His first jobs entailed things he already had a good amount of experience and success with. He was a professional horseback riding competition trainer. Imre was the Hungarian Champion in 1976. From there he moved onto working as a seismic drill helper in the oil fields of northern Canada – with temperatures dropping as low as 40-60 degrees below zero. He started a remodeling business in L.A. Business was looking promising when he received his electrical contractor license … that is, until a recession hit in the late 1980s.
In 1992 he tried his hand in insurance. Imre became an agent for a large well known carrier selling disability insurance. He said it took him about 6 months to start driving business because he was trying to reinvent the wheel as opposed to learning and listening from others. “They would say, ‘This is what you say. Here is why you do it this way.’ … I didn’t listen.” Even though people began to write him off, Imre didn’t give up. He is a very committed person and had a thought that would change things around, “If everyone else is doing it then so can I. I’m not going to quit. I’m going to make this work.” After that, sales made a turn from bad to great. Imre was seeing incredible results.
He noted that when the internet was starting to gain a lot of momentum in the 1990s everyone was going online to shop around. “It made things more difficult. I had to work even longer hours … going back several times (to meet with clients). And still nothing. So I got out.”
Imre switched fields in 1999 and started day trading. He was seeing a lot of success as a day trader … until the market collapsed. Imre found himself in a tough spot because of the economy. He had to find something and something fast.
He decided to return to construction. He went back to school to get the OSHA certification. He did so well that he was certified to teach. Imre became a safety manager building casinos inLas Vegas. He even worked on the City Center project – which was the largest construction project in U.S. history. He was doing great … until the construction industry took a hit.
Imre realized, “The best and most stable years of my life were in insurance. My biggest mistake was getting out.” He jumped back into insurance with a successful IMO. In the beginning things were going great, but it became what they said it wouldn’t. The atmosphere and practices became toxic.
That’s when he joined Unique Writers. Imre has been with UW for a little over 3 years now. “I like the whole organization! I like that they’re straight shooters. They don’t push a lot of administrative things on you. The support staff in the home office is great … they work really hard for you. I also like that I have access to so many great carriers versus some IMO’s that deal with a small handful.”
You will see Imre constantly on the National Leader Board. The UW system has helped him become one of the Top 10 Agents; and he will be wrapping up 2016 with close to a quarter of a million dollars in annual premium. He contributes his success to the UW program and team. “Eric [National Sales Director] and Mike [President/CEO] go out of their way to help me reach the level of success I want. I know if they say something to me, it’s going to help me! They are there for us.”
Imre closed with this, “We can let ourselves think that working for a big company gives us job-security. But that’s not true. Ever since I became my own boss I don’t have to worry about getting laid off due to a downsizing. The greatest thing about this industry, is that you can make $30,000+ every month. And, I don’t care how slow things become, you can at least make $1,000 a week. How great is that!”
Imre really believes in the work he’s doing. “When you write a policy for a client you’re giving the survivors the resources to keep going if a tragedy were to happen. I’ve been through the recession in the 80’s, again in the early 90’s, and in 2008. It’s nice to know when you help someone with their retirement, and if the economy collapses, you know they’re going to be okay! To provide this kind of safety … it gives you great satisfaction.”
“LEARN THE EASY WAY: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. When you come in, ‘trust’ and ‘believe’ in your managers. Even if you’re wired to learn the hard way … do what they say. There is a reason why the scripts are written the way they are. Learn them, respect them, and trust them. Things will go much easier – especially if you’re just getting started.”
“DON’T GIVE UP: Don’t look at the negatives. You’re going to get a couple of no-shows and cancellations. They happen to everybody. Don’t come home and complain about it, it happens. This is a numbers game. Make the calls. Make the appointments. Develop the right attitude. Look at the positives. This will make the difference for your family in a positive way. At the end of the day, a no-show doesn’t have to make a negative impact. Your monthly income can still be $5,000.”
“TURN OVER EVERY STONE: Work the leads. If you have some no-shows, door knock them. And, when you’ve done everything you can, then just let it go. Work them to the maximum extent until you get that final conclusion. Don’t just call once. “
He is married and has 4 kids. When he was in competitive horse jumping he won a lot of international competitions. He has his pilot license and really likes riding his motorcycles. Imre said when he was a little younger that he liked going a little faster than he does now. “There’s nothing like putting your knee down at 160 mph.” He’s also excited that one of his kids is now in the insurance business.