Success Stories - Secure American Insurance

FEATURE LANCE LEIVESTAD

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culture in the insurance industry. “It was more competitive,” Lance recalled. “There were fewer agents back home. There might have been two in the whole county. But in Colorado, there are more people, and the industry was more predatorial.” Lance maintains the small-town service mentality he learned growing up. “I’m more of an educator, wanting to make sure people understand what they’re getting,” Lance explains. “By doing so, I grew a little slower than everybody else, but by growing the way I did, I grew stronger.” 2. Build Personal Relationships Despite the challenges and uncertainties of starting his own independent insurance agency, Lance found that many of his former clients followed him to his new agency, even with a non-compete agreement in place. “I left American National knowing I could not pursue any of the clients I’d written for two years,” Lance said. “But they pursued me because they were shopping rates. Legally, I could do that. People will chase the agent, not the company.” 3. Choose Independence Over Being Captive As an independent agent with Secure American Insurance, Lance can offer clients a wide range of insurance options from multiple carriers and write policies in multiple states. “I’ve found it invaluable to be able to offer a broad range of insurance products and write policies in multiple states because of Secure American Insurance’s extensive range of contracts with insurance companies,” Lance explained. “You don’t have to cut a customer’s

insurance to keep their premiums low. If one carrier doesn’t work out, we can move them to another. Secure American Insurance has gotten so large that we now can offer contracts with major carriers like Allstate, which most brokerages can’t do. I have a lot of clients who are snowbirds or have properties in multiple states. All the options mean my clients don’t have to jump agents when covering their other properties. The continuity of that becomes a very big deal.” 4. Focus On Retention Lance prioritizes retention over new business, spending 80% of his time on his current book of business and 20% on new clients. Boasting a 93% retention rate, he credits his “foolproof renewal process” with keeping his clients coming back year after year. “Retention is more important to me than writing new business,” Lance said. “We are actively involved with our accounts. We take time to review our client’s insurance with them every year to make sure they know that we’re looking at it. It’s all about being proactive, building trust and accountability, and showing your clients that you’re there for them. Sometimes, that means recommending coverage changes that might lower your commission but save your clients money. This approach prioritizes retention over commission. Whether you’re a prospective agent or just starting out, I recommend focusing on retention. Develop a solid renewal process, prioritize your clients’ needs, and always be there for them. That’s the path to success in this business.”

5. Seek Support and Mentorship As mentioned, having someone you trust who knows the industry well and is willing to answer questions and offer encouragement can be enormously helpful. “Joe has been a great mentor,” Lance said. “When he started Secure American Insurance, there were no offices. No staff. Joe literally built the company from nothing. And when you need something, he’s there. Even for the little things. He’s driven down from Denver to sit in on an appointment that I later thought, ‘I could have done that myself.’ But he is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure you’re okay.” 6. Take Your Time And Grow Properly Lance emphasizes the importance of waiting to bring on staff until you are confident that doing so will pay for itself. “I think that’s where folks go wrong,” Lance said. “I’ve been able to buy an office, staff it, and pay all the workers’ comp and other obligations properly, without shortcuts.” 7. Let People Get To Know You Lance finds that by spending time face-to-face with people and having conversations with them without selling, they get to know, like, and trust him. This leads to them doing business with him. “You will get what you put into it,” Lance said. “You’re going to have to go out and talk to people. Get involved and get your face known in your community. Did I sell insurance? No. But they got to know me and knew this is what I do. Then, down the road, you communicate with people three times, and all of a sudden, they want to do business with you.”

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