We recently connected with Sarah Alliston and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Prior to opening my agency, I worked in a completely different industry for 23 years. I have always been in sales but coming in to insurance changed my mindset on my career being about “selling something.” It’s become more enjoyable than that and it turned in to an opportunity to really educate and help people.

In 2010, when my father in law became ill with a rare cancer, he would ask me to help him with his insurance claims adjusting business. I just loved watching him do his job. He spent his days helping people during their claims process, providing them peace of mind that they would be taken care of. I loved that about his job. In 2011, after he passed away, my husband being the oldest of four, was left to help his siblings carry on with life. It left my husband and I feeling worried about their future. However, his dad always spoke the importance of insurance and so when he passed, he left each child a life insurance policy. It provided the opportunity to send my husband’s sister to college, it afforded his brother the opportunity to start a business and it afforded us the opportunity to buy our first home, where our first child would be born. It was at that moment that my love for insurance grew even more. His dad had spent his entire career helping others in crisis and now, he left his legacy behind helping his own children. I knew my passion for insurance would turn in to much more. Fast forward to 10 years later, I own my own agency and I am the one helping others.

Sarah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I wish it was fancy tell all story, but it happened quite organically. With my experience in the insurance field, we move to TN. I know that the career I had been in for 23 years would not be manageable in TN, so it was time for me to rebrand myself and make a career change. I began updating my resume and within weeks, Farmers had contacted me asking if I would be willing to open up an agency of my own. With the growth of TN, they were in need of more agents and the rest is history.

My office is located in the heart of Brentwood and we represent the entire state of TN for home owners, auto, life and business insurance. As of October, we now added Medicare to our portfolio. I have a staff of 3 and each person brings something unique to the table. I always say, we are not selling anything, we are providing something. Insurance is confusing as it is, so I want every person that walks in to our office to feel confident knowing that they are covered, should anything happen to themselves or their personal items. Other agents see people as dollar signs but for me, this is fun! I love coming to work. So, you’ll never leave more confused than when you came in. We break down the terms for you so you know what you are getting and are confident in doing so.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I hope that when you ask a customer both, current or one of the past, that the number one thing they would say about myself and my agency is we listen and educate. I know when I have a big purchase to make, I do not want to feel rushed but rather understood. Insurance is something we all have to have but what we have is all different. John’s policy might look different than Sandy’s policy and Sandy cares more about coverage and Josh cares more about how much he is spending. So, it is our job to really listen and understand why someone is coming to you for insurance, no matter the kind.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I hope that one day, I will work off so many referrals that I can’t keep up. I truly believe a referral goes a long way and is the building block for any business. It molds the foundation and creates a path for success. Slow and steady should always be the theme. Taking the time to create positives reviews and a great customer experience should always be priority.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://agents.farmers.com/tn/brentwood/sarah-alliston
• Instagram: @theallistonagency
• Facebook: The Alliston Agency
• Linkedin: Sarah Alliston

Image Credits
@lifestylebyleblanc Shannon Leblanc