Hey, guys! This is John Hockaday. We've launched a series of short videos discussing recent acquisitions over the last few months and even a couple of years.
These feature agents who were ready to retire or move on to the next chapter in their lives. Our goal is to share insights into their thought processes as they approached selling their books.
If you're thinking, 'Is this me? Is this my last AEP that I'm going to go through? Am I ready to explore what the next steps might look like?' I encourage you to give us a call now.
It usually takes a little while, and it can save us and you a lot of time rather than waiting until January or February before we start the conversation. There's zero pressure, but if you think it sounds like you, call us. Let's have a conversation. If the timing is right, we can hustle and be ready to close on your book in 2024.
Hope that helps, and I hope you enjoy these. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call.
Video Transcript
The following transcript has been edited for clarity.
John Hockaday: This interview is for David Taul's book of business. It's a tough one because David passed away suddenly in January of '22. So, his wife, Violet, was left with this book, and we began working together to see how we could process this and take care of these customers while giving Violet a great value for her book.
It's an important story – not an easy one – but important because none of us know what tomorrow holds.
This is Violet Tall. Her husband, David, was an agent that wrote a lot of his business through us in the last 10 or 12 years. In the summer of '21, he was thinking about selling his book.
We did an evaluation and decided he should keep going and get his book refreshed. Unfortunately, he got sick at the end of '21 and passed at the beginning of '22. Violet, not being in the insurance business, had to deal with everything. We started the process at the end of January '22 and closed most of Dave's book at the end of June, about six months later.
Violet, any comments on that stretch?
Violet Taul: Yeah, fortunately, I knew David had talked to you about selling his business. I would have been completely lost if I had to handle it by myself.
John: You were so gracious during this unexpected loss. With all you had on your plate, you really worked hard.
Violet: Well, it's a two-way street.
John: Everyone here loves you, and there was a lot of work, especially dealing with carriers since Violet wasn't licensed. There were a lot of hoops to figure out along the way. Thankfully, it all worked out well, and the book we got from Dave is one of our best. His customers have really connected with the team here. It has been a good book, and we're thankful for that. We would've done it if it wouldn't have been, but it's really worked out good for us.
Violet: I'm glad to hear that because they had a close relationship with his customers. It was helpful for me to know there was a place for them to go.
John: Absolutely. Anything else we should talk about?
Violet: You were great. I couldn't have gotten through it without you. You were very caring and hands-on.
John: Thank you. It's a team effort, and I'm glad everything worked out for you, Violet. Thank you for this call; I think it'll help others going through similar situations.
If you're thinking about selling your book, even if it's a tough decision, it's worth considering. Get the process going as quickly as possible. Alright, that's all I got. Thank you so much.
Violet: Thank you, John. Take care, everyone.
More in this series:
Interested in creating a succession plan? Check out this article: Succession Planning 101
