firefly basics: part 2 · also, the most challenging thing about firefly is . . . having so many...

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FIREFLY BASICS:

PART 2

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fireflyagency.com © 2020 Firefly Agency LLC. All Rights Reserved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 2

WELCOME BACK! ................................................................................................................................................ 2

TRAINING ............................................................................................................................................................ 2

HOW WE HELP YOU SELL (AND SUCCEED)....................................................................................................... 4

PROPERTY PRE-BIND PROCESS FOR NEW AGENTS ......................................................................................... 5

COMMERCIAL INSURANCE: TWO PATHS .......................................................................................................... 6

DOCUMENT RETENTION.................................................................................................................................... 8

NON-RESIDENT APPOINTMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 9

WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO GET STARTED? ...................................................................................................... 10

WHAT IF IT DOESN’T WORK OUT? ................................................................................................................... 11

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED? ...................................................................................................................... 12

WHAT’S NEXT? .................................................................................................................................................. 13

WELCOME BACK!

You’ve already read our Firefly Basics PDF and hopefully you have gotten many of your questions

answered.

In this PDF, you’ll find even more information about what it’s like to be a Firefly agent, and what you could

expect if you became one.

Reading this document is a great way for you to continue evaluating the Firefly opportunity for yourself.

Before we talk, please read both PDFs and write down all your questions. That way we

can answer everything you need to know, as you plan for the next step of your career.

https://www.fireflyagency.com





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TRAINING

In our early years, we poured out information too fast in the training process. Agents attended a several-

day-long orientation in Columbus to meet our team and learn about carrier appetites and systems.

Though the experience was enjoyable and exciting, we found that agents couldn’t retain the information.

It was too much, and they needed real-time training after they got home.

Based on our agents’ feedback, we made the process simpler and more practical.

• Instead of an in-person orientation, we work with you over the phone, and with screen-sharing.

• We’ll train you on accounts you’re quoting so that the instruction is specific, relevant to your

situation, and helps you write policies.

• Best of all, you’ll learn by doing, which leads to true mastery of skills.

The process is adapted to your pace, allowing you to understand and apply the information you

learn and then add new training when you’re ready. It’s like filling one cup of milk, drinking it

down, and then filling another. Less stress, no mess, and no wasted milk.

Sounds good, right? Here’s how it works:

START GETTING APPOINTED WITH CARRIERS

You’ll get appointed with your carriers over a 60-day period. There are a lot of carriers to be trained on,

so we train you as each appointment is completed by each carrier. That way it’s naturally spread out.

You’ll get PDF snapshots for each carrier, including their appetites and guidelines. This will help you

remember the important details of each one. They’ll also connect to your computer and make sure your

EZLynx is set up to quote that carrier, and that you know the tips and tricks about that carrier’s website.

After you’ve been trained on a carrier, you can write with them immediately.

Once you have been trained on all of the carriers and submitted at least 30 accounts through the pre-

bind process (described in the next section), you will have full binding authority for property policies.

At that point, you can move entirely at your own pace.





https://www.fireflyagency.com/can-i-really-get-carrier-appointments-through-firefly/

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WHAT CAUSES FRUSTRATION FOR NEW AGENTS?

If you're like most agents, when you sign up you'll be raring to go! You'll want to start selling as soon as

you can. We want that for you, too! As we've said before, the best thing about being a Firefly agent is

having so many carriers. Also, the most challenging thing about Firefly is . . . having so many carriers.

There are so many carriers to get to know, and so much to learn about EZLynx, LastPass, and other

systems, that the on-boarding experience can sometimes be frustrating. We want you to have a realistic

understanding about the whole process, to reduce those feelings.

The reality is that some carriers take longer to appoint you than others. You may feel frustrated as you

wait for them to complete that for you, so you can be trained and start selling.

You many have already sold policies for one or more of our carriers, so you don't want to go through

training with that carrier. You still need to, because we've promised our carriers that every agent

will get an explanation of their basics, appetites, and processes from our trainers.

You may feel too busy to take time to have your electronic meetings with our trainers. Or you feel like

you know the industry well enough to start writing business by learning on your own, as you go. There

are too many carriers with too many idiosyncrasies for this approach to work. You'll need to take time

to build a foundation of knowledge, so you can grow your agency.

You might not want to use the pre-bind system, because you know that you're a good underwriter, and

you know where to place business. There are too many Firefly carriers - each with unique requirements

for property risks - so the pre-bind process protects the carrier, the agency and you. It is a must until you

are deemed to be proficient with each carrier.

Training doesn’t have to be overwhelming! Our process is effective, efficient, and customized to your

situation.

All of this is to say that we know that learning new information and processes can be challenging. But

it is critical to your success with Firefly and each carrier. Before you know it, you'll be proficient and

writing business on your own. It's worth the work to get there.






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HOW WE HELP YOU SELL (AND SUCCEED)

There’s nothing quite as fun as making a sale or as discouraging as losing one.

We know from experience that training is important. But no matter how well you’ve been trained, the

experience of writing your first policies with a company would still be difficult if you had to do it on your

own.

We want you to enjoy the thrill of winning as many new customers as you can. Our team will help

you. Here’s a real-life example:

Mary was a new agent in Tennessee. She had a great prospect with multiple vehicles that would give her

a handsome commission if she could close the sale. She quoted the prospect with all of her carriers in

EZLynx. One of the carriers was especially competitive. But when she tried to issue it, the insurance

company’s underwriting system turned it down because of some not-at-fault accidents.

She was frustrated, of course, and she worried that she would miss out on this one. She called Firefly,

and asked Sam for help. Here’s what Mary said about what happened next:

“I called Sam and got help beyond what I could have even imagined. I had called the company first

myself and did not know how to get those non-chargeable incidents off the policy. I then talked to Sam

about the situation and he was able to get it corrected immediately! It was a $4,500 personal lines auto

policy. The customer immediately switched his insurance to me.

Sam is super responsive and willing to help with anything that I have been working on. I couldn’t ask for

anything better than the experience I have had with Sam and Firefly as a whole.”

This is only one example of what the Firefly team can do for you. The lesson?

Having many carriers to quote is an important part of writing business. Without

help, you may not be able to make the most of the companies you have.

With help, you’ll get off to a better start and write more of the quotes you run.





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PROPERTY PRE-BIND PROCESS FOR NEW AGENTS

If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Treat other people the way you want to

be treated. Share. All of these are important concepts we were taught as kids. “No Take Backs” is

another concept that most kids learn growing up. Don’t give something that is not yours to give, or that

you are going to want back later.

Like any business, this rule applies to insurance – and that is part of the reason we have a pre-bind

process for property policies written by new agents.

All new Firefly agents use our pre-bind system to make sure their property policies meet carrier

guidelines. Here is how it works:

• You quote your customer using EZLynx.

• Applying what you know about underwriting, you choose a carrier for that customer.

• Before binding coverage, you go to our website, tell us which carrier you’re writing with, and a

couple of basics about the coverage. Then upload a photo, and click “submit.”

• You get an email back from our team, either acknowledging that the risk fits OR directing you to

which carriers would be a better fit.

There are three major benefits:

1. You will not find yourself having to “take back” a policy if it is bound contrary to guide (which feels

terrible when it happens).

2. You will preserve your reputation with your carriers, as you submit business that fits their

appetite.

3. You will learn how to grow profitably with your carriers.

After you submit enough property risks to pre-bind for you and us to be comfortable that you

understand the underwriting guidelines and appetites for carriers, you will not need to do the pre-bind

process anymore. For most of our agents, this is usually 30 property policies.

You will always need to be a good field underwriter, gathering photos, and inspecting each property, as

well as upload retention documents into EZ Lynx. But unless you submit risks that don’t fit your carriers

OR you show a pattern of writing unprofitable business, you will no longer need to submit photos prior to

binding.

Please trust us when we tell you the pre-bind process is worthwhile! It will save you time,

aggravation, and embarrassment while you are getting the hang of what carriers want.





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COMMERCIAL INSURANCE: TWO PATHS

There are two ways an agent can work with us when it comes to commercial insurance. You can either

work with our warm lead teams (powered by Hartford and Liberty Mutual), or you can get a plan

approved to be what we call a Commercial Approved Agent.

PATH ONE: WARM LEAD PROGRAM

Usually, selling commercial insurance requires knowledge, experience, and time, but the Firefly Warm

Lead Program makes it so any agent can make money in commercial. And it takes almost no effort on

your part.

Hartford and Liberty Mutual understand that lots of personal lines agents know and insure

businessowners. But because it is such a pain to properly underwrite, quote, sell, and service these types

of accounts, you don’t bother asking for a shot at their business insurance.

In the Warm Lead Program, you bring

the relationship and the carriers bring

the expertise. You simply submit your

prospect’s contact information to the

carrier through our website, and they

will gather the information they need

to quote, sell, and service the policy.

You don’t have to get a signed

application or upload any retention

documents! On top of that, they

also assume the E&O exposure. You

still get paid both new and renewal

commissions.

So, if you want to make money through commercial sales but don’t have the time experience it takes, the

Warm Lead Program is for you!

This program works so well that many seasoned agents use it when they don't have enough time to

quote a prospect. Over 600 classes of businesses can be insured through it, so you have many

opportunities to get coverage for people that you know. If you are a Warm Lead agent and one of those

two carriers can’t write your referral (whether due to pricing or eligibility) you’ll just need to let your

prospect know that you did your best and move on to the next one.





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PATH TWO: BECOMING A COMMERCIAL APPROVED AGENT

If you have experience selling commercial policies and you want to quote, sell, and service business

insurance for all of Firefly’s commercial carriers, you can apply to become a Commercial Approved Agent.

You’ll need to submit and discuss with us your plan for writing commercial, including things like which

classes you will target, how you will market to them, and how many leads you plan to get per month.

If you are approved, we’ll get you appointed with the commercial carriers, introduce you to the reps who

have an appetite for the classes of business you plan to write, and we’ll help you learn how to gather

information and to use EZ Lynx for saving retention documents, and service after the sale. We’ll also

follow up with you to make sure you are executing your marketing plan, so you are quoting qualified

prospects.

Commercial Approved Agents follow our eight-step process for gathering information, quoting,

presenting, and issuing commercial insurance. These steps give you confidence in every phase of the

sales process, give you credibility for both customers and underwriters, and reduce your risk of an E&O

claim.

Until we are mutually comfortable with your level of expertise, we’ll check your work as you go – and let

you know if we have any concerns.

Once we’re comfortable that you understand and follow the eight steps, you’ll be able to work directly

with underwriters. We’ll always be available to help you as needed.

Being a Commercial Approved Agent takes some work, but the benefits are worth it, and Firefly

can give you the carriers and support you need to succeed.





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DOCUMENT RETENTION

One of our founders is fond of saying that “After a prospect says ‘yes’ to your proposal, then the real work

begins.” In both commercial and personal lines, the challenge is to gather up and then submit all the

applications, photos, signatures, so the policy gets issued properly.

State Departments of Insurance and insurance carriers require agents to keep copies of certain

documentation. These can protect agents and customers if there’s a coverage dispute at the time of a

claim. Property photos also protect agents by showing that a building fit the guidelines of the insurance

company at the time it was written.

When you write a policy with Firefly, one requirement is to upload certain documents into EZLynx. They

include:

• Applications (signed by you and your customer)

• Proof of eligibility for certain discounts (e.g., a report card for a good student)

• Photos of covered homes and buildings

Our staff checks every new policy in EZLynx for these documents. If you haven’t provided them, you’ll get

an email reminding you to upload the missing item. If you don’t take care of it, we’ll get it directly from

your customer, and you’ll incur a charge from Firefly to cover our cost of doing so. (Fear not! Very few of

our agents ever incur this charge.)

One reason carriers are willing to give you direct appointments without production requirements

is that they know we’re following up with you to make sure these documents have been retained.

(They audit us regularly.)

Uploading these documents to EZLynx is easy. As an agent, you always have access to them. You may

find that you can finally run a paperless office!

Also, many agents like to use EZLynx’s e-signature function for policy applications. You get all applications

electronically, and the completed application is automatically saved in your customer’s EZLynx file.

You can choose whether to use e-signatures or simply scan and upload a signed

application. But uploading those applications and property photos is a requirement.





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NON-RESIDENT APPOINTMENTS

Today’s technology makes it possible for you to write business that is physically far away from your

office. You can also write policies in non-resident states subject to the following conditions:

1. Firefly must be licensed and operating in that state. We're not in California or Florida for example,

so you can’t write P&C business in either of those states.

2. Firefly must get you appointed with each carrier in any non-resident state you’re going to write in.

This creates extra producer codes with every insurance company’s system. Low-producing codes

adversely affect the Firefly average of "codes to premium.” The Firefly model provides carrier

access without production requirements, and it is managed with care and diligence without any

quotas for you. But when you seek non-resident license(s) a new dynamic is added.

Generally, a good plan will generate at least $100k of premium in that state in two years.

Making sure you have a good plan for non-resident states will make sure that getting non-res

appointments will help make your relationship with Firefly stronger, and Firefly’s relationship with

carriers stronger, too.

If you have a producer in your office, they would only be able to get non-resident appointments in states

where you and they (along with Firefly) are licensed. For example, if they are licensed in one of our states,

but you do not have the non-resident license too - we are not able to appoint them. You need to have the

license so that you can service the book if the producer leaves.

In summary - if you, your producer, and Firefly are licensed in a non-resident state where you are near a

state border OR have an approved marketing plan to grow, you’ll be able to write business there.

That's why an agent who wants to write in other states will either need to be right

on the border of the non-resident state (like the Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois, or

Chattanooga with Tennessee and Georgia), or they'll need to have a marketing

plan approved by Firefly Agency for the specific non-resident state requested.






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WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO GET STARTED?

If you like what you’ve learned about Firefly so far, you might be wondering what’s the process to

get started. After you’ve talked with one of our recruiters, signed the non-disclosure agreement

so you can read through the contract, and you’ve talked with one of our agents, here are the

major steps:

1. E-sign the Independent Producer Agreement.

2. Open bank accounts for receiving commissions and drafting your operating costs.

3. Electronically receive and complete a Producer Packet from Firefly. (It includes your W-9 for tax

reporting, banking information, and basic information about yourself.)

4. Electronically receive and complete your E&O application and the appointment paperwork for all

of your carriers. (We have a full-time staffer who does nothing but process your carrier

appointments for you.)

5. Talk with your trainer, who will direct you to some online EZLynx training that you can do while

you wait for your appointments to be processed.

6. Participate in screen-sharing sessions for training on each carrier.

7. Experience the growth you’ve been looking for!





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WHAT IF IT DOESN’T WORK OUT?

When we need to buy something from a big box store, Costco is easily our family’s favorite. The adults

love the low prices, and the kids really love the free samples. (We’ll admit it—we enjoy the samples too.)

But another thing we’ve always appreciated about Costco is its easy return policy, which you can read

here. Look at that! It's broader than special form policy (a little insurance humor there)!

If the ability to buy with confidence matters to me while grocery shopping, it will matter even more to you

as you consider which insurance partner is the best fit for you. This is, of course, much more important

than buying groceries!

Making a career change can be difficult. After you make a decision, you may wonder if you have done the

right thing. That’s why we’ve created a contract that is really easy to leave.

We'll waive the non-compete for carriers and policies and cancel drafts for subsequent operating

costs. We don't even require 30-days notice. Just send us your request in writing, and we'll part ways as

friends. There will be no hard feelings—just a little disappointment, for us, that it did not work out.

In the end, we'll be happy we both gave it a shot.

If you decide after 90 days that we're no longer a good fit, we still want your exit to be easy.

We've had agents who have needed to leave on short notice when a family emergency requires a big

change, or they decide to leave the industry altogether. If something like that happens to you, all we

need is 30 days written notice before the 10th of any given month. This gives us time to close your

location down and stop your operating costs.

If you have been with us for at least three years, you’ll receive your buy-out payments from us over the

next 36 months. Again, we'll make the process as straightforward as possible, so we can part ways

amicably.

What is Firefly’s “return policy?” In your first 90 days,

you can leave Firefly with no strings attached. At all.




https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1191

https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1191

https://www.fireflyagency.com/nofees/

https://www.fireflyagency.com/nofees/


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WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?

With Firefly, you’ll get the carriers, management system, E&O, and assistance that can help you succeed

as an independent agent. You’ll also need to come prepared with a few tools and skills of your own.

A CONNECTED WINDOWS COMPUTER

You must have a computer running the Windows operating system. To be very clear, Apple’s Mac

computers and Chromebooks will NOT work with the carriers’ websites. (Most of them work best with the

Chrome browser and Internet Explorer, but not with Safari.)

Everything from training to quoting to service is done online, so a high-speed Internet connection is also

critical – wherever you are working.

A PHONE DEDICATED TO YOUR BUSINESS

Whether you use a landline, a VOIP

system, or a mobile phone, whatever

phone number you use for your agency

needs to be answered as an agency. If a

carrier calls you and perceives that

you’re just answering your personal cell

phone (for example, you just answer a

call by saying “hello”) they could decide

not to appoint you or work with you.

Your voicemail must also be dedicated to

your agency, so your clients and carriers

know they have reached an insurance

agency. The good news is that you can

use systems like Google Voice to get a

dedicated phone number for your

agency that goes to your mobile phone, but that has its own voicemail message separate from your

personal message.

A SCANNER AND THE SKILL TO USE IT

You can’t function as an agent without the ability to scan multiple-page documents (such as signed

applications) into a single PDF file. There are simply too many different scanners for Firefly to be able to

provide technical support to you for this. That’s why you must have a working scanner, connected to your

computer, and the know-how to use it.





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WHAT’S NEXT?

Most of the time, being a Firefly agent turns out to be as good as—or better than—our agents hoped it

would be. Now is the time for you to ask all of your questions and get your answers. Let's both be sure

that Firefly is right for you.

We'll also ask questions to try and make sure you’re a good fit before you sign up with us. Then, if you

choose to work with us, you can be confident knowing you’re still in the driver’s seat if you change your

mind.

So that you can be prepared, these are the kinds of questions we’ll have for you:

• What insurance experience do you have?

• What’s motivating you to make a change?

• What lead sources do you have?

• How many quotes per month are you running right now?

• Do you plan to have producers?

• As you look for an agency partner, what’s most important to you?

YOUR NEXT STEP:

If you don’t already have a phone call scheduled with us, please text, email, or call us to set one up.

In case you don’t have our contact information nearby, you can call (855) 921-6877 to reach someone

who can help you.

We look forward to getting to know you!

Remember, you can always read more about us in our Learning Center.





http://www.fireflyagency.com/learn


firefly basics: part 2 · also, the most challenging thing about firefly is . . . having so many...

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