When you’re an independent insurance sales professional, whether you work alone or with others, you can benefit from having a general agency (GA) partner. A GA can offer you a roster of products, services, technology, support, and more, A GA can help you and your business reach the next level. But what you get from your broker/GA relationship depends on your GA. Not all are created equal.
In evaluating your options, consider what your potential GA has to offer, how long it’s been in business, its reputation in the brokerage community, and what you are really looking for. What is it that you need, and what do you want your GA to deliver?
Now consider everything you can take advantage of when you work with Word & Brown:
- Help from start to finish. Word & Brown opened its doors in 1985. Think about that! We’ve been partnering with brokers for decades. We’ll help you with your carrier appointments. We’ll run your quotes – or you can use our industry-leading quote platform to do it on your own. We’re here for you from quote to close – from enrollment to renewal – and every step along the way. If you’re just starting out, you may want or need a lot of help. If you’re more experienced, you may only need our assistance with some of the sales process. It’s really up to you.
- Service of Unequalled Excellence. As we mentioned, we’ve been working with brokers for 40 years. Whether you need quoting, enrollment, underwriting, account management, or compliance assistance, we’re here for you – in person, online, or on the phone. Working with us, you have not only a dedicated team of sales professionals backing you up, but an entire organization committed to your – and your clients’ – best interests.
- Simplified plan comparisons: Our quoting technology allows you to instantly search, confirm, and build quotes with your clients’ preferred doctors, medical groups, specialists, and hospitals. We’ll help you easily put together the best scenario with the most attractive rates. You can even customize your output in your choice of 30 different layout options, including your agency information and logo.
- Carrier relationships and a broad product and service portfolio. We have the carrier connections you need, both regionally and nationally. Whether your focus is on Health Insurance, Ancillary, Employer-sponsored or Voluntary coverage, or a combination, we’re here to help you write and renew more – whether it’s Small Group or Large Group business or Individual and Family Plan (IFP) coverage in California. We’ll also deliver access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), wellness, worksite and supplemental products, administrative services, and more. And, of course, your partnership with us means you can offer clients value-added extras like free COBRA admin, a Premium Only Plan (POP), and ERISA services for qualified groups. We’ll work with you, so you can develop and nurture long-term client relationships – and attract new customers, too.
- Underwriting expertise: You can count on our team of experienced underwriters to help you get your cases approved more quickly. We are known throughout the industry for our clean case submissions and prompt delivery of employee ID cards. For Large Groups, we’ll spreadsheet options to make your client’s plan selection easier. Benchmark reporting is also available. We assist with carrier negotiations on rates, premium holidays, tech credits, wellness credits, and more. Once a plan is sold, our enrollment pros can assist with in-person, virtual, and online enrollments.
- Unmatched Compliance resources: We’re the only General Agency with in-house experts ready to assist you and your clients with compliance-related matters. That includes employer reporting, complex regulations, compliance updates, and more. We will help you navigate the uncertainty of changing rules and laws – and how they affect you, your business, your clients, and their businesses. You can also count on our Compliance team to help you stay up to date on industry news, trends, training, and education. You can annually earn up to half of the 24 Continuing Education (CE) Credits required by the California Department of Insurance (during each two-year license term) during our online Week of Webinars (WOW) – now in its 8th year. Through WOW, we annually award thousands of CE Credits to California brokers. Our exclusive WBCompliance Wiki allows you to explore the world of Compliance with confidence. It’s the one place to easily find the info and forms you need. Stop wading through countless PDFs or scrolling through web page after web page. Our Wiki search feature allows you to find what you want in seconds.
- Technology and innovation: We revolutionized health insurance quoting for smaller groups when we started our business in 1985. We are fully committed to digital technologies transformation. That includes the development and refinement of digital journeys across the web, apps focusing on customer engagement throughout the customer lifecycle, and API integration initiatives with our carrier, vendor, and agency partners. Our focus is ensuring process efficiency gains, adoption of industry-leading tools, launching innovative products, streamlining enrollment and other processes, and maximizing broker opportunities. Join with us, as we continue this evolution.
- Enrollment resources + enrollers: We offer enrollment worksheets in your choice of languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese. Our partner’s software gives your customers the ability to easily manage online enrollment, expedite employee onboarding, and administer HR and benefits – including payroll – through one system. Ask us for details, including the timeline for transitioning existing business from Ease to Employee Navigator. Beyond the tools, you can count on W&B enrollers to be available to help you with your groups’ enrollments. We’ll deliver enrollment materials, explain the benefits of the coverage being offered, check paperwork to ensure completeness, and make sure there are no issues that might hold up your enrollment.
- Service after the sale: Once your groups are in force, we offer a range of account management resources and support based on your Word & Brown production tier. Ask about your eligibility and available services.
It doesn’t matter where you are in your career, your partnership with us will grow as you continue in the insurance business. What’s important for you to know is that your relationship with us does not affect your compensation. In fact, because our teams can help you write more business, you can earn more by partnering with us.
You have many choices when it comes to selecting a GA. Experience The Power of [&]® with W&B. Contact your W&B rep today to learn how we can help you streamline your processes, maximize technology, write more new business and renewals, and increase your agency revenue and referrals. If you’re not currently working with us, call 800-869-6989 or fill out our online form to get started.
