In our ongoing Meet the Team feature, we put a name and a face on the amazing members of our team. Today we would like to introduce Silveus Insurance Group (Silveus) Agent Aaron Hood.
Where is your hometown and did you grow up around farming?
I grew up in Winona Lake, Indiana. I played basketball in high school and soccer locally at Grace College, where I graduated with a degree in business and finance. I didn’t grow up on a farm but I have a knack for numbers and a passion for farming.
What are your clients asking you about today?
I work with about 85 clients who farm around 75,000 acres across six states, ranging from 100-acre operations to 10,000 acres. Mostly, they want to ensure that I am bringing them the most progressive ideas for managing their risk. They are in a very competitive business, with tighter margins than I’ve ever seen. Our clients rely on us for this “edge” and I take it very seriously to guide them through the maze of crop insurance choices.
What is your approach to customer service?
My approach to customer service is to treat people the way I would want to be treated. You won’t survive long in this business if you don’t treat people with respect and make a concerted effort to respond in a timely manner. I constantly remind my colleagues that we have three differentiating factors. Service is number one; you don’t become successful if you don’t first take care of your customers. Number two is products. We can’t sit back and just do the same old thing year after year; we have to always be looking for better ways to manage risk. Number three is software, we have the best platform for analyzing products and educating farmers about making informed decisions about their enterprise.
How long have you been working at Silveus and what do you like best about your job?
I was a friend of Tyler Silveus in high school and I started working as an intern at Silveus while still at Grace College in December, 2002. I had worked with a financial adviser the year before, which gave me some insight into advising people on financial matters. This experience helped me understand how to apply my skills to the farming community. I’ve been working at Silveus just over 13 years. Building relationships with clients is what I truly enjoy; I learn as much from them as they learn from me.
What are you most excited about?
I’m most excited about continuing to work with our customers for a long time! I came across this verse the other day, Luke 6:38, “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Selling crop insurance has been my way of giving and I have felt good measure coming back to me and my family.
What is one fun fact about yourself your co-workers don’t know?
I don’t like to boast but I did mention earlier that I played sports so it only makes sense that I share a few highlights! I once scored 41 points in a high school basketball game and I scored a goal in college soccer from half field. Also, my wife has 10 siblings. She is the oldest girl. I have 3 brothers, so inheriting that many sisters has helped me understand how to better treat a lady! Oh, and another agent here, Matt Dick, coached me in basketball in the fourth grade! He told me he picked me for the team because I dove on the court for a loose ball. I guess that’s where I get my hustle from!