12 Questions for 1 Successful LTCI Agent: Jeff Reilly

Jeff Reilly is a Genworth agent in East Longmeadow, MA, affiliated with Genworth’s northern New England agency in Wellesley, MA. He started in the insurance industry with John Hancock back in 1989, and in 1993, decided to specialize in LTCI; Reilly joined NetPlus Insurance Agency (Travelers), where he held several job titles from 1993 to 2000, including agent, trainer, sales manager, and regional manager. In 2000, Reilly returned to individual sales, and has been in the top 1 percent of Genworth agents nationally every year, earning President’s Club status with Genworth four times. He is a member of the Million Dollar Round Table, and sits on the LTCI subcommittee of the Massachusetts NAIFA legislative committee.

Q: How many phone calls do you make each week to set appointments?

Jeff Reilly: About 15 to 20 contacts per week – enough to filter out the folks who, unfortunately, are not health or wealth-qualified and the folks who are just looking for general information and not ready to meet. I don’t count dials; I say contacts specifically, since the only activity that matters on the phone is actually reaching someone. I find between 8-9 a.m. and 8-9 p.m. are best for me.

Q: How old were you when you bought your own LTCI policy?

JR: Thirty-seven, and my wife Kathy was 34.

Q: What’s your personal plan for long term care?

JR: To have care on my terms, on my turf. It’s hard to tell what the spectrum of care will look like 30, 40, or 50 years from now, so I want to put my family in a position of control no matter what the circumstances.

Q: Which LTCI policy do you sell the most these days, and why?

JR: Genworth. There are other good companies out there but Genworth offers my clients the most flexible benefits, especially for in-home care, at an incredibly competitive rate. Financially, it would be hard to argue that any other LTCI company is better reserved than Genworth. Maybe even more important is that their claims service is unparalleled in the industry.

Q: How many claims have you seen?

JR: Too many to count. Each year, my claims seem to grow exponentially. Many clients call me to help them file the claim, and they often ask for recommendations for independent caregivers, who are difficult to find if you are not in our business.

Q: Think back to when you graduated; what did you plan to be back then?

JR: I always wanted to be involved in the stock market, and dreamed about working on Wall Street as a floor trader.