How to Run an IMO: Operations, Visibility and Downline Support
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026. This is general information for IMO and agency operators, not legal advice.
Running an IMO means contracting and supporting downline agencies, giving them a shared playbook and tools, and seeing what every agency and every seat is producing. The IMOs that keep their agencies run those jobs on a fixed weekly and monthly rhythm, with a named owner for each one. This guide covers the org chart, the economics, the first 90 days for a new agency, the scorecard, compliance oversight and the technology decision, with formulas you fill in with your own numbers.
The six jobs of an IMO
| Job | Who owns it | What done looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Contracting | Contracting and onboarding lead | Every producer is contracted and appointed for the carriers and states they sell before their first dial |
| Onboarding | Contracting and onboarding lead, then the agency success manager | New agency has seats live, the playbook delivered and a first scorecard review on the calendar |
| Training | Trainer or sales lead | Every new producer has passed call review against the shared standard |
| Lead and marketing support | Marketing and lead programs | Agencies know which lead sources are approved, what each costs and how leads get assigned |
| Technology | Technology owner | One login per seat, reporting rolls up to the IMO, and every support request has an owner |
| Compliance oversight | Compliance lead | Written standards exist, and a sample of calls is reviewed against them every month |
What an IMO actually does day to day
Search for IMO and most of what comes back is written for agents shopping for one: what an IMO is, how to pick one, what it offers. This is for the people on the other side of the table.
Running an IMO is a support business. Agencies sign with you for contracts. They stay for what happens after contracting: a playbook that works, help when a new producer stalls, lead programs that don't burn money, and someone who spots a problem before the agency owner calls you about it.
A normal week looks like this. Contracting requests come in and need to move. A new agency needs its seats live and its first calls reviewed. A success manager is chasing an agency whose dials dropped. The trainer runs a call review session. The principal looks at production across the hierarchy and decides where support and lead budget go next. None of it is complicated. All of it slips when nobody owns it.
IMO vs FMO vs MGA, in plain terms
- IMO (independent marketing organization): contracts agents and agencies with carriers and supports them with training, marketing, leads and tools. You hear the term most in life and annuities.
- FMO (field marketing organization): the same kind of organization under a different name, heard more often in Medicare and health. Plenty of people use IMO and FMO interchangeably.
- MGA (managing general agency): usually a level in the hierarchy below or alongside an IMO, running its own group of agents. Some MGAs contract directly with carriers.
Carriers define hierarchy levels their own way. The label matters less than what you do for the agencies under you. Everything below applies whichever name is on your door.
The org chart: who you need at 5, 20 and 50 agencies
The roles:
- Principal. Sets direction, owns carrier relationships, decides lead and technology spend, runs the monthly review.
- Contracting and onboarding. Moves contracting and appointment paperwork, tracks status, gets each new agency to its first dial.
- Agency success managers. The single point of contact for a book of agencies. They own the weekly scorecard review and the first question when a number drops.
- Trainer or sales lead. Owns the shared playbook and call review standards. Trains new producers.
- Compliance lead. Writes the standards, samples calls, runs the oversight checklist.
- Marketing and lead programs. Vets lead vendors, runs any lead program the IMO funds, tracks cost per sale by source.
- Technology owner. Owns the platform decision, seat setup, reporting and vendor relationships.
| Role | 5 agencies | 20 agencies | 50 agencies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal | Dedicated, covers most jobs | Dedicated | Dedicated |
| Contracting and onboarding | Part-time, often the principal or an assistant | Dedicated | Dedicated, likely a small team |
| Agency success managers | Principal covers it | Shared, one person or split with training | Dedicated, several, each with a book of agencies |
| Trainer or sales lead | Part-time, often a top producer | Dedicated or shared with success | Dedicated, plus peer coaches inside agencies |
| Compliance lead | Part-time, with outside counsel on call | Part-time or shared with contracting | Dedicated |
| Marketing and lead programs | Part-time | Shared | Dedicated |
| Technology owner | Principal | Part-time, often operations | Dedicated or shared with operations |
The stages are planning points, not rules. What decides staffing is the hours you commit to each agency.
Agencies per success manager = [hours per success manager per week for agency work] / [hours per agency per week you commit]
Success managers needed = ([your agency count] x [hours per agency per week you commit]) / [hours per success manager per week for agency work]
Set the hours per agency first. An agency in its first 90 days needs more of your time than a settled one, so run the formula twice, once for agencies in onboarding and once for established agencies, then add the two results.
The economics, in general terms
An IMO is paid through overrides and other compensation set in its carrier contracts, and those terms vary by carrier, product and hierarchy level. This guide doesn't cover rates or contract terms; take those to your carriers and your own advisers. What you control is what it costs to support each agency and what production it takes to cover that cost.
Support cost per agency
Support cost per active agency per month = ([staff cost per month] + [software cost per month] + [lead program cost per month the IMO carries]) / [active agencies]
Define active before you run it, for example an agency with at least [your minimum] submitted applications in the month. Inactive agencies still take contracting and support time, so track them on a separate line.
Break-even per agency
Override revenue needed per agency per month = Support cost per active agency per month
Production needed per agency per month = Support cost per active agency per month / [your average override earned per dollar of production, from your own contracts]
Use placed business if that is how your contracts pay, not submitted.
| Input | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Staff cost | Payroll and contractors for IMO-side roles |
| Software cost | Every tool you pay for on behalf of agencies |
| Lead program cost | Only the part the IMO funds, not what agencies buy themselves |
| Active agencies | Your own definition, applied the same way every month |
| Override per dollar of production | Your carrier contracts, blended by your actual product mix |
When an agency sits below its break-even line for several months, treat it as a support conversation first and a business decision second.
Onboarding a new downline agency: the first 90 days
| Window | Step | IMO owner | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30 | Contracting and appointments | Contracting and onboarding | Each producer is appointed for the carriers and states they will sell |
| Days 1 to 30 | Seats set up | Technology owner | Every producer can log in, dial and see assigned leads |
| Days 1 to 30 | Lead sources agreed | Marketing and lead programs | Agency knows approved vendors, costs and how leads are assigned |
| Days 1 to 30 | Playbook delivered | Trainer | Openers, discovery, objection answers and review standards walked through live |
| Days 1 to 30 | Compliance standards in place | Compliance lead | Owner has the written standards; DNC and calling-hours setup is done |
| Days 1 to 30 | First calls reviewed | Trainer | At least [your number] recorded calls per producer reviewed in week one |
| Days 31 to 60 | First scorecard review | Success manager | Targets set and agreed with the agency owner |
| Days 31 to 60 | Coaching plan | Trainer | Each producer has two or three specific things to fix |
| Days 31 to 60 | Lead program check | Marketing and lead programs | Cost per sale by source reviewed against the owner's ceiling |
| Days 61 to 90 | Second scorecard review | Success manager | Two months of trend on every metric |
| Days 61 to 90 | First compliance sample | Compliance lead | Monthly call sample completed and logged |
| Days 61 to 90 | Handoff | Success manager | Agency moves to the standard weekly rhythm |
For the lead side of onboarding, the lead management for insurance agencies guide covers intake, routing and recycle rules in detail.
What to listen for in week one recordings
- The opening. Does the producer say who they are, who they represent and why they're calling, clearly and early? Your standard should spell out exactly what you expect.
- Discovery. Is the producer asking needs questions or jumping to a quote? Who is doing most of the talking?
- Objections. Do they cave on the first objection, or read the answer so stiffly the prospect checks out?
- Call control. Long silences, losing the thread when price comes up, letting the prospect end the call without a next step.
- The close. Every call should end with a clear next step or a clean no.
- Data hygiene. Are dispositions and notes entered right after the call?
Problems found in week one are cheap to fix. Found at day 60, they are habits.
Seeing every agency and every seat
The downline agency scorecard. You set the targets; nobody else's benchmark fits your product mix and lead sources.
| Metric | How to count it | Your target | A drop usually means | First question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active seats | Seats with at least [your minimum] dials this week | [ ] | Producers leaving or going quiet | Who stopped dialing, and when? |
| Dials per seat | Rep-started dials per active seat per day | [ ] | Lead shortage, morale, or a producer working another job | Is there enough in each producer's queue? |
| Contacts | Conversations with the right person | [ ] | List quality, number reputation or calling at the wrong hours | Did the lead source or call times change? |
| Appointments or presentations | Full presentations given | [ ] | Weak openers or discovery | What do the first two minutes of recent calls sound like? |
| Applications submitted | Apps sent to carriers | [ ] | Objection handling or closing | Which objections are ending calls? |
| Placement | Placed policies / submitted apps | [ ] | Underwriting fit, paperwork errors or buyer's remorse | Where are apps falling out, and why? |
Read across the row. A drop in contacts with steady dials points to leads or numbers. Steady presentations with falling apps points to the close. Fix the first broken step, not the last.
| Level | How often | Who | Looks at | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | Daily | Agency manager | Dials, contacts and apps per seat today | Who needs a nudge or a call review today |
| Book of agencies | Weekly | Success manager | Full scorecard per agency, trend against the last four weeks | One action per agency below target |
| Whole IMO | Monthly | Principal | Rollup across agencies, cost per agency, break-even | Where support, leads and training go next month |
The weekly review only works if the numbers show up without anyone building a spreadsheet. More on team visibility for agencies.
One playbook across many agencies
| Section | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Openers | Word-for-word opening lines per lead type, including the identification you require |
| Discovery | Questions in order and what to listen for |
| Objection answers | Top objections per product line with the approved answer |
| Call review standards | The scorecard reviewers use, with pass and fail items |
| Compliance standards | Calling hours, DNC process, recording notices, lines nobody says |
| Disposition rules | What each outcome code means and when to use it |
Agencies can add to the playbook. They don't rewrite the core sections without the trainer signing off, or you end up with fifty playbooks.
Coaching at scale
You can't sit next to every new producer in every agency. Coaching across a hierarchy runs in three layers:
- Call reviews. A weekly sample per producer, scored against the review standard, with the score shared back.
- A recordings library. The best calls sorted by situation: the price objection, the spouse who isn't on the call, the prospect who already has coverage.
- Live coaching for new producers. Help during the call, when it matters most.
This is where Nohl fits. Sales AI suggests the next line or an objection answer to the rep during the live call, and the prospect never hears it. The rep stays in the conversation and decides what to say. For a producer in an agency you don't run day to day, that puts the playbook on the call, not only in the training room. See how an AI sales coach works on live calls.
Recording laws vary by state. Some states require everyone on the call to consent. You are responsible for recording notices and consent.
Compliance that runs up the hierarchy
Phone sales sit under federal rules including the TCPA and the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, plus state laws that differ by state and are sometimes stricter. As of October 14, 2026, those rules cover areas such as consent, Do Not Call lists, calling hours, required disclosures on sales calls and recordkeeping. This section names them in general terms. It doesn't tell you what they require for your situation.
For questions about how these rules apply to your hierarchy and your agencies, talk to a TCPA attorney.
What an IMO can do is set standards and check them.
Oversight checklist
- Written lead sourcing standards: approved vendors, and what records each vendor must produce on request.
- DNC process: lists scrubbed against the National Do Not Call Registry and your internal do-not-call list before dialing, with a named owner for the internal list.
- Calling hours: the federal calling window at minimum, plus any stricter state hours your agencies call into.
- Recording notices: the script line, which states your standard treats as all-party consent, and who checks.
- Call review sampling: [your number] calls per agency per month reviewed against the compliance standard.
- Records: where scripts, consent records and DNC records live, and who can pull them.
- Escalation: who is told when a sample fails, and the deadline to fix it.
Where Nohl fits: the power dialer enforces the federal TCPA calling window (8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the prospect's local time). State rules can be stricter, so your standards still apply. Do Not Call scrubbing runs through the DNC.com API using your own DNC.com key, and it only happens once that key is connected. Every call is started by a rep. Searchable recordings and transcripts make monthly sampling across agencies practical. See compliance checks before the dial.
These are tools. You are responsible for obtaining and documenting valid consent and for following the laws that apply to your calls.
Choosing the technology stack for the downline
Most downlines run on a mix: standalone dialers, general CRMs, call recording tools, separate coaching tools and spreadsheets for reporting. The first decision is not which vendor. It's whether you standardize at all.
| Factor | One platform for every agency | Each agency chooses | Question for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Every seat reports the same way and rolls up | You get whatever each agency exports, in its own format | Do you need seat-level numbers or only production? |
| Training consistency | One set of screens, one playbook, one review process | Training has to cover many tools | How much of your value is training? |
| Cost control | One buyer, total spend visible | Spend is scattered and hard to see | Does the IMO pay for tools or do agencies? |
| Agency autonomy | Lower; some owners push back | High | How independent do your agencies expect to stay? |
| Switching effort | Heavy once, for every agency | None up front, ongoing cost in reconciling data | Can you fund the move and support it agency by agency? |
A middle path works for many IMOs: require one standard for reporting and recordings, and let agencies choose within an approved list. Decide which column you're in before you take a single demo.
Questions to ask every vendor
- Can I see reporting per seat, per agency and across the whole hierarchy, and how is the hierarchy set up?
- How are leads assigned to agencies and seats, and can an agency owner reassign inside their own agency?
- Are calls recorded and transcribed, and can I search them across agencies?
- Does live coaching assist the rep during the call, and what does the prospect hear?
- How are calls started? Does a rep start every call?
- Are calls STIR/SHAKEN attested, and what does attestation cover and not cover?
- How does Do Not Call scrubbing work, and whose list or account does it use?
- Are dialer, CRM and meetings on one contact record, or do we integrate them ourselves?
- What onboarding support does each new agency get, and who delivers it?
- What happens to an agency's data and recordings if that agency leaves the hierarchy?
On question 6: STIR/SHAKEN verifies that a call really comes from the number shown. It doesn't decide whether a carrier labels a call as spam. Carriers and their analytics partners decide spam labels.
Where Nohl fits and where it doesn't
Where it fits
- Mogul lets agency owners assign leads and manage their reps from one place.
- Searchable call recordings and AI transcripts.
- Dialer, CRM and video meetings in one place, with one contact record behind every call and meeting. Prospects join a video meeting from a link, with no download or account.
- Mogul includes business analytics with call data and P&L.
- Sales AI gives the rep live suggestions during the call; the prospect never hears it.
- Calls are STIR/SHAKEN attested, and every call is started by a rep.
- Mogul includes white-glove getting started; ask sales for details.
- Enterprise is custom-quoted for larger floors and IMOs.
Where it doesn't
- Nohl is not a contracting, carrier appointment or commission system. Keep the tools you use for those.
- Nohl doesn't set your lead sourcing standards or consent practices. Those stay your policy and your agencies' responsibility.
- If your agencies are deep in another stack and you've chosen the each-agency-chooses column, the switching effort is real. Weigh it honestly.
The IMO operating rhythm
| Meeting | Who attends | Scorecard | Decision that comes out of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly agency check-in, per agency | Success manager, agency owner | Agency scorecard | One action for each metric below target |
| Weekly IMO ops huddle | Principal, success managers, trainer, contracting, compliance | Open contracting, onboarding status, flagged agencies | Which agencies get extra help this week |
| Monthly business review | Principal and each function lead | Rollup, cost per agency, break-even, compliance sample | Where support, lead and training budget go next month |
| Quarterly planning | Principal and leadership | Three-month trends, agency count, staffing formula | Hiring, technology and lead program changes |
Keep the meetings short and the output fixed. If a meeting ends without a decision, it was a status update and should have been a report.
AEP and year-end, for Medicare-heavy downlines. AEP changes the year for Medicare-heavy agencies. Plan it months ahead: contracting and certifications finished early, seats and leads ready, scripts reviewed by your compliance lead against current Medicare marketing rules, and support staffing set for the busiest weeks. After it ends, run every agency against its break-even, set next year's scorecard targets and rerun the staffing formula.
Next step
If you want seat-level visibility, lead assignment, recordings and live coaching across your agencies in one platform, See Mogul for agencies and IMOs. Larger floors and IMOs are quoted through Enterprise from there.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws and regulations about calling, texting, and AI change often and vary by state. Talk to a qualified attorney about your situation. Nohl provides software tools; you are responsible for how you use them, including getting and keeping valid consent. Information current as of October 14, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do you run an IMO?
Contract and support downline agencies, give them a shared playbook and tools, and track what every agency and seat produces. Assign an owner to each of six jobs (contracting, onboarding, training, lead and marketing support, technology, compliance oversight) and review a shared scorecard weekly and monthly.
What is the difference between an IMO and an FMO?
In practice, very little. Both contract agents and agencies with carriers and support them. IMO is heard more in life and annuities, FMO more in Medicare and health, and many people use the terms interchangeably.
How many agencies can one support person handle?
It depends on the hours you commit per agency. Agencies per success manager = [hours per success manager per week for agency work] / [hours per agency per week you commit]. Run it separately for agencies in onboarding, which need more time, and established ones.
What software do IMOs use to manage downline agencies?
Usually a mix of standalone dialers, general CRMs, call recording tools and spreadsheets, or one platform standardized across agencies. Decide first whether to standardize, then ask vendors about per-seat and per-agency reporting, lead assignment, recordings, live coaching and onboarding support.
How do IMOs track production across agencies?
With one scorecard used by every agency: active seats, dials per seat, contacts, presentations, applications submitted and placement. Agency managers check it daily, success managers weekly and the principal monthly, each against targets the IMO sets.