There's no doubt: Mentoring breeds success. And the benefits touch not only the mentee, but the mentor, as well. The Agent's Sales Journal spoke with two industry professionals -- a mentor and a mentee -- to get their take on how such a relationship has affected their practices.
The mentor
Joe Dimora, executive vice president of Northeast division, AXA Advisors
In 1988, Joe Dimora became a district manager at AXA Advisors. So began his mentoring career, as well.
AXA Advisors' district managers recruit, train, and develop new associates, which also involves mentoring the incoming prot?g?s. From the beginning, said Dimora, district managers are fully responsible for recruits, including accompanying them on sales calls, coaching them on practice building, and helping gather data.
"With new associates, it's more how you get into the business, professionally," said Dimora. "You do it hand-in-hand until you feel confident they can stand on their own. Then, it becomes more of a consultative relationship."
There can be some hurdles to overcome in a mentor/mentee relationship, said Dimora. One factor in selecting a mentee is evaluating whether they want to be mentored. Believe it or not, he said, there are those entering the industry who are simply not willing to do they work required to move up the ranks. It takes a lot of work to succeed, and those who are most eager about building a business from the ground up will make the best mentees.
"There are a lot of people who, in your heart, you know would be a good advisor," Dimora explained. "But it's not what you want, it's what they want. All you can do is create an environment in which they can succeed, and if they don't want it, it's not going to happen. I've seen it a hundred times before."
It's important for the mentor to build strong systems that will hold them accountable and make it easier to train a newcomer. They must also be vested in the mentee's success and help them develop good habits. It's not just about the technical aspects, he said. The fundamentals, such as teaching new agents to follow through with appointments, are just as important as the details of creating a sales presentation.
In the end, said Dimora, the mentoring role has numerous benefits. He has recruited, trained, and developed five individuals who have become some of the more successful branch managers.
"There are many opportunities to help them sell and teach them how to teach others," he said.
"When they come in as newbies and you make them better than you are, that's the most satisfying part."
The mentee
Justin Bennett, agent, Northeast Planning Corp. (a Guardian general agency)
Justin Bennett met his longtime mentor, Jack Howley, through his general agent after entering the insurance business fresh out of college in 2004. Since then, Howley, president of Howley Financial Group, an affiliate of Guardian's Northeast Planning Corp., has been instrumental in Bennett's success.
With more than 25 years of experience, said Bennett, Howley was a natural choice, someone whose type of practice Bennett could envision someday running. In fact, he's benefited so much from the relationship that he highly recommends newer agents obtain a mentor as soon as they can.
"He helped me understand the business and the way life insurance works, which is important, but he also helped me become a better communicator, a better relationships person, a better person outside of the business," Bennett said.
Agents should try to find a mentor within the first year of two of their business, he said, someone who has a lot to offer and whom the agent respects. It's important for agents to identify the mentor's strengths and ensure they match up with the agent's goals. For instance, one mentor may excel at referral gathering while another does a lot of joint work with mentees.
Other factors to look for include similar geographical territories, similar personality traits, and even similar hobbies.
Once an agent has selected a mentor, said Bennett, they should learn as much as they can as quickly as possible.
"They need to be a sponge and absorb as much as possible without getting in the way of the mentor," he said. "Be a quick learner and try to apply what you've learned in everyday situations."
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