State Farm Recommendations

Amanda Robinett, Kaycee Howard, and Kelsey Johnston

Executive Summary
This study was made for State Farm to help increase awareness about becoming a State Farm Agent. There were three main goals of this survey were to find out about the awareness of the opportunity, to find out the attitudes about become a State Farm Agent, and lastly to determine the target demographic for this opportunity. The people who we surveyed were from a variety of demographics and careers. In total we had 98 survey respondents over a period of two months. The majority of our respondents was in the age range of 18-24 and had four-year degrees. However, we had people from each age group and education level. Surveys were sent by email and the link was placed on social media. We also used snowball sampling to ask people that we knew in a variety of target demographics. The majority of people surveyed had heard of State Farm Insurance. However, 80% of the respondents disagree that a career in insurance is something they are interested in. Also, only approximately 50% of respondents knew that State Farm agents were independent business owners. This shows a potential disconnect and connects to the lack of awareness about the potential agent opportunity. Our survey results also showed that people preferred to find out about jobs through job sites, word of mouth, in person and social media. Currently, State Farm uses job fairs (in person) to reach out to potential agents. This data shows people like to find out about jobs this way. However, the materials that are given to the potential agents during the process are overwhelming and text heavy. We used this feedback to create three materials including a brochure, flyer and social media strategy plan. Our plan utilizes the survey results to create materials easier to navigate, showing what agents do on a day-to-day basis.

Process
1) Created the survey We first created the objectives that would help to meet the goal of increasing awareness of the State Farm agent opportunity. Then we began creating questions. We decided out survey should be relatively short but informative because we wanted people to take our survey and not stop because it was long. Our questions were focused on four main sections. We included questions about owning a business, questions specifically about State Farm, personality questions and then demographics at the end. 2) Sent out survey Our survey was made on Google Docs so we were able to see the results as people took the survey. All of our surveys were taken electronically. We send the surveys via email and also posted the link to our personal social media accounts. 3) Analyzed data We looked for patterns in the data and compared our results to the three main objectives of our survey. We brainstormed ideas on how to use our data to create materials. 4) Created materials We used the data gathered to create three materials in order to increase awareness about the opportunity. These included a brochure, flyer and social media plan. 5) Created PowerPoint We created a presentation that shared our survey results and gave a summary of our materials to present.

Limitations
Our group experienced a few limitations throughout the surveying process. The first limitation was that we did not have a database in which to conduct our surveying. Therefore, we had to use the method of snowball sampling to find a variety of people and to increase our survey participants. This limited us in the number of participants we could survey because we were sending them out online and had no way to know if the people we send it to actually took it. We also were limited in time because we only had approximately two months of actual data collected. We used the rest of the semester to analyze the data and prepare materials.

Findings
We created a survey to determine the attitudes towards becoming a State Farm Agent. We surveyed 98 respondents and found patterns in our data that lead us to create three materials.

Survey
We are conducting a survey in our Public Relations class at Pacific Lutheran University on behalf of State Farm Insurance. Our goals of this survey are to find out (1) what the current attitudes are towards becoming a State Farm agent, (2) what is the level of awareness for the potential opportunities, and (3) to verify the target demographics. This information will be used solely for our research. Please take this survey on a laptop or PC computer as taking it on a smartphone may cause problems with readability. Thank you. 1. What is your biggest career motivator? * Money Success Recognition Relationships Other: 2. On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), rate yourself on the following statements. *
1 I take risks and often try new things I am usually the leader in a team or group I prefer stability in my life I typically plan my day in advance I get excited or lose my temper easily 2 3 4 N/A

3. Are you interested in owning your own business? * Yes No N/A

4a. If yes to Question 3, what is most appealing about owning your own business? Independence Unlimited financial potential Personal satisfaction Flexibility Other: ______________ 4b. If yes to Question 3, what is most intimidating about owning your own business? Financial risk Lack of stable income Long/unpredictable hours Lack of outside support Other: _____________ 5. If no to Question 3, what prevents you from owning your own business? Financial risk Lack of stable income Long/unpredictable hours Lack of outside support Other: _____________ 6. How do you prefer to find information about potential job opportunities? * Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc) Job Sites (Monster, CareerBuilder, etc) Search Engine (Google, Bing, etc) Word of Mouth In Person (Job Fairs, etc) Print Media (Advertisements, Brochures, etc) Other: 7. How familiar are you with State Farm Insurance? *
1 Not at all familiar 2 3 4 5 6 7 Very familiar

8. Are you aware that State Farm agents are independent business owners? * Yes No N/A

9. A career in the insurance industry is something you have thought of pursuing. *

1 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strongly Agree

10. What is your age? * 18-24 25-29 30-35 35-up Prefer not to say. 11. What is your education level? * High School Diploma/GED Some College Professional/Trade School Associates/2-Year Degree Bachelors/4-Year Degree Graduate School Prefer not to say. 12. What is your occupation? * _________________________ 13. How many people in your household are under age 16? * 0 1 2 3 4+ Prefer not to say. 14. If you would like to receive more information on potential job opportunities from State Farm please put your name and email address below.

Survey Data Summary

1. What is your biggest career motivator?
Money Success Recognition Relationships Other 27 30 10 12 19 28% 31% 10% 12% 19%

2a. On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), rate yourself on the following statements. - I take risks and often try new things
1- Strongly Disagree 2 3 4- Strongly Agree Not Applicable 5 21 45 26 0 5% 21% 46% 27% 0%

2b. On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), rate yourself on the following statements. - I am usually the leader in a team or group
1- Strongly Disagree 2 3 4- Strongly Agree Not Applicable 2 18 34 39 4 2% 18% 35% 40% 4%

2c. On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), rate yourself on the following statements. - I prefer stability in my life
1- Strongly Disagree 2 3 4- Strongly Agree Not Applicable 2 7 26 53 9 2% 7% 27% 54% 9%

2d. On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), rate yourself on the following statements. - I typically plan my day in advance
1- Strongly Disagree 2 3 4- Strongly Agree Not Applicable 5 21 33 32 6 5% 21% 34% 33% 6%

2e. On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), rate yourself on the following statements. - I get excited or lose my temper easily
1- Strongly Disagree 2 3 4- Strongly Agree Not Applicable 29 43 16 8 1 30% 44% 16% 8 1%

3. Are you interested in owning your own business?

Yes No Not Applicable 50 42 5 51% 43% 5%

4a. If yes to Question 3, what is most appealing about owning your own business? (Check all that apply)
Independence Unlimited financial potential Personal satisfaction Flexibility Other 34 25 36 32 4 65% 48% 69% 62% 8%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%. 4b. If yes to Question 3, what is most intimidating about owning your own business? (Check all that apply)
Financial risk Lack of stable income Long/unpredictable hours Lack of outside support Other 36 29 15 14 3 69% 56% 29% 27% 6%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

5. If no to Question 3, what prevents you from owning your own business? (Check all that apply)
Financial risk Lack of stable income Long/unpredictable hours Lack of outside support Other 32 21 19 9 11 65% 43% 39% 18% 22%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%. 6. How do you prefer to find information about potential job opportunities? (Check all that apply)
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc) Job Sites (Monster, CareerBuilder, etc) Search Engine (Google, Bing, etc) Word of Mouth In Person (Job Fairs, etc) Print Media (Advertisement, Brochure, etc) Other

47 64 46 60 51 41 4

48% 66% 47% 62% 53% 42% 4%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%. 7. How familiar are you with State Farm Insurance?
1- Not At All Familiar 2 3 4 5 6 7- Very Familiar 11 12 11 17 17 8 21 11% 12% 11% 17% 17% 8% 21%

8. Are you aware that State Farm agents are independent business owners?
Yes No Not Applicable 48 47 2 49% 48% 2%

9. A career in the insurance industry is something you have thought of pursuing.

1- Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 7- Strongly Agree 62 17 5 5 3 3 2 63% 17% 5% 5% 3% 3% 2%

10. What is your age?

18-24 25-29 30-35 35-up Prefer not to say. 54 3 10 26 4 55% 3% 10% 27% 4%

11. What is your education level?

High School Diploma/GED Some College Professional/Trade School Associates/2-Year Degree Bachelors/4-Year Degree Graduate School Prefer not to say. 7 27 5 6 42 9 1 7% 28% 5% 6% 43% 9% 1%

12. What is your occupation? We received a wide range of responses to this question, including but not limited to: Nurse, Auto Body Estimator, Military, Student, Analytics Analyst... 13. How many people in your household are under age 16?
0 1 2 3 4 Prefer not to say. 70 11 11 4 1 0 71% 11% 11% 4% 1% 0%

14. If you would like to receive more information on potential job opportunities from State Farm please put your name and email address below. Shawn Gross sgrossm@gmail.com Jeffery Hall bbflattuba@aol.com Zachary Klein zklein_07@hotmail.com

Materials
Brochure
53% of our surveyrespondentssaid they prefer to find out information about potential jobopportunities in-person. We created a brochure for you to give out at events, such as job fairs. The brochure utilized less text, making it is less intimidating. Instead of handing out a large packet of information to people who are interested in becoming a State Farm Agent, we decided to include contact information on the back. If they are seriously interested in becoming an agent, they can contact you through the information on the back of the brochure and then receivethe packet of larger, more in-depth information. We also included text and photos from the State Farm website to make a more consistent and unified message. Finally, we included social media graphics so that the readers are aware that you have a social media presence.

Flyer
With 66% of our survey respondents preferring to find out about job opportunities online, and 53% wanting to find out at job fairs, we elected to create a material that would work in both situations. For this, we created a simple 4x11 flyer, which we call the Roadmap to Becoming A State Farm Agent. This flyer simplifies the information you have available elsewhere, in to an easy to digest format, perfect for someones first introduction to the idea of becoming a State Farm agent. We wanted to make this particular item as simple as possible, so that it might be attached or linked to on a online job site (such as Monster), or handed out at job fairs, either on its own or as one piece of collection of materials.

Social Media Strategy Plan

Our survey data showed that approximately 50% of respondents like to find out about jobs through social media and 62% through word of mouth. We consider social media to be viral word of mouth. It is a valuable marketing tool that can reach a large audience with little money. Therefore, we decided to create a social media plan that will increase awareness of the agent opportunity. Our plan shows the different tactics that can be used, short and long term goals, metrics that can be used to measure success and different topics that can be discussed on each social media site. With commitment to social media, there will be increased engagement with potential agents and current misconceptions about what agents do on a day-to-day basis will be clarified through further discussion and materials.

Why State Farm?

As a State Farm agent youll be serving the nations citizens on an individual level, face to face, right in the neighborhood where you live, helping customers attain and manage their personal needs, cares, and dreams. Its about meeting difficult challenges, head on. About understanding the needs of the neighbors we serve and operating on an accelerated level to help them meet their needs and goals. Its being committed and being there for them in times of need large and small.

Contact Us
For more information on becoming a State Farm Agent
please contact us. (866) 405-9813 www.StateFarm.com/Careers

Become A State Farm Agent

Align yourself with a stable, well-known company and get the opportunities you need, the freedom to make your own decisions, and the chance to earn a great living while continuing your mission to serve others.

Process

I was an agent with another company. State Farm is an entirely different business opportunity. The support and training the systems and resources. I t s a ma zin g. State Farm wants me to succeed and is doing all it can to help me.

-Rebecca Agent - Sapulpa, Oklahoma

Roadmap To Becoming a State Farm Agent

1) Complete our Sales and Leadership Career Profile (SLCP) questionnaire. 2) Receive more information about becoming a State Farm agent. 3) A simple background check is conducted to help determine your ability to meet licensing and sponsorship requirements. 4) Career Understanding is a web based experience to help you learn more about what it's really like to be a State Farm agent. 5) Interview and Executive Approval allows you to present your business plan to State Farm executives and agency field leadership for approval. If accepted, you join the Approved Candidate pool. 6) As a member of the Approved Candidate pool, you have access to agent postings across US and Canada. And have the opportunity to apply to internship positions. 7) Once selected for an internship, you become a paid, full-time employee of State Farm. Intern training lasts about six to nine months. 8) After completing your internship,you are appointed a 12-Month Term Independent Contractor Agent, receive a signing bonus, and open your agency.

Curious about becoming a State Farm agent?

Wondering what the process involves, or how much time is required? You dont have to scour the internet looking for answers. Weve got it all laid out for you right here. So go ahead, take a look...

Social Media Strategy Plan

A. Strategy I. Goals
1. Increase word of mouth communication between those who are interested in becoming an agent and State Farm. 2. Increase awareness for those interested in a potential career as a State Farm agent using social media as a place to find information, share tips and ask questions throughout the process. 3. Increase visibility of State Farm as an employer and increase knowledge about the becoming a State Farm agent process.

II. Audience
1. The target demographic for State Farm is not limited to a specific demographic. They have a diverse group of agents that share similar goals, interests and have similar personality traits. The demographics could be broken into four segments. Segment A: College students in the age group of 18-24 who are looking for a future career, Segment B: People age 25-29 that are recent college graduates and are looking for a stable career path or interested in owning their own business. Segment C: People age 30-35 that may be interested in a career change or would like to own their own business. They may have more finances than the younger demographics to be able to open an insurance agency. Segment D: People age 35 and up are the last demographic. This group is more likely to have kids and may want to change career paths. 2. Personality and Traits- Potential and current State Farm agents may share similar characteristics including; Risk takers, financially motivated, involved in the community, driven to do work that maters, ability to lead a group.

B. Tactics

1. Objectives: To create a new Facebook page that will be specifically for interest in becoming a State Farm agent. This will include information about the agent process, job openings, and interaction between those who work at State Farm and who are going through the process to ease the uncertainty and to provide guidance and insight. 2. Short Term Goals- (Daily/Weekly) Get 5 to 10 new likes on the page. At least one like and one comment on each post. Have increased engagement on the page and ask questions or share their experiences with others.

A. Metrics Unique visits to the page, Number of comments, Time on site and Number of likes. 3. Long Term Goals (Monthly-Yearly) Establish the page as a source for job information, hire multiple agents after they receive information from Facebook page, Increase traffic to State Farm website from Facebook page, Reach 200,000+ fans like State Farm page, Have at least 20 people like each post and receive at least five comments for each post. A. Metrics Unique visits to the page, Number of comments, Time on site, Number of likes, Analytics from State Farm website, Number of agents hired, % of fans asking questions or answering questions, Number of questions answered by admins , Number of posts shared from the page 4. Topics a. Job openings b. First steps c. Articles d. Tips from other agents e. Stories on agents f. Community involvement g. Information or questions from agent to agent h. Links to State Farm website.

1. Objectives: Conversational way to connect with those interested in a career at State Farm. Would be beneficially to create a new Twitter handle specifically for becoming an agent. 2. Short Term Goals- (Daily/Weekly) Get 5 to 10 new followers . At least one retweet and one reply on each post. Have increased engagement on the page, follow others to have increased visibility. A. Metrics Follower count, number of tweets by followers, number of retweets, number of replies. 3. Long Term Goals (Monthly-Yearly) - follower count, number of tweets by followers, number of retweets, number of replies. A. Metrics Follower count, number of tweets by followers, number of retweets, number of replies, number of at mentions, number of tweets on page, number of # used mentioning a relevant topic, unique visitors to the twitter page, visitors to the website from twitter, number of people who asked for more information

4. Topics a. Job openings b. Links to articles c. Using # to create unity d. Tips from other agents

e. Links to State Farm website f. Community involvement g. Information or questions from agent to agent h. Communicating with potential agents

1. Objectives: To utilize YouTube as a communication tool to show the reality of being a

State Farm agent and remove any stereotypes people may have about insurance agents. Using their current State Farm channel create a group of films specifically targeting becoming an agent. 2. Goals: Film a video series focused on a day in the life, showing what State Farm agents do. This could show the process for becoming an agent and their job in action to create awareness. It is important to have a targeted video presence because this viral word of mouth will allow more people to be familiar with the opportunity. It is also important to connect YouTube with other social media sites and share the videos on Facebook and Twitter to make it a viral and consistent message. A. Metrics Views on each video, amount of comments on the video, shares on other social media sites, likes on the videos.

1. Objectives: LinkedIn is a site for professionals and can be used to search for a certain employer, to network, look for jobs, and to communicate with people. It is a great way for State Farm to build strategic relationships and network with others and build a professional presence. State Farm currently has groups including State Farm Networking, State Farm Insurance Alumni, State Farm Agents and others. They also have advertisements for current job openings in the career section. 2. Goals: To continue to remain actively engaged on LinkedIn. They should continue to update the jobs and have strong materials showing the opportunity to be an agent as this is an on going opportunity. They also need to make it easier to get from the job page to more information (website, Facebook, contact info etc.) They also need to provide incentives for employees to join LinkedIn because it represents State Farm for their agents and other employees to have a presence. A. Metrics Number of followers, number of employees, number of people inquiring, people hired from inquiries on LinkedIn, people that ask questions or want more information about State Farm careers.