The October issue of Perspectives Magazine featured an interview with LifePro CEO, Heather Ulz and President, Ben Nevejans. The in-depth member profile included a history of LifePro, highlighted the LifePro community culture, and provided a positive forecast of the future.
Read through the interview below, or click here to view the full article.
What Makes your agency unique? How is it different from others offering the same services?
LifePro is fiercely determined to work for the extraordinary success of our customers, our life insurance carrier partners, and our employees. We believe three of these players must win in order for the consumer to receive the highest level of service. At LifePro, we take an advisor-focused approach while helping the advisor remain 100 percent client-centric. Unlike many firms that focus on attracting and recruiting new advisors, we concentrate on growing our existing advisors’ businesses exponentially. We do this by removing the burden of underwriting, new business, training, education, contracting, and other time-consuming tasks from the myriad responsibilities they face. Using a concierge-style approach and one-on-one support, we take it to the next level by helping the advisor attract and build relationships with new clients. We work with each advisor to provide the most effective and efficient marketing solutions tailored to their firm and comfort level. In other words, we don’t just help advisors once they win a client; we help them to attract and retain the client.
What type of customer are you trying to attract?
Most often, the advisors we attract are not just life insurance salespeople, but true business professionals who are well diversified in product, knowledge, and services. They have brick and mortar offices with support staff and cutting-edge technology. We are particularly interested in producers who invest in themselves and their practice significantly, surround themselves with a community, and, most importantly, understand the benefits of a proven and predictable system. It’s not uncommon for a successful LifePro advisor to spend significant time and resources on coaching, training, and professional development for both themselves and their staff. They understand that being an independent business owner and insurance producer does not mean they have to go at it alone. Instead, they find a community of likeminded professionals like LifePro that allows them to share ideas, gain insights, and outsource tasks.
No consistently successful producer is out there just “winging it.” On the contrary, they have a clear process that everyone in their office understands and believes. Whether it’s a seminar, direct mail, social media, or referral system, these producers and their staff know what needs to happen throughout the entire process. Even better, when they engage in the process, they can accurately predict the amount of revenue that will occur over a certain amount of time. This is exactly what LifePro provides.
Where do you see your agency in the next 10 years?
LifePro has been on a steady growth trajectory for the last 20 years, and we don’t anticipate that changing over the next 20 years. Our growth has been constant and deliberate. From our beginnings, we have been focused on the independent advisor. That focus has remained part of our fabric as we’ve expanded, with every LifePro team member understanding and respecting the plight of the independent advisor. We will ensure our growth continues to be sustainable and never jeopardizes the concierge service and superior support we provide for our producers.
How does being a NAILBA member benefit you and your business?
As a Charter Member Agency, NAILBA has played a significant role in our organization over the years, particularly when it comes to the Annual Meetings. As far as we know, there are no other meetings in the business so heavily concentrated with content and camaraderie and provides true value to a BGA/IMO.
Ben Nevejans: The Annual Meeting, along with the multitude of other member benefits, allows us to be successful and competitive through the ebbs and flows of the industry. During my tenure in financial services, I have had the good fortune to sit on the NAILBA Board of Directors and am currently wrapping up my four-year term. Additionally, I sat on the Membership Committee and now chair the Membership Marketing Committee. I have contributed to several articles for Perspectives magazine and continue to advocate for our industry and our association.
Heather Ulz: I have been attending NAILBA meetings for the past 15 years. During this time, I have seen the Annual Meeting transform itself. This meeting is consistently the one that provides me with the greatest benefit. Over a few short days, we are able to connect with carriers, vendors, and fellow NAILBA partners on a level unachievable in other forums.
What attracted you to the life insurance industry?
Ben Nevejans: The ability to help a tremendous amount of people. We have the products and knowledge to guide them through some of the greatest dangers they and their families will face in the future.
Heather Ulz: Initially, the attraction was seeing the love that Bill Zimmerman had for the industry. His love of the industry itself and being able to serve the producers, and ultimately the end consumers, soon transferred to me. I was also drawn by the vast array of products we offer and their multitude of uses, so we can help families plan for their futures. I felt like the industry was calling me, as I had personal experience with friends and relatives who found themselves needing or benefiting from the peace of mind we provided.
What inspires you?
Heather Ulz: Commitment and relentless dedication to excellence. Every day, the advisors we work with are fighting the fight, making sure they can help every family possible by finding the right product and the right solution for each situation. Our team is behind the scenes fighting their own fight—working to find the best solution available and doing everything in our power to help our advisor turn prospects into life-long clients. We achieve this by being constant students of the industry and working with carriers on the design of new products. We also communicate with our advisors about what they need now and how we can help them excel in this career.
What are you the most optimistic about the future of our industry?
Ben Nevejans: I am most optimistic about the incredible opportunity we have to help not just one, but three very important generations. The Millennials, according to U.S. Census estimates, is the largest living generation and will need our products more than any other generation before them. With astonishing medical and technological advancements, this single generation has the opportunity to live longer and enjoy retirement earlier than any previous generation. Unfortunately, they will also find themselves in an economy struggling to cope with astronomical national debt and arduous entitlements. Who will need our products more than Millennials? Our products, at their very core, provide guaranteed income for longevity, protection against potentially devastating disability or long-term care needs, as well as the potential for tax deferral and tax free withdrawals.
We also have the Baby Boomer and Gen X generations right in front of us. Their need is just as great, and their need is now. David Walker, former comptroller general and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), pointed out at a recent industry event, “We’re heading for a future where we will need to double federal revenues or cut federal spending by 60 percent.” The American people are going to need to seek out alternative retirement and legacy planning vehicles. Traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, and other qualified plans aren’t going to provide the retirement our clients seek. We are.
Heather Ulz: The future ahead of us is great! Though the promise of regulation on one level or another is almost assured, this provides us with an unbelievable opportunity of doing the right thing by and for our clients. We’re entering an era where traditional retirement and financial planning are no longer the norm. The vast number of people who need our help, currently and in the future, is incredible. Not only will people need our products to protect their families and livelihood, but they’ll also discover they can use our products to plan for their own and their children’s futures— including college planning, retirement income planning, disability and long-term care benefits, to name just a few. Although some clients of the future may prefer a robotype advisor, many will want to work with an expert in their field who has an organization behind them and can ensure all of their needs are addressed. We’ll be there for them!
If you would like more information about the LifePro community and any upcoming educational opportunities, give LifePro a call today at 888-543-3776!