Interview: Tiffany McLemore on the road advocating

What it takes to knock on a stranger’s door

Interviewed by Moristotle

I met Tiffany McLemore when she knocked on our door to look into advising us on our health insurance. She came in person rather than telephone because I had indicated (falsely) on the postcard I’d mailed back “for information” that we had “no phone” – my reason of course being that I didn’t want a telephone call. I was actually expecting an email, if anything. Certainly not for someone to knock on my door.
    But there she was, smiling, friendly, open, kind. I felt as though I could open up to her, so I confessed that the only reason I had for mailing back that post card inquiring about our health insurance was to see whether I could get one of the promised Walmart gift cards. I was struck by the ease with which she said to my wife, who was standing beside me: “He’s a funny guy.” My wife didn’t disagree.
    I think that the knock probably says a lot about Ms. McLemore. So I emailed the address on her business card later and asked her whether she would like to do an interview. Graciously, she said yes. My questions are in italics.

Ms. McLemore, you have been so cooperative and informative in our preparation for this interview, could we call each other by our first names? Mine’s Morris.
    Absolutely! Please call me Tiffany.

What actually went through your mind, Tiffany, when I told you that the reason I returned the postcard was to try to get a Walmart gift card?
    Well, of course you did! And I can’t say that I blame you, either. I mean, who would turn down a free gift card?

The business card you left with us says that you are a Licensed Agent/Broker for The Assurance Group (TAG) and lists “Life • Health • Annuities • Medicare Options.” The first two suggest insurance, I think, or maybe all four do. Are you an insurance agent? And what sorts of insurance are you licensed to sell?
    I am actually what you would call a “broker.” When I first decided to venture into the insurance industry, I had to decide whether to be a “captive agent” or a “broker.” Being a captive agent would mean contracting with only one insurance company and I would only be authorized to provide products specific to their company. Being a broker means that I am contracted with numerous insurance carriers, which allows me a pretty extensive portfolio of products to offer. This type of portfolio includes health insurance, Medicare supplements, Medicare Advantage options, disability insurance, cancer/heart attack/stroke policies, indemnity policies, life insurance, final expense, annuities or retirement options, etc. For me, the brokerage side was a much better fit.

What led you to this occupation? Is it “just a job,” or more a “calling”?
    Well, I originally began working in healthcare immediately after college and never imagined that it would lead me to a traveling sales position. Shows how much we know about the future, right? I started in a Family Practice office, where I found my first “work family.” During my years there, I ended up cross-training and spending some time working in almost every position available. Getting that glimpse of the inner workings of each individual department taught me this about myself: I enjoy constant learning and evolving. I moved on to other opportunities from there – Clinical Dermatology, Research Compliance Coordinator, etc., but never found my “niche” until now. Now I get to spend my days traveling around, making new friends all over North Carolina and Virginia. And the best part: For at least 90% of the people I meet, I am able to assist in improving their situation somehow (usually by helping to lower their monthly expenses). What I aim to be (professionally) is an advocate. I have a soft spot for the elderly, of course, after spending so many years caring for my grandmother. That experience showed me how little the elderly population typically know about their healthcare options, what may be available to them, and how they can go about getting it. You could say I have a passion for improving situations anywhere possible.

So, you grew up in North Carolina?
    Born and raised! Actually, I pretty much spent my life living in the same zip code until two years ago we decided to move out to the “country.” This is probably why I don’t mind the traveling that comes with this type of work. I consider it a blessing to get out and see these places I have never been. Especially the small towns – those are my favorite!

What influences do you think produced the person you are today?
    That’s an easy question – my grandmother. She raised me from the time I was two years old. I actually gave her a plaque years ago for Mother’s Day that read: “All that I am, my Mother made me.” For me, there is no greater truth. She taught me strength, resilience, compassion, sincerity, and how to love others more than myself. Sadly, she passed last year. I have never known true loss until that moment. She was my grandmother, my mother, and my very best friend. I will always spend each day trying to make her proud.

Is the person you are today the person you started out wanting to become, or are you still looking for that person?
    I can definitely say that I am happy with the person that I am at this stage in my life, and I am happy with the path that my life is taking. However, to say that I “am” everything that I aspire to be would be either extremely limiting or extremely arrogant. I believe that we all have plenty of room for improvement.

Have you always had the courage, or whatever you think it is, to go out and knock on a stranger’s door? What was going through your mind the day you came to our house, while you were waiting for someone to open the door?
    Oh, definitely not! I have friends from high school that would tell you I was too timid to even order my own pizza over the phone! Suffice to say, I am not a “salesperson” by nature. For me, door knocking requires a bit of courage, and a lot of confidence. Being confident in my intentions is what drives me to knock. This comes from knowing that I am genuinely there to help, and remembering the times that my help has greatly improved the circumstances of the person on the other side of that door. For example, I have run across people who were in a position where they had to choose between buying groceries or paying for their medications that month. This is completely unnecessary! There are so many resources available if you know where to look. Not to mention, keeping an insurance policy the same just because it has always been that way is usually not the best option. This is where I come in. And the benefit of being able to help someone improve their circumstance far outweighs the risk of having a door slammed in my face. (Yes, that has happened – more than once!)

When you told us that day where your office was, I was surprised – almost 200 miles away, I think. And you said that you only went out on the road three days a week to meet clients or prospects, often returning home only at 10 or 11 o’clock at night. Do you have a family?
    I am happy to say that I do. My husband and I are actually about to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Together, we have a beautiful 8-year-old daughter, and close to 30 “fur-babies,” which make up our little hobby farm that we call home. From dogs, cats, and rabbits to goats, donkey, and horses – we have a little of everything. My husband has always been the “bread winner” in our family, which for me, allows work to take a backseat to family. This is actually one of the things that attracted me to a career in this industry. The days that I work are VERY long, but that means that the rest of my week my only job title is “Mom.” This may not make me the most successful broker in the district, but I am okay with that.

When we were preparing for this interview via email, you confirmed that TAG is and insurance marketing organization (or IMO) and that “TAG is unique in that there are multiple options as a broker – you can choose to stay 1099 or be a W-2 employee with benefits. Most other IMOs do not offer both.” How did you learn about TAG and decide to go with it?
    I learned about TAG from an old friend who is a District Sales Director there. The platform that they offer for both career agents and brokerage agents is quite impressive, so the decision to contract with them was easy. Being a “broker” means that I am considered an “Independent Contractor.” Therefore, I am responsible for my own business-related expenses, and my compensation comes directly from the insurance carriers, not from TAG.

What does TAG do for you and its other independent contractors?
    TAG supplies the leads (the postcard that you filled out), assists with training on new products, handles part of the administrative tasks, etc. That takes quite a bit of the leg work away from what I do, which allows me to spend my time with clients instead.

And what’s in it for TAG, in return for providing leads, training assistance, administrative help, etc.?
    Well, I personally choose to view it as a partnership of sorts. TAG is investing their time and energy into making sure that I have the tools necessary to do the job. In exchange for that, they receive a portion of any compensation I may receive from the insurance carriers. More importantly, the model that TAG offers is vital for someone who works independently like I do. Without them, it would be a pretty substantial investment to get started and supply those leads daily.

What does “broker” signify? I think it means that you can put a client (such as myself potentially) in touch with an insurance company that will actually provide the insurance, and you don’t “work for” that company? Is that more or less correct? Please tell us what a broker does. I for one have only the vaguest notion about this sort of thing.
    Being a broker means that I represent the client, not the insurance company. My job when I meet with a prospective client is to spend some time getting to know their individual circumstances and needs, then make suggestions on how to fill that need. When I meet with someone, I am not necessarily there to try to sell a product to them. Most of my clients already had health, life, and other insurances when I met them. In those situations, my interest is making sure that what they have is the most appropriate option for them to have. For example: Many times I run across people who are paying more for their life insurance policies than they need to. Or, maybe they have a Medicare supplement that can be updated to lower their monthly premiums and keep the same coverage. Other times, it may be that they have the type of policy that is about to expire and they had no idea that was even a possiblity. Whatever the case may be, my job is make sure that they are aware of all options available to them. From there, I not only handle submitting the application, but also the maintenance of the policy. If the client should ever have a question or concern, they don’t have to contact the insurance company if they don’t want to- they can call me instead. Some times it is something I can answer for them, other times I work with the client and insurance carrier to resolve the issue. I should also point out that it costs clients absolutely nothing to get help from someone like me. We are paid by the insurance carriers ONLY. So why not ask for assistance from us? We are a wealth of knowledge in these areas- like a book just begging to be opened.

I would like to give you the opportunity to give a “sales pitch” to whoever might be reading this interview. It’s the least I can do, given that I took one of your Walmart gift cards and didn’t sign up for insurance or anything. So, what’s your pitch? The floor is yours.
    Well, I appreciate the opportunity, but I can honestly say that I don’t really have one. What I do can be different for each person that I meet. I would say that my answer to the question above is about as close as I get to a “pitch.”

Thanks again for the Walmart gift card you let me have the day you came by. One question has bugged me, though. You spread about a dozen cards out in your hands and asked me to pick one, saying something about its being a matter of luck what value card I got. The question that has been bugging me is this: Were  a n y  of the cards in your hand for more than the $5 I drew?
    I am sure some of the other brokers may do this differently, but what I like to do is get several different increments- usually $5, $10, and $15. We are allowed to give these out only as a “token of appreciation” for taking the time to meet with us. Anything more than $15 is a big no-no, as we are prohibited from offering any “financial incentive” for policies issued. I have learned that the fun of being able to try your luck at drawing a card is usually the client’s favorite part, even more so than the amount loaded on the card.

Copyright © 2019 by Tiffany McLemore & Moristotle