Find solution
Can a discreet person be a sales agent?

Please help to clear my thoughts...I am an insurance agent and I am confused about what to do now?

  • I used to say in my line of business, I am helping people get themselves more adequately protected in areas they are lacking. Then I call this my passion. So I am not asking people to buy insurance for the sake of my commission and I would also feel more ethical this way. When my commission starts to decrease, (since I am not pushing for the higher commission products and also not getting enough new clients in) I get stressful when doing my insurance business. Negative thoughts like: What the hell am I doing in this business? After a few years in the business and I am only earning what i used to get in the corporate world?!? I realised...over the years, I had inflated my ego so big and noble..that I am no longer doing the typical "sure-work" sales concepts I was taught to illustrate to clients during appointments. And sadly, these methods works and clients are more attracted to hear such sales concepts. This way, I have slowed down in my leanings...and my boss suggests me to start from scratch all over again...relearn all the tools again, put down my ego and work like a new agent once again, to rekindle that fire in this industry. Then someone told me, if I think I am helping people by making clients buy insurance from me and this is really my passion, then I might as well give them my commission as well, in order to help people more. This person further comments that I am a business person. Even if I want to help people, I need my bread and butter, stablised income, in order to do more for these people or society that I want to contribute back to. With this, everything I that hold in my mind about my passion, my believes in insurance and what I do is right, my identity as a responsible agent just crumble down...I am no longer certain of what I want to do with my life now..what I should do for my insurance business? I can't sell or motivate myself to do any callings for appointments now...everything seems so confusing and depressing for me now...:( Someone please help to clear my thoughts please. And please save your negatives or "quitting" or "give up" answers. I would deeply appreciate constructive replies!!!

  • Answer:

    Think about what you are providing for your clients. You are providing Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Income for the family, should the breadwinner not be around to provide these necessities of life. Take care of your clients needs, and your clients response to those needs will take care of your needs in the form of commissions. Always do a Financial Need Analysis (FNA) or other Total Needs Selling System, to help your clients determine their own need for your products and services. You clients will be better informed, and have their insurance needs met. With a program like the FNA, your sales will be larger, and your commissions will be larger. If you do the FNA or other program by laptop computer, allow the client to make the entries, and they will know it's their plan and not your plan for them. The greatest need in the life insurance business for the agent is the ability to prospect. Without prospects, you can't sell insurance. Your greatest asset is enthusiasm. If you are not enthused about what you are doing, you're wasting your time. When you go to the appointment with a prospect, after small talk (Nice house, nice car, whatever), say, "John and Mary, I want to express my appreciation for the opportunity to do a Financial Need Analysis for you today. I will be asking for some confidential information, and I'll assure you that know one will know what we have discussed here today, except you, me, and the underwriters in the Home Office. Is that OK? (Nod YES) Athough there is no charge for this service, I am compensated in two ways: 1. If, as a result of our work together, you decide to purchase one of our products, I simply ask that you purchase it from me. And 2. Whether or not you feel a need has been uncovered, If you feel that this service has been valuable to you, I just ask that you refer me to three of your friends who might likewise benefit from this type of work. Fair enough?" (Nod YES, and they will too.) "Good." Proceed with the personal information, and fact-finding. After the presentation and getting the check, remind the client about the three referrals. An agent sometimes is so excited about the sale, he/she forgets to get the referrals. Hold your head high. You are a Problem Solver. You solve problems so the breadwinner's survivor(s) won't have to go it alone. You must set goals: Number of calls to make each day, number of appointments, number of sales, and your weekly/monthly income need. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS ask for referrals. Referrals are the life-blood for success in the insurance business. Best wishes.

enlighte... at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

ok, so your commissions are down now. I don't know anyone in the industry whose are up. Selling insurance is helping people to protect themselves. (I handle claims). There is nothing worse than meeting with an insured and having to explain that there is not enough coverage to take care of their problem. Re-evaluate. What you were doing is correct, at least morally. Do you not want to help people protect themselves? You deserve to be paid for the work you do, of course. All service providers get paid, right (doctors/dentists/cleaning people, and the like). Take a step back and look at what you are doing. Then, decide if you can, for the time being, live with a reduction in your commission. you will be building client loyalty, and although you may make less in the short term, in the long term you will make more as these people will keep coming back. They are your clients. They are your base. Serve them well, get paid for what you do for them, and keep taking those baby steps forward.

MTR

You seem to have two problems: A problem with where you work and a problem with what you do (which may stem from the first problem). For the first problem you have to decide whether you want to continue working at the firm you're currently at. Those sales meetings sound pretty useless. It sounds like they exist to praise some and embarrass others. If management has a problem with your numbers then they should speak to you in private, not call you out in front of your peers. So unless there are some other benefits to working for this company you may want to consider applying at other firms. Once this is done then you may want to reconsider your passion for being a broker/agent. It could be that being a broker/agent is just not for you, however there are many other jobs in the insurance industry that you can still use your knowledge/experience and still satisfy your desire to help others.

Gambit

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.