Chris: Not Just a Basic Insurance Agent
Chris Gonzalez is a numbers guy. He studied accounting, real estate, and finance with intentions of joining an impressive accounting firm. When that accounting company went bankrupt, Chris had a change of heart. He decided to join his father at the family business, Gonzalez Insurance. Today our customers are thrilled Chris decided insurance was the better job choice. Chris found that helping neighbors in real and measurable ways is way better than crunching numbers, completing spreadsheets, or scouring tax laws strictly for the benefit of a big corporation.
Once Chris joined Gonzalez Insurance, he quickly discovered the more knowledge he shared with clients, the better-equipped they were to make smart insurance decisions. Chris decided the best approach for selling insurance wasn’t about selling at all. In fact, being a great insurance agent is really equivalent to being a great teacher. That’s why Chris never stops finding ways to empower his customers through education.Chris is still a numbers guy and he likes to play the real estate investment game. This gives him some insight when advising customers about their commercial or personal property coverages. Chris lays out all the options for his clients and then lets them decide the best insurance product.
As with most things, Chris didn’t just stop with his basic insurance producer licensing. Just as he wants to educate his customers, Chris knew he also needed to be as knowledgeable as possible to do a great job. That’s why Chris holds a few different insurance designations. Some are very prestigious and quite difficult to attain but by accomplishing this goal, it’s clear that Chris has a high amount of expertise in the real estate field.
You can feel confident in Chris’s abilities and background. In fact, Chris may have worked harder than most insurance agents in the area. He pushed himself far beyond the basic state insurance producer licensing required to sell insurance.
That’s because Chris doesn’t want to offer this customers just the basics. He wants to be an insurance expert that will. Let’s take a peek at the fancy designations Chris earned:
- Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU): Chris made the effort to study hard and complete 8 different mandatory tests
- Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC): Chris completed 5 difficult exams over a 2 year period. The CIC is meant to better protect clients in commercial property and casualty, life, health, and agency management.
- Associate Degree in Commercial Underwriting: This gives Chris an expert understanding of how commercial underwriters evaluate risks.
- Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI): Chris demonstrated a superior knowledge of the insurance field by passing 3 separate, but equally challenging, exams. AAI helps insurance agents deal with complex insurance situations and sell sophisticated insurance products.
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC): This is the most recent appointment Chris is working towards. The ChFC requires the insurance agent to finish 7 required courses and 2 elective courses. Once earned, the ChFC will show Chris to be extremely knowledgeable in all financial matters and able to provide clients with excellent advice.
Chris’ enthusiasm for insurance and financial matters, along with his belief in educating clients, has revolutionized the family business. Chris continually designs unique product offerings and customer service improvements. Every day is a new opportunity to elevate the Gonzalez & Company team far beyond the expectations of our neighbors, friends, and clients.
Remember, finding a great insurance agent is similar to finding a great mechanic. You don’t want to pick the quickest and cheapest agent or mechanic. If you use that as your standard, you may end up being disappointed in the future.
Running the family business and making sure every customer receives specialized service can be a bit time-consuming. However, Chris makes time for all his passions. When Chris isn’t working, you can find him reading about real estate, renovations, and finance. He’s also an avid traveler, bicyclist, and motorcycle rider.