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Sign up to Receive Producer Newsletters Producer Connection - 2nd Quarter, 2008 Indexing vs. COLA: What's the Difference? How Interest Rates Affect LTD Pricing Does Network Size Really Matter? 3 Questions to Ask Carriers About SSDI Referrals Producer Connection Archive Spring 2008 Protector Press Reverse selling as the step toward a perfect product for your customers What's on my mind Old Fashioned Underwriting has more to offer May Is Disability Insurance Awareness Month Why I sell IDI Yes, you can help your customers become time travelers Did you know? Millions of reasons to write IDI with The Standard Change in Regional Assignments

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"The insurance business is a people business..."




– Bill Sansone

Partnering with the Right Carriers is Critical to Producers

Bill Sansone founded M.S.M. General Agency, Inc., in New York City in 1975. The agency serves as a disability insurance consultant to agents and brokers. M.S.M. has particular expertise in the statutory disability insurance requirements for five states and one U.S. territory.

Q: When did you get started in the insurance business?
A: I started my career in 1971 as a group rep with CNA, and started M.S.M. General Agency four years later. I saw a real need in the New York-New Jersey marketplace to assist agents and brokers in the statutory disability area. The product is usually a small part of the overall account. Producers appreciate our service because they aren't forced to spend an inordinate amount of time on such a small piece of the overall account.

Q: What are your top selling tips or secrets for success?
A: The insurance business is a people business. In our fast-paced business and personal lives we should try to hold on to some of the basic things that work. For example, I don't have voice mail in my office during business hours. A call is picked up within three rings.

Q: What do you look for in the carriers you work with?
A: The relationship between a general agent and the carrier is one of partnership. I look for a carrier that "knows their business." The Standard, for example, has an excellent reputation in the marketplace and is known for their expertise in the group disability area. The people I've dealt with at The Standard are knowledgeable professionals with an excellent understanding of the various forms of group disability.