Amy Christopherson opened her State Farm agency in the fall of 2017. Just five years later, she has made a name for herself in the small town of Alexandria, MN. In 2022 she qualified for Ambassador Club Exotic travel, President's Club multiline, Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), and Chairman's Circle. We're honored she agreed to talk with us today about her success as a financial service professional.
Q: You recently qualified for MDRT putting you in the top 1% of financial service professionals in State Farm. How do you approach these conversations with your customers?
A: What’s most important is building relationships with each person. To do that I ask good questions. I approach conversations about financial services similar to the ways I approach insurance: "What happens if you get sued?" "What happens if you get hurt or sick?" After I understand their goals, my goal is to educate people. The truth is, 65% of people don’t have a financial advisor so there is a huge opportunity to help people understand what options exist. I present a lot options that are available to them and help them through the decision making process. When you educate people they can trust you and it doesn't feel like you’re trying to sell them something.
Q: Can you talk about your team's role in your agency’s success? How do you lead them?
A: My motto is "If I take good care of my team, they’ll take good care of my customers." It comes down to taking good care of them, appreciating them, and partnering with them. I invest in every opportunity I can to help them develop. I believe the more education my team can get, the more confident they will be in having conversations with customers and knowing how to help them. I want my team to be partners in the agency's growth so I trust them to meet with the raw-new clients and conduct IFR meetings. It's important to me that I find people who are better than me to provide my team development so I use external resources and coaching programs.
Q: Can you talk about some of the things you do personally for development?
A: I'm a huge believer in professional development. If I want to get better, I have to learn from people who are better than me. I read a lot of books, listen to podcasts and rely on mentors and coaches who have been paramount in my success.
Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to grow as a financial service professional?
A: Ultimately it comes down to meeting with a lot of people. Unlike P&C, these cases are not quick. Sometimes they take up to a year. Make a goal to sit down with as many people as I can and educating them about their options.
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