District Sales Manager – Middle/West Tennessee

Responsibilities

• Recruits, presents and sells the ERIE Agency Career to prospective Agents and producers.
• Selects, hires, trains, and develops new independent Agents to become self-supporting and viable company representatives.
• Influences ERIE's independent Agents to sell ERIE products and services.
• Provides training on products, underwriting, servicing and Agency operations.
• Oversees the handling of Policyholder, Agent and claimant complaints and inquiries.
• Works with branch manager to quickly address underperforming Agents, holding them accountable for minimum contractual performance.
• Develops and maintains subject matter expertise of ERIE's commercial, personal, and life products, IT tools, and resources for sales.
• Supports efforts to ensure that approved underwriting and technology tools, policies, plans and objectives are clearly understood and effectively managed throughout the district.
• Accountable for providing local level input rate reviews.
• Serves as Agent's direct link to the company.
• Acts as a field underwriter in inspecting and authorizing the binding of coverage on extraordinary property and casualty risks within binding authority limits.
• Works with branch and home office staff to resolve Agent's sales and customer service problems.
• Serves as the company's direct link to ERIE Agencies.
• Provides our independent Agents with ongoing and timely communications regarding new initiatives and changes to current initiatives.
• Implements customer service, marketing, sales and underwriting best practices at the Agency level.
• Sponsors and manages all sales contests, promotions and incentives at the district and Agency level.
• Serves as a licensed, non-commission company Agent proficient in selling ERIE products and services to customers and prospects.
• Serves as the Agent's knowledge broker.
• Maintains and applies a current knowledge of trends and latest developments in the industry.
• Assists independent Agents and their staff in the process of identifying and solving all Agency level sales and marketing problems and opportunities.
• Utilizes best practices for time management and business planning.
• Develops and implements Agency and district level business plans and budgets to achieve long and short-term goals and objectives.
• Achieves annual P/C and EFL sales objectives, profitability goals and long-term market share targets.
• Utilizes best practices for managing new and experienced Independent Agents.
• Participates with the branch manager or designee in assessing Agency performance trends and results.
• Conducts one-on-one reviews of Agent's underwriting, re-underwriting, profitability and compliance results and partners with the Agent to implement corrective action as necessary.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent of four years of sales, underwriting, claims or marketing experience, required.
• MBA preferred.
• Three years of sales, underwriting, claims or marketing experience OR participation in DSM Training Program required.
• Must live in the territory assigned unless a change is approved by the company.
• An understanding of and commitment to ERIE's 'Above All in Service' philosophy required.
• Extensive local travel, including overnight stays, required.
• Proficiency with spreadsheet, word processing and e-mail software required.
• Related industry designations, such as CIC, CPCU, CLU, preferred.
• Valid driver's license and good driving record required.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in recruiting, training, and developing independent Agents while effectively managing sales and underwriting processes. Proficient in implementing best practices for customer service, marketing, and business planning to achieve sales objectives and profitability goals.