Florie Leddel, CLTC, has been an LTCi specialist since August 2000. She has been one of Genworth Financial's top 10 agents for 5 years and is a member of Genworth Presidents Club. She is also a member of the Million Dollar Round Table.
1. How many phone calls do you make a week to set appointments?
I used to track it when I did all my own dialing. Now I have an assistant, and one of her jobs is to call the leads that I get from Genworth. Twice a week we do evening hours….and every other Saturday. I make my own AGB [agent-generated business] calls, to client referrals, centers-of-influence, and leads from consumer workshops that I'm involved with occasionally in Southern California. My assistant probably spends 15 to 40 hours dialing; 8 for me.
2. How old were you when you bought your own LTCi?
48.
3. What's YOUR LTC plan?
Well, I'm smart enough to know one size doesn't fit all and that there's many variables. If my husband is around, I want to stay at home, with him. If I'm alone and cognitively aware, I think it would be great to go to a high-end assisted living facility, and my policy will make that easy.
4. What LTCi policy do you sell the most these days and why?
I sell Genworth California Partnership the most. I use to sell a lot of unlimited benefit period policies, but with rate book changes, the typical plan I write now is $200/day, for 4 years.
5. How many claims have you seen?
10 to 12. My biggest heartbreak was this story: about 4 years ago, I sold a policy to a couple in June. In October [the husband] had a horrible bike accident, and that changed forever how I deal with procrastination. He couldn't walk, couldn't speak, had internal damage, etc. He will be in care the rest of his life, whether in a NH or at home (and, by the way, he did have a helmet on). The couple was a referral from the wife's sister, who was sharing the caregiving of her parents with her sister. The husband wanted to put the purchase off…he was young and healthy, his business was growing, he had a 9 year-old-son and other priorities for his money. His wife put her foot down and demanded that he buy a lifetime policy, which, thankfully, he did.
6. Think back to when you graduated; what did you plan to be then?
I was an art history major, and then couldn't get a teaching job, so I went into graphic design and worked at an ad agency for 25 years. Then, I was downsized out of 3 jobs in 6 years. I had had enough. My college roommate had been selling LTCI for 4 years, and I was her best referral source. After the third downsizing, my then boyfriend (now husband) encouraged me to into selling, even though I was nervous about not having a salary. My first 6 months were slow going; my first 12 months I placed $240,000. Getting into LTCI was the best decision I ever made.
7. What hobby do you most enjoy or would you like to try next?
