Angry and Frustrated!!

[WinoBlues]

""Just give me the training program and let me loose to see if I can sell--if I can't oh well, but if i can then great both parties win. But making jump through hoops with no money on the table angers me and frustrates me beyond belief.""

""I should have been an engineer or computer nerd.""

""Your thoughts on these silly 100% commission jobs and making you run through mud and no guarantees of making any money?""

Read more: Insurance Forum

Very telling post.

Union teacher. This is big reason California's school system sucks. Tenure and the "you owe me" attitude.

FYI, some of us have been trudging through the "mud" for a while now. While not rich, we can raise a family, own homes, Wife can stay home if she chooses. Silly little career. We are masters of our own destiny. One bit of advice get a J O B. A union J O B. One where time in, not production dictates your worth.

When is the last time you sat down with your life insurance agent?

 

[VolAgent]

When is the last time you sat down with your life insurance agent?

That is a riot. What do you think the odds are this person even has a life insurance policy, much less an agent? And work coverage doesn't count.

 

[WinoBlues]

That is a riot. What do you think the odds are this person even has a life insurance policy, much less an agent? And work coverage doesn't count.

Yeah, I know. And if he did buy some _term_ how did he treat the agent? Would he want to work with himself? I am at the point that I walk the whiny clients.
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I have sent out close to 500 resumes. Many of the employers that respond to me are 100% "flakey" commission jobs. No base salary positions at all. No company car. No cellphone. No small base salary plus commission. Ok, we all know the economy stinks.............

Really, the economy? Then it has been a bad economy for 27 years of my career.

J, if you were looking for a shoulder this is not the place. If you were looking for the truth, pull up your under roos and stay a while.

 

[Tucker444]

I think it has all been said but my take is that you are an angry man.

I am amazed at your rambling post. You actually belive it is wrong for a company to interview you?

The job is 100% commission...deal with it!

It is you who has the problem not the company.

What they should be bowing before you throwing money at you just so you can grace them with your presence? How lucky they are to have you willing to work for them.

And to be honest that comment about delivering pizzas or a bellhop was arrogant and condescending.

I wouldnt hire you to deliver pizzas with the attitude you have.

Man up and get a damn job!

 

[keatz85]

As I was reading this post I couldn't wait to scroll down and see the comments, I was like wow, this person is going to get ripped apart. You guys were actually not that mean to him haha.

Jcrew your entitlement mentality makes me sick. Employers, the government, nobody owes you anything. Commission is awesome, you get paid what you're worth, scared of knowing what you're worth? On commission, if you feel like getting a raise work a little bit harder and/or smarter, instead of striking or demanding one.

 

[LGilmore]

Wino?
One thing that maybe you didn't pick up on is he didn't make it as a teacher, they cut him loose. So your cheap shot at teachers and their union is a bit unfounded.

Just cause you feel a certain way, doesn't make it truthful or fact. It's just your opinion, one that had you read a bit closer, you'd see he couldn't cut it as an educator, which is a hell of a lot harder job than ours.

 

[GMANPRO]

They do pay a base.. its called renewals. Thing is, you have to earn it. 60k a year base is not in this industry. I have friends tha make over a million a year in these "silly 100% commission jobs" by the way...

 

[shepnerd]

"Ok, here is my situation. I have a college degree in Social Science"

-Yep, thats your situation.

OK, couldn't help that one.

Most sales jobs are 100% commission or dont pay much. Like the others have said, think about it from the employers perspective:
"hey, I'm a former teacher with a degree in social science, I've been unemployed a while and need a job so thought I'd try this. No I've never sold anything before, nope, never studied sales or anything, but I'm sure I can do this, it looks easy. By the way, I'm gonna need a base salary, company car, cell phone, training, etc. etc. etc."

I wonder how many interviews I'd have to go through if I decided to give up insurance and get a job as a teacher with no training or experience.

Dude, the good news is, they'll give you a shot at 100% commission.

The bad news is, they'll give you a shot at 100% commission.

That means it is all up to you and as the others have said, if you aren't used to making it on your own, this is probably not the right fit for you.

 

[VaDwayne]

You need to find something else to do. You are way too negative to succeed in this business. You complain about your teacher's salary, but didn't you know this before you went to college for at least 4 years to make this small wage. It's like someone going to work at McDonald's and complaining that they have to cook hamburgers.

100% commission- it is my opinion that if you KNOW that you are self motivated and a self-starter this would not be a concern. People that want a guaranteed salary are simply TRYING OUT this business. If you go 100% commission and go into doing whatever it takes to be successful, and convinced that this is your career, commission will take care of itself.

Jumping through hoops- this helps keep the riff-raff from getting a job with the agency. If you are not willing to jump through a few hoops, you don't have the work ethic to make it in this business.

I started almost 4 years ago by myself and 100% commission and I am loving life, and you can to but you have to go into this KNOWING that this is your new career for the rest of your life and you will make. YOU CAN NOT TRY THIS BUSINESS!!

Ok, here is my situation. I have a college degree in Social Science. I was a teacher for a few years until I was laid off last year. It was a blessing and a curse.
A blessing because I am a burned out from teaching and I was tired of being low paid. I have bills to pay.
A curse because I moved to Iowa looking for better opportunities, namely in sales, and am still unemployed 4 months later.
I have sent out close to 500 resumes. Many of the employers that respond to me are 100% "flakey" commission jobs. No base salary positions at all. No company car. No cellphone. No small base salary plus commission. Ok, we all know the economy stinks.
I thought insurance sales might be a good start to get my feet wet and gain more outside sales experience.
I had a few interviews with Physicians Mutual and Northwestern Mutual. Both jobs are 100% commission. Both interviewers(who were very nice) told me I would make 60k my first year...yadda yadda yadda! I am really tired of the speel of "you will make THIS MUCH" your first year. Yea? if you are so confident I will make 60k my first year why don't you pay me a small base salary to prove it? This is why turnover is so high because many sales agents don't make that much their first year, some do, but many do not and quit insurance sales with less money in their bank account then when they first started.

Anyway, I was told I will have to come back for 3 more interviews. What? 3 more interviews for a 100% based commission job? Are you serious?
Northwestern Mutual is 4 interviews long. Then I have to take an assesssment test to see if I am the right fit for the company, then I am required to get my series 6 license within a year. I have to use my own car to drive and get referrals, spend my own gas money I assume. By the time I get any business I will go broke! I am tired of 100% commission jobs. Why don't these companies--who are already established invest in their employees and pay them a base salary their 1st year?

I am wondering if I should waste my time and money going to these interviews when I will be on (100% commission) and jump through all these hoops? By the time I get started making any money with NM or PM I will be homeless.

I know a lot of you guys will say..."hey this type of work isn't cut out for everyone" or "you have to have enough money put aside for your first year" I have no problem with that. The problem is 4 interviews???? Assessment tests??? As if this is a high salaried base job?? It is not like they are offering me 60k to start right out of the gate. NM is not really investing in me so why bother give me 4 interviews and have me drive 30 miles each way and watse my gas money to each interview. Just give me the training program and let me loose to see if I can sell--if I can't oh well, but if i can then great both parties win. But making jump through hoops with no money on the table angers me and frustrates me beyond belief.

Maybe I ought to go deliver pizzas, do telemarketing, or work as a belllhop in hotel so I can make faster money without all the BS. Seriously, its a joke that a company would make me jump through all these hoops when I have no netting or base salary to start with. I should have been an engineer or computer nerd. At least they get a decent yearly salary if they ace the interview.

Your thoughts on these silly 100% commission jobs and making you run through mud and no guarantees of making any money?

 

[rousemark]

There have been those that claim insurance companies will hire anybody that can fog a mirror. However, your post proves that not to be the case. Insurance companies are much more selective than whatever school system employed you and you couldn't even hack it there.

Don't waste your time and money completing the interviews because you will never make it as an agent. You do not have the intelligence to be successful in sales. Only a dimwit would come to a forum made up of insurance agents and call what they do a, "silly 100% commission job".

You say "I have sent out close to 500 resumes. Many of the employers that respond to me are 100% "flakey" commission jobs." What do expect when you aren't even motivated enough to at least research a company enough to know what their needs are before you send them your resume? Face it, no matter how high your opinion is of yourself, the world is not sitting there breathlessly just waiting for you to come to the rescue.

I hate to tell you this but people who deliver pizzas, do telemarketing and work as bellhops are so far above you that it isn't even funny. Instead of sitting around whining and acting as the are entitled, they provide a much needed service and most of them do it with enthusiasm and a smile.