Please join me in recognizing Perry Shank as the RFC Agent Spotlight for January! Perry is an All-American producer (in his own right) and has been a fantastic leader, collaborator, and friend. 

Perry and I have worked together on several cases in the past and he’s taken advantage of inviting his clients to a Farm Succession workshop we held in Jerome. Although large succession opportunities do not always come together right away, laying the critical groundwork opens the door for those critical future conversations. 

​

In the fall of 2020, one of Perry’s Farm/Ranch families who attended our Jerome workshop came back to the table and Perry and I were able to help them see a path to start addressing their critical succession planning needs. We built a layered solution and placed $65,000 LPC (split between December 2020 and January 2021). We anticipate more conversations will unfold with this family in the future.

​

I am so happy for you, Perry! Congratulations on your successful close to 2020 and a fast start this year. You have qualified as a Million Dollar Round Table member and deserve all the recognition coming your way! It is an honor to serve Farm Bureau families with you - there is no limit to what you can accomplish, and I am thankful to be a part of the journey with you. 

​

Looking forward to a great year!
 

​
 

Coverage spoke with Perry to learn more about his experience working jointly with Sarah.

​

HOW DID YOU AND SARAH BEGIN WORKING TOGETHER?
We actually started working together a couple years ago. We did some joint work when we invited some farm clients to a business continuation seminar we did. We closed a few cases after that seminar. And then last year I worked with Sarah when we got our term conversion list in the fall.
I just decided I wanted to take advantage of this great resource in one sense just to take some pressure off of me, and also, of course, to help me close some cases to finish out the year. So we worked my term conversion list and had success with it. We closed five or six cases together this last fall; one of them was pretty substantial. That’s how we started working together. I wanted to work with Sarah and get some ideas that she had to help me close some cases.

​

DO YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH SARAH IN THE FUTURE?
Yes. Sarah brings a lot of skills to the table. The one big case we closed – it was one case but it was three different policies. Part of it went last year and part of it went this year. I don’t believe I would have closed that case on my own. She brought a lot to the table as far as relationship building and taking it from start to finish to closing it. We’d worked together earlier on this case and didn’t close it; this time we were able to get it closed. So on those types of cases where it’s more in depth – buy/sell, business continuation planning, and passing the farm to the next generation, those are cases where I would definitely use Sarah again. 

​

In the future I might transition to where I don’t work very many of my life cases. I may transition more into financial advisor cases and investments. So there’s a chance that I may work more in depth with Sarah in the future in order to refocus my efforts.

 

HOW DO YOU INTRODUCE SARAH TO YOUR CLIENTS?
When I’m talking with clients about life insurance and related products,
I mention to them that I frequently work jointly with Sarah. I’ll ask them if they would be interested in meeting with Sarah. I describe her as another financial expert, someone who completely and solely works on life insurance and retirement planning and related products, someone who doesn’t have anything to do with P&C, someone who is another source of expertise. If they’re willing to meet with her I’ll set an appointment.

 

Everybody I’ve introduced her to has been very receptive and wants to meet with her again.

​

The big case we just closed was one where we had met with the clients at the seminar two years earlier. I talked to them again and brought everybody back to the table. It worked out to where we wrote three big life policies for them, and there’s going to be more coming with that as well; that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

​

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER AGENTS WHO HAVEN’T WORKED WITH SARAH?
My advice is – Sarah is a resource that everybody should utilize, especially with our busy schedules. Don’t overlook her. There’s a lot of value that Sarah brings to your clients. That’s obvious if you look at the success she’s had working with other agents. If you’re not working with Sarah you’re missing the boat. 

​

I see a lot of agents out there who aren’t doing life insurance and their numbers are low. Why in the heck wouldn’t you share part of it and generate what you need to through Sarah? Because that’s all she deals with. A lot of agents hardly touch any life insurance. Some of us do. Even as much as I do on my own, I can still see the value of using Sarah to help close some cases I may not be able to.

​

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT WORKING WITH SARAH? 
I would highly recommend her. Agents who aren’t as knowledgeable on the life side of things could really use her knowledge to help them to be more comfortable closing cases. And she’s so genuine when she meets with clients. She always has their best interests in mind.

 

THE TRUSTED ADVISOR HOME

​