Ask an Agent with Peter Bahen

When did you join SELCO Insurance Services, and what does your role as Personal Lines Sales Manager entail?   

Peter: I joined SELCO Insurance Services in December 2024. At the end of the day, my role is to grow our insurance book of business year after year. So, I have spent my first few months working on improving our referral follow-up processes and removing barriers for the insurance producers so they can quote and sell.  

What ideas do you have for boosting connections and generating more interested customers for SELCO Insurance Services?

Peter: We are very lucky to be part of a great organization at SELCO, and the most important key to growing our business is through the relationships we build with the branches and call centers. I have met with most of the branches and Service Center staff. I firmly believe that if we do a better job following up on referrals, in a timelier manner, and work on building strong relationships of trust with those team members, we will see the growth we are looking for.  

What is the biggest difference between working for an independent agency vs. a captive agency (such as State Farm) that you have noticed so far?

Peter: First, we have a lot more options for our customers. Second, I have found that we have a lot more room to be creative and problem solve for our business since we don’t have to be at the mercy of one carrier.  

What are your thoughts on the future of the insurance industry and how it might impact sales?

Peter: The market is unpredictable right now with insurance rate increases and underwriting restrictions, which really requires a lot of knowledge and patience to navigate. We also see many insurance professionals retiring, which could cause a shortage of the experts that people need to get proper coverage. Our leadership’s ability to recognize these challenges and forward thinking are putting us in a place where we will be poised to take full advantage of the upcoming opportunities created by today’s market.  

You worked in sporting goods for several years. How does one transition from sporting goods to insurance?  

Peter: I learned a lot in my sporting goods days about management and leadership. I also dealt with risk mitigation and was really interested in that world. I was looking for an opportunity to gain experience, and insurance provided the opportunity to get into an industry that has a lot of growth opportunities and is all about helping people manage risk. It just felt like a natural progression for me, even if it doesn’t look that way on the surface.

Finally, tell us something that people may not know about you. 

Peter: I was the shortest person in my high school starting my freshman year. I was 4-foot-9 but loved basketball. When I showed up to tryouts, the coach, he admitted later, thought it was a joke that my friends had put me up to. But I made the team and really enjoyed the sport throughout high school, and I still love to play today.