make sure to ask what each group of letters represents and how and where they earned them.

Find an agent who deals with your specific concerns.

There is nothing more reassuring than knowing that a professional you are dealing with has years of experience dealing with the very issue for which you sought them out.

  • It is still a good idea to follow all the steps mentioned to make sure they are reputable.
  • However, the number of years of experience the agent has working with your needs, the more knowledgeable they will be.
  • They will also be able to more thoroughly answer your questions and put you at ease.

    Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance

Look for an agent who gives personalized advice.

Another thing that puts people at ease is advice that is tailored to their individual needs.

When you are interviewing insurance agents, make sure the agent can address the things that are important to you.

  • This makes you feel as if the agent is looking out for your best interest.
  • It also lets you know that the agent is knowledgeable about the issue they are addressing.

Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance

More tips

  • When looking to expand your current insurance portfolio, first approach the insurance agent who services your other insurance accounts. You will likely be eligible for a multiple policy discount and this can give you a good baseline for comparison.

  • Ask lots of questions! The main advantage of using a broker or agent is getting their expertise. They should understand the ins and outs of your policies and be able to answer any hypothetical situations that you are concerned about. Insurance should help you feel secure!

Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance

Conclusion

  • Beware that aggressive, high-production insurance agents may not be the best for you, as they can sometimes be more concerned with gaining more client commissions than they are with customer service.

  • When comparing rates between competing companies, make sure that all of the policies have similar deductibles and coverage limits. Increasing your deductible typically lowers your monthly payment, but make sure you will be able to afford the cost of the deductible if you need to make a claim.

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