Jeff Sams
Recent Posts
How Do FMOs Get Paid?
I know what you're thinking. Are you seriously publishing this for all the world to see? The subject of money is always touchy. How an FMO gets paid – or how any of us gets paid – is just one of…
The Worst Advice We’ve Ever Heard About Retiring From Insurance
It sounds like the popular opinion on the street is that letting your book of business die out and then living off the renewals is the best way to retire. This is the worst advice I've ever heard…
[Case Study] How We Built Our Local Insurance Agency
Over 30 years ago, John and I started our local insurance agency. We went through all those growing pains, from making expensive marketing mistakes to finding and hiring the right staff members.…
Recognizing Our Heroes This Veterans Day
The celebration or recognition of Veterans Day is something that we all take very seriously. I am the proud father of three great kids, and I have nine grandkids. Technically, one is still in the…
The AEP Pep-Talk You Really Need Right Now
Good news – you have made it through week one, and you are well on your way through week 2 of AEP. This is the most fun time of the year if you love to write business. I know some people complain as…
New Carrier: Americo Medicare Supplement & Final Expense Plans
We have a brand new A-Rated carrier here at New Horizons! Americo offers Medicare Supplements and Final Expense plans, and they are definitely a company you want to take a look at.
Is Selling for Incentives Doing a Disservice to Your Clients?
Back when I was an agent, I only sold one company – that’s all I had. So if I was trying to win a trip, it wasn’t like I was choosing between multiple companies.
[Case Study] The Real-Life Impact of a Long-Term Care Sale
Sometimes, we all get caught up. Caught up in product knowledge, rates, brochures, declinable drugs, and everything else… to the point where we don’t see insurance for what it really is. Insurance…
Plan F Is Dead… Or Is It? (A 2017 Update)
About a year and a half ago, I did a post on the future of Plan F. Is it dead? Is this a huge problem? Or is it a new opportunity?
Q&A: How to Handle Med Supps for Snowbird Clients
When working with seniors, it’s very common to come across snowbirds. They live in the midwest for the summer, and they travel down south (usually to Florida) for the winter. We get a lot of…
What Sports Taught Me About Selling Insurance (A 2017 Update)
There’s a reason why a ton of salesmen are former athletes, and John Hockaday and I (Jeff Sams) are no exception. Both of us have a background in sports.
What to Sell to Clients That Can’t (or Don’t Want to) Pay for Long-Term Care
According to the National Nursing Home Study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2004 (the most recent study) nearly 44% of all nursing home stays are for less than 1 year.
Coming full circle with LTC insurance
I began my insurance career in 1981, selling Nursing Home Insurance. It was not called “Long Term Care” as we call it today, but I felt that anyone over the age of 65 needed it to protect themselves…
Don't get tripped up on TRIP
Teachers in the state of Illinois contribute to the Teachers Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP). In February of 2013, the TRIP Medicare Supplement option was replaced with a choice of three…
Beating the dead horse of cross-selling
I've been in this business long enough to remember when the majority of your sales were not made during the last quarter of the year. I can remember growing a beard in December because no one wanted…
