How to find the best IMO for you.

Insurance Marketing Organizations, or IMO’s for short, are companies that offer insurance products and services to agents and agencies. Some of the offerings can include everything from training courses to administrative assistance.

Choosing an Insurance IMO is like choosing a business partner, and having the right support outside of the insurance carrier is crucial while building a block of business. It's important to ensure your IMO will be providing you with the best products and services for your needs.

You may not want to deal directly with the IMO however, as some managers provide an additional level of service beyond what the IMO provides.  For example, while an IMO might provide a list of potential lead sources, some managers will provide insight on which leads are the best, advance you the money to buy the leads or even provide you with free leads.

While it's true that your commission percentage cannot exceed what the IMO receives from the carrier, that doesn't always mean that you will get a higher percentage commission from the IMO than you would from a manager, because the manager absorbs some of the risk from the IMO from chargebacks, etc.  You also may have production requirements from an IMO in order to maintain a particular commission level, whereas a manager will tend to be less strict.

Whether it is an IMO or a manager, they will be getting overrides from your sales and it is a good idea to make sure you are getting the level of service you want.  It's best to interview several managers and IMOs and find out what services and advantages each offers.  You may decide that you want something different than you originally thought, after you find out what is available.

Let the IMOs and managers make their pitch and then you can decide who you want to work with.