⊗ Sign the Equis Agent ICA agreement

The ICA agreement will be provided to you with a simple call to your upline manager.

⊗ Take the ExamFX.com course (life only)

Click on “Register” in the top corner of the ExamFX website. Enter your manager’s email as the discount code (should cost you $50) and you’re off to the races.

⊗ Pass your state Life Insurance test

This should take you 1-2 weeks. Dig in, and get it knocked out of the way as quickly as you can. ExamFX will give you all instructions on where, when and how. Here’s some info on state requirements and licensing fees.

⊗ Start with: GPM, CFG & Foresters

These are the three core carriers that will enable you to write a policy on nearly everyone you sit with. If you don’t have a contracting link yet, you can ask your upline manager or email contracting@equisfinancial.com and ask for it (include your EF agent number).

⊗ Americo

You’ll want to add Americo as soon as you have E&O (errors & omissions) insurance coverage.

⊗ Note about first applications

When you write your first application for any carrier, it should be submitted directly to Equis, not the carrier. Some carriers require that you first write business in order to get contracted. Your contracting gets submitted when you turn in your first application. These include: Athene, Ameritas, CFG, Gerber, MoO, Nassau Re, Oxford and Transamerica.

⊗ Get Familiar with Your Equis Back Office

Take a little time getting familiar with your new back office. Metrics, numbers, progress, sales training, etc. On your agent back office, you’ll find a link to all the carrier calculators. Download and bookmark them in your computer or iPad and run some practice quotes on the nearest person.

⊗ Plug in to the Team

• Download the GroupMe app. Find your upline manager and join the Valdez group to get updates, announcements and lots of crazy from other Equis agents in the field.
• Text EQUIS to 772-22 to get updates, announcements and reminders from the mother ship.
• Like the Equis page on Facebook

⊗ Block out Your Calendar

It’s also important to stay plugged in to the team on a weekly business. Here’s a full list, but here are the critical calls to block into your calendar:

• Valdez Team Call– Monday, 12:30 EST  •  Phone: 563.999.5104
• National Call– Friday, 11am EST
• Live Dialing with Bill Martin– Friday, 3pm EST

⊗ Determine Your Lead Flow

Create an OPT login from your back office (left side navigation under Leads) and start browsing leads in your area. Strategize with your upline manager about your lead flow and setting up a standing order. Without leads, you have no appointments. Here’s a calculator to help you.

You may also be interested in starting with IPL (Incomplete Phone Leads) as a cost-effective way to get the ball rolling. Here’s a training.

⊗ Office Supplies

You’ll want to be ready with the following: Pens (black ink), paper applications, business cards (logo below in Resources), a lanyard and carrier brochures (you can order from them).

⊗ Set Your Schedule

This one is CRITICAL. Your schedule is your boss. Create it and then answer to it. Here are some samples that can help you. One word of caution: white space is a business killer. Intentionally account for every hour and remember your three most profitable activities: dialing for appointments, presenting in homes and following through on your pending business.

⊗ Dialing

85% of this business is dialing. The other 10% is in-home presentations and product knowledge. Here’s a script but get on the training center from your Equis back office and watch Bill Martin (the master) teach you about dialing. To practice, call your upline manager out of the blue a few times. Here’s a training done by Crystal Patello, one of Equis’ top dialing agents as well as her scripts. Master this and you’ll make lots of money at Equis.

⊗ In-Home Presentations

Here’s a script and an outline and a PPT presentation (complete with a video), but get on the training center from your Equis back office and watch the in-home presentation training. Go through it a few times until you’re comfortable. Remember, it’s not how much you know, it’s how much you care. First and foremost, they MUST trust and like you.

Jim Glascott, a 18-year veteran does his in-home presentation this way.

⊗ Writing and Scrubbing Apps

You’ll need to get good at writing, scrubbing and following your applications. Print and fill this one out on yourself or spouse and send it into your upline manager for feedback.

⊗ If you have completed steps 1-4, call your upline manager and schedule a one-on-one strategy session to review:

• What is your WHY, your dream?
• Identify your biggest obstacles/weaknesses
• Develop a schedule you can commit to
• Create a strategy for lead flow
• Establish your financial goal
• Build a specific game plan to get you there

⊗ Track Your Numbers

Pay attention to and track all of your numbers- they’re the lifeblood of your business. The Equis backoffice posts the most critical ones on your dashboard home page.

⊗ Ignite Award

As soon as you’ve completed contracting, go for the Equis Agent Ignite Award—you’ll be glad you did. Plus, there are some great bonuses for achieving it. You just need to write 3 paid apps totaling at least $2,750 in production within your first 45 days from contract packet approval date.

⊗ First Milestone: Run 10 Appointments

You can do this in a week. Don’t get stuck on product knowledge, it’s the biggest mistake new agents make. You’ll learn far more by running. Run hard and do your best, we’ll clean up any mess. Download the Equis Agent Tools and Presentation Tools below.

⊗ Second Milestone: Submit 10 Applications

Your first several applications with any carrier should always be paper. Sometimes it’s required, but always, it’s a good idea. It helps minimize mistakes, and increase the odds or being approved. Use an app to scan and email it for review before submitting.

⊗ Third Milestone: Bring on 3 ICAs

Grow your team and you’ll grow your income. Make it a habit to always talk about the Equis opportunity in every home- everyone knows someone who needs this, even part time. You’re ALWAYS looking for the right person.

Underwriting Guides: You’ll need to print out both Final Expense and Term underwriting guides (Americo’s is separate). Keep them with you on all appointments. Use them to check the health conditions to determine your client’s eligibility. NOTE: for GPM Equity Protector, use the underwriting guide in the GPM calculator.

Business Tools: A few things to help set you up as a business owner:

• Equis Logo (for printing your business cards)

Presentation Tools: Here are some presentation sheets you should have handy:

• Buyer’s Guide
• Carrier Recommendations
• Causes of Death
• Insurance Needs Assessment
• Living Benefits (FE)
• Living Benefits (Term)
• Mortgage Protection Sheet
• Stats

Equis Agent Tools: Here are a few additional tools that may help you:

• Height/Weight Charts
• Product Tables
• Tobacco Guidelines
  
• Underwriting Form
• Sample Paper Applications
• Plus, tons of other products for your Equis home office

Below are the best bits of advice given by the top Equis Agents in the field.

⊗ Master These Top Three Activities

1. Dialing for Appointments: Invest 85% of your effort mastering phone calls and booking appointments. This is by FAR the thing you should be getting best at. Until you have appointments, you do not have applications.
2. In Home Presentations: Invest 10% of your effort getting good at presenting in the home. Basically, love on them, discover their problem, then offer a product to solve their problem.
3. Product Knowledge: Invest only 5% of your effort learning more about the products. This will happen naturally over time. In the home, call an upline manager to help you recommend and close.
   

   ⊗ Calling From a Home

   For the first phase, you’ll want to dial in any of your upline managers before you present options and pricing to your client in the home. Call in, professionally introduce your client, give a brief background and put them on speaker. Whatever you do, don’t let a lack of product knowledge stop you from getting in front of people in the home.

⊗ Read! Top Books to Grow Yourself:

How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling