Conversations with Patrick Wertzberger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Wertzberger.

Hi Patrick, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After twice being impacted by corporate downsizing, I was in a position in December 2008 of not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. From my bank teller days in college, I knew I loved working with people, so I wanted that to be a part of my next opportunity. I had a Masters in Accounting, but I knew I didn’t want to be an Accountant. Additionally, I knew I didn’t want to put myself in a position to have the rug pulled out from underneath me for the third time. I thought of pursuing real estate and Financial Advising, but a resume posted on Monster.com led me to a meeting with a District Manager with Farmers Insurance. Admittedly, I had not thought about an insurance career; initially, the more I learned about it, the less I wanted to do it. While the masses carry the product sold, I saw the role as one that would require a very large income reduction and many long hours working to build a book of business over time. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go through that experience for the potential of down-the-road success.

I sing my wife’s praises to this day as she was my cheerleader telling me that she believed this was the right fit. She was more confident in me than I was me, and she forever understood the long hours it took for me to see success. We were in a position to make some personal sacrifices, and we lived off of her income for a few years while I worked to build an Agency. Fast forward, 13 years later, we’ve built a book of business from zero to now being one of the larger Farmers Insurance Agencies in the Kansas City Metro. We employ 6 full-time staff members and have been fortunate to earn almost every accolade available from Farmers Insurance to its Agent force.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest advocate of what I do for a living. It can be very challenging. There is nothing but challenges on the road to success in insurance. How do you find a prospect? How much to spend on leads and other marketing strategies? How to best present a proposal? How do overcome objections? How to ask for the business? How do find good employees? How to pay your employees? How to train/motivate/support your employees? Different stages of growing an Agency present a different set of challenges.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our Agency primarily focuses on personal lines of insurance; Home insurance, auto, and Life insurance. Our Agency is known for our service (responsiveness goes a long way) and professional approach. When I got into selling insurance for a living, I realized how little I knew, as a consumer, about my own insurance policies. Until then, I had gone online to purchase insurance policies and didn’t know what I was buying or how it was (or wasn’t) protecting me. When I started my Agency, I truly wanted to present myself as an Advisor for my clients. In selling insurance, our approach has always been, “Pricing is important, but coverage is equally important. That said, we want to provide the most competitive product possible, but we also want to ensure the cover does what you would expect it to if you ever have to use it.”

This Advisor approach and the personal touch we provide to all of our clients have allowed us to earn the trust of many referring local Real Estate Agents and Mortgage Brokers. We’re often brought into the process when a home purchase or refinance is to ensure the needed home insurance is set up properly.

Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Put yourself in a position to get the most “no’s” possible. Sales is a numbers game. The more people you talk to, the more likely you will get a “yes.” In that mindset, the more “no’s” you can get you closer to that success. Don’t let someone telling you no get you too down. In any sales role, you have to have slippery, thick skin. Brush it off, don’t let it get to you, and move on! If you’re willing to continue moving forward, that “yes” is just around the corner.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thewertzbergeragency.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/pwfarmers