Is There Light at the End of the Tunnel?

[tarrasque]

Ok, I am a captive agent for NYLife, but pre-contract. I have to sell a certain amount in order to 'prove' myself (protect them from leechers, I guess). That's all fine and well, except here's the problem:

I have been working 40+ hours every week for three months, and have got exactly two sales, both family. I've called, called on, and met tons and tons of people. Now I know other new agents 65 miles away who are doing fine, and I know other new agents in my city here who are also struggling. In order to make a living, I will need to average at least one sale a week ongoing.

So even if I prove myself and earn my contract, is it realistic to expect that I will be able to make a living long term?

I've been in sales a long time, and have always been among the best of my team/unit/whatever. I love the job and am in love with the prospects of such a rewarding career, and am being mentored by a VERY successful agent (read: wealthy), but nothing she tells me to do seems to work out (outdated advice?).

Some of us theorize that its the area; my city is certainly more blue-collar than the suburbs 65 miles away. I have theorized that I'm not doing enough, but when I pile more on, I still don't get results.

Everyone tells me to stick with it, and that a large part of success is hanging on longer than everyone else, but I'm just getting very very demoralized. Money's not too much of an issue, as I have a small income coming in to support us until I start making real money again. I've had numerous meetings, quotes, and "call me later" types, but none of that has translated into money in my pocket of even just a fulfilling feeling of success. I call prospects 5, 6, 7 times before giving up. I'm just not sure what else to do.


Is there light at the end of this tunnel?

 

[theinsuranceman]

You should watch and be by the side of your "mentor" for a couple weeks and see what she did/does to be so successful. Then just duplicate it.

 

[arnguy]

Yes, but be certain that it is not the headlight of a locomotive coming toward you----fast!

 

[souldeux]

I'm going to steal a line from Moonlight - never confuse action with results. 40+ hour weeks don't mean anything unless those hours are focused on activities that produce business!

You're getting meetings, you're quoting clients - are you asking them to buy something? I mean it, if you're going all the way through a sales presentation and not asking for the sale, that's 75% or more of your problem.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

I've had numerous meetings, quotes, and "call me later" types, but none of that has translated into money in my pocket of even just a fulfilling feeling of success. I call prospects 5, 6, 7 times before giving up.

The type of life insurance business that the NY Life's of the world do is predicated on seeing people on a favorable basis.

A "natural market" (people that you know, or know people that you know) that have a couple of bucks is the key.

The only chance you've got is to ask the folks that you know (the more, the better) for the names of four or five people that they know. Work that list in a very "non-threatening" fashion, asking only if you can meet with them to show them the type of work that you do...

Without this type of "warm" marketing, you've got virtually no shot.

Bon chance.

 

[steveadlman]

Take a long hard look at what you are doing right and then what you are doing wrong. Learn from your mistakes.

 

[Josh]

I'm going to go with an honest and direct no. You cannot expect to keep doing the same thing you've been doing and reasonably expect different results. Odds are you're better off going indy and joining iliaa. For $5 you can get your first months dues paid and learn more than enough to decide if you like the industry or not from people who more objective than your friends at nyl. Just two cents.

 

[tarrasque]

Thanks for the advice, guys. I am certainly going to re-evaluate what I've been doing so that I can see if I've actually been doing productive things or not.

Moonlight: You've pretty much taken the words right out of the mouths of everyone I work with! Maybe I'm not seeing enough people on a proper basis? Maybe I'm not selling myself enough? Maybe I'm not giving them enough reasons to buy? As far as getting names, seems like none of my referred leads ever want to see me. So I need to get better at giving them a reason.

Soul: I think sometimes I spend too much time working on quotes, etc, and not on the phone...

Insuranceman: My mentor meets clients and answers her phone all day. She's been doing it too long to need to prospect, lol!

Medicare: If I can't make it here, with tons of support (or maybe "support"), what makes anyone think I can make it as an indy?

 

[tarrasque]

**I posted this a day or two ago, but it must have errored out because it didn't show up, so I typed it again.**

Thank you all for the honest advice!

insuranceman: She doesn't really prospect at all anymore. Thirty years into it, and all she does is take clients into her office, answer the phone, and service their policies. She's also a broker.

arn: That's exactly what I'm afraid of, lol

soul: you're right, maybe I spend too much time at my desk, and not enough pounding pavement? and as far as asking for the sale, I'm certainly not afraid to do that, so I hope that's not the problem. I try to change up my talks and what I do so as to tweak and try to squeeze some results out of it, but nothing seems to work.

moonlight: my natural market has been on the whole pretty unresponsive, especially in the lead department. when I pump for names, I typically get one or two, if any. when I call those people, I have a ton of trouble getting them to see me. I call on a lot of the members of my chamber of commerce, but that only gets one so far, of course.

steve: I do this a couple days a week, right after I contemplate going outside to play in traffic.

medicare: no one at the nyl general office is objective... I'm pretty sure that the game they play there is so different from the one we have to play here that they have no idea how to help. Not to mention that it's like pulling teeth to get them out here for help. The agent/brokers in my office, however, are pretty grounded and realistic, and do lots to help me.

 

[CharityQuotes]

Whenever I have trouble I always try to "go back to the basics." I am not sure this is going to help you out too much in this situation but it may be something that is worth at least considering...

I have always believed in hard work. More quotes equals more sales, etc etc... but sometimes I have to take a step back and just focus on what I set out to do, be the best agent I possible can for my customers. Anytime I switch to focusing on strong customer service, good follow up, and going the extra mile for every customer I seem to see success start to trickle in again.