Agent Interview: Brian Fillweber, Safeway Financial

Brian Fillweber, president of Safeway Financial, shares his thoughts on growing a successful nationwide agency using technology, and how carriers who embrace technology such as Golden Rule are strengthening the health insurance industry.

Norvax: Can you tell me who Safeway Financial is and what you do?

Brian Fillweber: Safeway Financial is a nationwide insurance agency and marketing group created to serve the needs of insurance carriers both major medical and multi-line from life to Medicare and the servicing of the client to the carrier on a distribution basis. We have a 100 seat career in-house agency as well as over 1,100 nationwide agents utilizing our products, technology lead systems and our sales team qualified by over 50 years in the business.  Our strengths are supported by our Clearwater Corporate office team in the ability to turnkey our career agency platform to fit the needs and dynamics of the independent agents on a nationwide basis.

Norvax: You have several websites geared towards consumers. What prompted you to adopt this form of marketing?

BF: We created a multitude of sites for consumers to reach out to us. We have an agreement with companies like Norvax to provide web tools from a quoting standpoint to bring buyer to the seller in a quick, streamlined, clear, concise basis.

The quote engine adds accessibility in seconds. It adds variety for all the products that we sell with our carriers. It’s the ease of the quote engine, coupled with the ease of the carrier application process, with us in the middle advising both the client and the underwriting team at the carrier. As an example with Golden Rule, it allows us to get quick, concise quoting, quick, concise decisions, and a quick application process that leads to a final result which is a quick issue process.

Norvax: I imagine that kind of service and accessibility has led to more applications.

BF: Yes, our agency has seen phenomenal growth based on the technology, over 100% last year alone. And our objectives for 2007 far exceed the 100% increase.  Utilizing the technology allows a platform for full disclosure of medical history creating a better placement and persistency rate for the agents and agencies therefore increasing their income.

Norvax: Lets talk more about the days before you automated. What were some of the roadblocks you were able to overcome?

BF: The roadblock that was the toughest to overcome was transitioning agents from their current sales process to the automated sales technology platform. What the insurance business has needed for quite some time is a platform to attract young and aggressive talent, and technology and automation are very attractive to this group.  The automation has made it much easier to manage and recruit agents, and hold sales meetings and training sessions. It’s all conducted online.

Norvax: Have you noticed it’s easier to recruit new agents or get them ramped up faster now that you have these tools in place?

BF: Absolutely.  Take licensing for example, we offer an online form for agent contracting that allows us to submit your licensing and begin selling in the same week.

Norvax: Let’s talk a little about one of your core carriers, Golden Rule. Like you they embrace technology, notably with their E-Store and e-applications. How does partnering with a tech-savvy carrier benefit your agency?

BF: E-Store and the technology that Golden Rule has built, coupled with their parent company United Healthcare, has allowed them to grow quickly. Incorporating our technology with them and vice a versa has led to an extremely exciting relationship, allowing us again to deliver to our client. Our client is ultimately our agent, whether that is our in-house agent or our field agent 500 miles to 1,000 miles away.

The key to Golden Rule is their decision to embrace technology, to spend the money on it and to involve us in the decision-making process. Those 3 have actually in my opinion actually led them to increase their business, our relationship and our ability to deliver for them.

Norvax: Golden Rule is also known for pioneering the HSA-compatible products. Why should agencies consider adding these to their portfolios?

BF: Agents should understand what Golden Rule is trying to accomplish by having the most competitive HSA on the marketplace. It makes the statement: “We want to be in the healthcare business. We want to work with agents in the healthcare business.” An HSA ultimately gives freedom to not only our clients who are self-employed but gives opportunity for our clients to choose the healthcare that they want. The opportunity that the HSA brings them from a tax deduction standpoint to freer service decision on the client’s part ultimately will allow the industry to evolve and grow and allow the capitalist marketplace to exceed in the area of healthcare.

So the agents who are not embracing HSAs should if they care about staying in the major medical business, in the individual business and supporting the self-employed. HSA is the way to go, it should be quoted; it should be talked about. Our agency is committed to talking about the Golden Rule HSA which is clearly a leader in the marketplace.

Agents interested in Safeway Financial can visit http://www.sfgconsumer.com/