 
By Dave Willis
At 27 years of age, 2004 Million Dollar Round Table Qualifier Jarred Elmar doesn’t let his youth hold him back from success. Quite the opposite is true, in fact. According to Elmar, it was a combination of life experiences, drive and willingness to handle challenges differently that got him to where he is today.
Elmar took a life insurance prelicensing class several years ago, but opted instead for a sales position in a different industry. When he returned to insurance, as manager of a property and casualty agency, the life insurance fire within him was reignited. “I realized this agency had a 6,000-name client list and no life division,” Elmar says. So he went to the owner of the agency and offered to start one, getting his license and swapping a secure, salaried position for a commission-based post.
He found success quickly. And before long, he partnered with a friend to start his own life agency, Lextor Financial, based in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Working closely with a mentor, Elmar saw the new business grow through four factors: the ability to capitalize on natural strong points, strategic partnerships with others who complement his own strengths, a relentless focus on client needs, and an active commitment to personal development and career management.
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Elmar knows what he offers will benefit his clients, and the generations that follow them. It’s an attitude that prospects find hard to reject.
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Building from scratch
Elmar tapped what was a seemingly natural knack for prospecting, an ability to make clear and compelling presentations, and a set of people skills that enabled him to engage prospects in a comfortable and personal way. These traits—and the drive and energy to put them into action—made up for other things he was lacking: experience, a string of professional designations and a bursting Rolodex. One other thing that really helped Elmar was following up on a bit of advice his mentor gave him. “Attorneys are with their association. Chiropractors are with theirs. You need to join yours,” his mentor had said. Joining his local NAIFA chapter, Broward AIFA, was a step of faith, but one that put him on firm footing.
The buddy system
“After hearing different concepts and strategies over these luncheon meetings, I thought, ‘Why don’t I bring some of these people in on some of the clients I’m working with?’” Elmar says. So he did just that. After doing thorough factfinding at an initial client appointment, he would bring in fellow advisors to help close the deal with any prospect he found who had more complex needs.
Are You Thriving?
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Whether you are a young advisor or an experienced professional new to the industry,you’re not alone in facing the challenges of a developing career. NAIFA’s latest Programs in a Box title, “Survive and Thrive During Your First Three Years,” authored and presented by Jarred Elmar, will offer you insights and ideas that you can apply to your own game plan for success.
Elmar attributes his success to an ability to capitalize on his own natural strong points, partnering with others who complement his strengths and a relentless focus on client needs. In “Survive and Thrive Your First Three Years” he'll share his approach to selling life insurance with tips for prospecting, lead generation, appointments, presentations, follow-ups and referrals. |
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“These advisors really know their stuff,” he says. “If I had a prospect that was suited for a certain product that I didn’t have a lot of experience or expertise in, I’d arrange for another advisor to accompany me on my next visit.” He’d generally let the other advisor structure the commission split on the resulting sale. “Whatever they said would go. It only benefited me for them to come in,” he adds.
Whether on his own or with a BAIFA buddy, Elmar did everything he could to strengthen the value he brought his clients. From the first visit, he sought to pass on to prospects his enthusiasm for life insurance. “When I go into a client’s house, I believe my client knows deep down that what I’m offering they really need,” he says. “It’s an outright necessity, a no-brainer. Presented right, it should be the easiest sale in the world.” Elmar knows what he offers will benefit his clients, and the generations that follow them. It’s an attitude that prospects find hard to reject.
If you don’t do it ...
Elmar caps his success by paying close attention to his career, constantly broadening his knowledge and honing his skills. “I recognized early on that most agents out there are using only a smidgen of their license,” he says. “There are so many concepts and so many strategies. If you’re not spending time learning new concepts or strategies, you’re going to be left behind.” He constantly works to put that newly found knowledge to good use.
The advice comes with a warning. “There are guys like me, new guys in the business, who are going to do whatever it takes to get in front of clients,” he says, but that’s not enough. “I can’t count the number of people I’ve met, where a previous advisor didn’t address everything or just didn’t follow up.”
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After doing thorough factfinding at an initial client appointment, he would bring in fellow advisors to help close the deal.
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In addition, he believes all advisors should spend at least an hour a day learning about the industry, studying new products and generally advancing their career. He does, and for good reason. “As an advisor, everything falls on you,” he says. “You can’t blame anyone but yourself if you fail in this business.”
Elmar says that becoming an advisor is the best decision he has ever made, and that life insurance is the most rewarding business he could imagine. Advisors who follow his advice are most likely to agree.
Dave Willis is a New Hampshire-based business writer and a frequent contributor to Advisor Today.
October 2005
Going Places
Get the Word Out
Growing Your Business
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