Exploring Life & Business with Curtis Benefield of The Benefield & Tabb Insurance Agency Inc

Today we’d like to introduce you to Curtis Benefield.

Hi Curtis, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I began my career as an insurance agent in 1987, going door-to-door selling cancer insurance policies. I covered seven counties, focusing on new business sales every day. After four years, I was promoted to district manager, overseeing two to five agents daily. Six years and many miles on the road later, I interviewed with Alfa Insurance and was hired as an exclusive independent agent to sell auto, home, and life insurance.

I opened an agency Newnan, Georgia, managing a small office with a $300,000 book of business. Two years later, when the Alfa agent in Carrollton resigned, I was offered that agency location. I relocated my office to Carrollton and grew the book of business to approximately $700,000 over the next seven years. In 2001, I became an independent agent and partnered with Tabb Insurance in Covington to open Benefield & Tabb Insurance Agency. This partnership allowed me to offer coverage through multiple independent companies. After 10 years I bought my partners out and over the past 24 years, I have grown my agency to a $2.5 million book of business by providing excellent customer service and competitive rates. We specialize in commercial coverage for small independent businesses. While we may not be the largest agency in town, we work hard for our clients and offer coverage through more than 10 companies.

Growing up working on the family farm my parents taught me to have a strong work ethic and I believe this has allowed me to be successful in my business. I still get to the office at 7:45 every morning and work until 5:00 pm or later if needed to service customers. I beleive if you enjoy what you do it’s not work.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first six years were challenging. Going door-to-door every day for new business sales was mentally draining, and covering a seven-county area meant most days started with a 45-minute to one-hour drive just to reach the territory. Dealing with the public day in and day out could be highly stressful, and I had to learn to handle rejection—and occasionally face a vicious dog or two.

Transitioning to an office environment in a corporate setting brought a different kind of stress. As an Alfa agency, I was required to meet weekly life insurance sales quotas to maintain a level commission on auto and home policies.

After becoming an independent agent, the stress lessened, but competition remained fierce. I had to compete not only with other agencies but also with the companies I represented when they sold directly to clients.

As you know, we’re big fans of The Benefield & Tabb Insurance Agency Inc. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are an independent insurance agency offering personal lines(auto, home, motorcycle, mobile home, etc) and commercial lines.

We pride ourselves in offering exceptional customer service and I specialize in small commercial accounts.

We are a small agency in numbers, just myself and one licensed customer service representative, but we represent more companies than most agencies.

I remember a quote from Zig Ziglar when I first started in sales – “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. We try to live by this motto everyday.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories is the days I spent riding my bicycle with my best friend on the dirt roads where I grew up. We would ride for hours on end and never get tired .

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.benefieldtabb.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/

Image Credits
Image credits Curtis Benefield