At 23, Braden Fraze had seen what it meant to be a Farm Bureau agent and jumped into the insurance industry with both feet.
“Seeing the life my father-in-law built for his family was what drew me to this industry first,” Braden says. “It was when I realized the income potential and the flexibility that I knew this career was worth pursuing.”
Now he works as an agent in his hometown with help along the way from his father-in-law. Here’s how he got started and Braden’s best advice for new agents.
What Was Your Path to Becoming a Farm Bureau Agent?
I started in the insurance industry when I was 23 years old in June of 2021. I have truly loved my role here in my community. I have set off from day one focusing on serving the area where I was raised. This is commitment to service is part of a culture I learned from Farm Bureau from observing the highest level down.
I also learned about serving others from my father-in-law, Jeff Weathers, an 18-year Farm Bureau agent in Roswell, New Mexico. He has been the man behind the curtain answering dozens of phone calls and has been a great mentor for me!
What Does a Typical Day Look Like for You?
A typical day is a random spread of meetings with potential clients or existing clients up for renewal. Some slow days are my planning and building days, and some slow days are used for my personal agendas. I try to have everything scheduled out in advance and take a two- to three-day break every two to three weeks. This helps me to have deadlines for getting everything submitted and allows me to reset and start fresh again.
Tell Us About Working in a Family Business.
Our family is competitive and driven. My father-in-law and I see each other’s numbers, bouncing ideas off each other, but then always keep an eye on whether or not we are going to outperform the other that month. It’s all fun and games, but it does help each of us to push that extra step.
What Skills Are Most Important for Being a Good Agent?
Skills I try to focus on to be a good agent revolve around honesty and integrity. It’s my opinion that a client can feel if you care for them and have their best interest at heart. I try to make that clear in every conversation with every client.
What Do You Love Most About Your Job?
No one has it better than me when it comes to my client base! I love interacting with my clients and getting to know them. Being born and raised in a small town sometimes comes with negative connotations, but it has blessed me like I can’t explain. This community has absolutely supported me and sought to help me be successful.
What Is the Most Challenging Part?
The most challenging part of my job certainly pertains to working through difficult circumstances with clients. Whether it be minor issues with a policy or type of coverage or major issues involving a heartbreaking claim, breaking bad news to a client can be a challenge. However, I’ve found that challenge becomes much easier when you do your job well and can have that conversation in light of the client being properly insured, as well as when you keep that servant’s heart mentality.
What's the Most Common Question You Get From Clients?
“How much is that going to cost me?” The conversation I always have with a client first is identifying good coverage and why we have the coverages we’re suggesting in place. From there, the client typically responds with liking the idea of being covered better but is fearful of the expense. Nine times out of 10, my clients take the better coverage because they see the value. I freely show the client what it would cost if we decreased liability by hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, there are many ways to save a client money and not skimp on coverage limits.
What's the Best Piece of Advice You Can Give to New Agents?
Be forthcoming and honest. Many times I’ve felt I needed to prove myself to the client and give a quick answer. Take your time, ask plenty of questions and be willing to say, “I’m 90% sure I know the answer, but let me make a phone call so I can be 100% sure.”
Also, get in front of as many people as possible. Get out and about, go to the local games, get involved in your community. Then meet with those people in person and talk with them face-to-face. This has helped me tremendously in gaining community trust and gauging a client’s needs or better dive into their objections.
Why Farm Bureau?
I can truly say it was the small town, community-first mindset that impressed me. Many insurance companies spend billions on commercials that say nothing about how their products help their clients. Those companies only care about numbers. While we are certainly in the business of growing and the company wants good performance, we take it from the approach that no other company does one-on-one customer service better than we do.
What Are You Most Excited to Do Career-Wise in the Coming Year?
I am most excited to continue to grow and build my business while maintaining a high rate of client retention. I have done a good bit of expanding and spending here in the past year, and I’m ready to settle rapid expansion and build on what I’ve begun. I will be a registered rep by the end of the year and am excited to add that page to my book and be better equipped to serve my clients.
Make a Difference in Your Community
Farm Bureau agents go above and beyond to support their local communities. If you’re looking to start a business that makes a difference, contact us to learn how you can get started at Farm Bureau.