Brand New Life, Accident, and Health Agent in Texas, and I Need Help!!!

C.L.O.

New Member
1
Hey Guys!,

I've been lurking/researching in these forums for quite some time, and finally decided to jump in here. I'd really appreciate some advice/help from some of you experts and gurus. My name's Chris and I'm in the North Dallas, Texas area (Frisco). I'm 37, have had physical labor jobs my whole life, and decided it was time to make a change. I'm married, have 2 children, and no savings or retirement plan to speak of. I want to build a future for my family, have financial freedom, and love the idea of residual income. I'm not looking to get rich (but that would be awesome), I know if I focus on helping people, then the money will come. I'm a great "people person" and I feel like I can talk to anyone, from all my years of customer service based positions, and that's kind of why I decided to do this. I just passed my state exam last week, and should be receiving my license for General Lines- Life, Accident, and Health insurance, the week after next. I was recruited, and I bought into a person's recruiting pitch in an agency here locally. I'd rather not say the name of the person or insurance company. I paid for online training (for the state exam), and also for a temporary license so I could "start working and making money immediately". Once I started studying and going to training, I found out that the person that "sold" me on that particular company/agency was gone. 1st red flag, but no big deal, I bought into the idea of "the system". It didn't take long to figure out that the way we got in the door to sell life insurance was deceitful. Some people are really successful with this company, and don't mind that, while the rest of us have to be able to sleep at night. Don't get me wrong, the products did seem great, and people do need them, but it was a bait and switch operation. I'm setting the appointment based on one reason, when I'm actually there for another, selling life insurance. I made it through training, learning the script, riding around all over creation with my manager, and then was released to go out on my own. I got my leads, set some appointments, ran the appointments, and didn't make any sales, that was ok, I'm green. I decided it wasn't for me, I had anxiety going to the door knowing why I was really there, it just didn't feel right. I decided that particular company wasn't for me, and I know that selling insurance isn't for everyone. Here comes the problem. Nobody told me that my state temp. license was only good with that company because they "sponsored" me, even though I paid for the whole thing. Now I'm stuck in a holding pattern, waiting on my full license from the state, so I can't work. I'm also in such a bad financial situation, that I feel like I have to go get the kind of job I'm used to, that I don't want to go back to anymore, just to make some money to pay the bills. I've been to a couple of other insurance company "overviews", but I'm not sure what to do. I've been researching here, and it seems like I should be independent, and not captive. I'm also seeing people doing everything online/over the phone from their home office (I would love that), but understand with any of it, it takes time to build a book of business, time I don't really have. I've thought of contacting my local Allstate, State Farm, etc. agencies, because I know a lot of them are salary, plus commission, and see if I could get on with one of them. There's some other things, the guy that originally recruited me is also trying to recruit me into a couple other options. I feel like I committed to this at the wrong time in my life and I don't know what to do. I don't want to go back to physical labor/service tech. type jobs, but I need to start making money. I've already taken out a couple loans to pay the bills while going through this process, and I'm really stressed out. I'd love to find someone locally that could mentor me and teach me this business, but for now I'm at a serious fork in the road, and I turn to you guys, the insurance forums, for help and support. Any input, advice, or support would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Chris
 
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