Our Agent Spotlight series highlights agents who have been doing great work in the field. This article spotlights our very own Don Flynn! Don enjoys being actively involved in his church and the lives of his two kids and three grandsons. When he’s not working, he likes to golf, fish, or simply stay home and spend time with his family.
Don’s Past
For insurance agents, there is no shortage of FMOs to choose from. Therefore, it’s always interesting to ask our agents what made them decide to join Empower. In Don’s case, he was introduced to Empower by a friend of his. He chose to stay because the level of service he’s received as an agent has been unparalleled. Don specifically shouted out our Life and Financial Specialist, Enrique Torres, claiming that he’s been a “tremendous asset to [his] business.” When Don has a question, it gets answered swiftly, and so he’s always felt heard and taken care of.
While Don has only been a member of the Empower family for about 3 or 4 years, he has been in the insurance business for 35 years! His professional journey began at Northwestern Mutual where he worked as an agent for a decade. After taking a break from the business and learning more about Medicare, he eventually became interested in infinite banking. That’s when he began working with Empower’s Annuity Sales Director, Derek Baltimore, to hone his skills on the financial side of the business.
Don’s Present
Since he has achieved so much success selling annuities, I had to ask Don what his process is when dealing with potential clients. He said that there are “four objections” he has to overcome: “no trust, no need, no help, and no hurry.” In order to gain trust, Don likes to create a bond with his clients in which he is able to share personal information and invites them to do the same. He makes sure to listen and internalize the client’s story, and from that, can deduce their needs. He then helps meet their needs by creating a sense of urgency so that they, as a team, can work towards getting the financial problem solved.
Don considers himself a pretty old-school guy. He claims that his success comes from focusing on the relationships he has with his clients. In fact, he’d be willing to bet that 100% of his business comes from word-of-mouth referrals. After working with his clients, he doesn’t forget them. Instead, he makes them his friends. Keeping up relationships and open communication is very important to him.
As an insurance agency veteran, he’s collected more than a few nuggets of wisdom to share with newer agents. “The insurance agency is really hard,” he shared, “but don’t be discouraged. Think of it like marriage. Make up your mind [now] that you’re not gonna divorce your business.” As someone who’s been happily married for 44 years, I would believe him! Everything takes hard work and perseverance, and being an effective insurance agent is no different. Consistent commitment is key when trying to foster loyal clientele.
Staying in any business for as long as Don has can sometimes be frustrating and monotonous. It’s important to keep focused on what’s driving your ambition, or, in other words, what motivates you to succeed. Don’s primary motivation for doing what he does has never been money, but helping and serving people. As he put it, “I work just as hard for a $200 commission as I do for a $20,000 commission.” Additionally, he is motivated by learning opportunities. His natural curiosity has made him a proactive agent who is determined to learn everything there is to learn about his clients and his industry.
We could all use an insurance agent like Don. Thank you for your hard work!
Agents
We hope that our Agent Spotlight was interesting to you!
Empower Brokerage is dedicated to helping you make informed decisions about your health and finances. Whether it’s through webinar training, one-on-one calls, seminars, or marketing plans, we want you to be successful!
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Kayla is a graduate of Texas A&M University and joined the marketing team at Empower Brokerage in early 2021. She creates content for the company websites and assists with various marketing campaigns. LinkedIn Profile
