How To Start Your Own Successful Insurance Agency

I was tossed up between 3 or 4 stars. I would definitely recommend this book to an agent new to starting an agency or possibly within the first few years. There were many questions I was left with, most importantly what it looks like to find an insurer to be appointed by or how to search for an insurer, and there were many that were answered.All in all, get it and read it if this is something new to you but realize it’s like a short conversation with an experienced agent, it’s going to raise many more questions.

Good book, very easy to read and written in a conversational style. Robertson has written a few articles for American Agent & Broker magazine, and the book has that feel of an expanded article.There are a few drawbacks which were mentioned by another reviewer, but by no means something that makes the book unreadable or worthless. There are some personal stories in the book from the author's life, but those are mostly a sort of color commentary to break up the monotony that insurance books can become. There are definitely valuable pieces in the book; I read it with a highlighter in hand and marked the relevant passages so when I go back to the book I can get right to the specifics. There are more than a few highlights I'll be going back to read at a later date. The chapters about setting salaries, financial information, markets and E&O claims were the most valuable to me.From a technical, insurance industry side this book is meant for a mostly commercial/general lines audience, so if you work in a personal lines brokerage or as a captive agent to one carrier some of the information may not benefit you. If you're looking for very specific organizational charts, position descriptions, etc. you won't find those either. The book is very much a strategic vision of how the agency should run and not a tactical day to day operations manual - you;ll figure that out yourself as you start your own agency.Good book, quick read. If you go into it as getting a chance to have a $10 lunch with an obviously successful Broker that wants to share his story and particular advice, the book is worth the price and you'll get the most out of it.

ok book

Enjoyed reading. A lot of useful information for my startup. Great buy!

Don't waste your time or money on this book; it looks and reads like a self published vanity piece and has very little useful information. It uses lots of industry terms without explaining them, is generally painful to read and is mostly motivational. If you are looking for the nuts and bolts of how an agency works and what you need to do to start one, keep looking.

Very helpful

I have just started reading this wonderful book filled with great information and wisdom.i may just stay this evening and finish it.Thank you for sharing.

Good if you started in insurance today.