Lousy First Year Numbers!

[davisgroup]

I am closing in on my first year in FE and it has been a struggle, to say the least. I could sure use some inspiration from agents who bombed their first year, but hung tough and persevered. How bad was it and what made you stick it out? Not interested in hearing from any first year superstars, thank you.

Jim

 

[houcoogster]

How many apps did you write?
How many issued and kept it?

 

[tins]

I am closing in on my first year in FE and it has been a struggle, to say the least. I could sure use some inspiration from agents who bombed their first year, but hung tough and persevered. How bad was it and what made you stick it out? Not interested in hearing from any first year superstars, thank you.

Jim

You might be surprised that you've done better than most by still being in it, at all, after a year.

 

[sshafran]

I am closing in on my first year in FE and it has been a struggle, to say the least. I could sure use some inspiration from agents who bombed their first year, but hung tough and persevered. How bad was it and what made you stick it out? Not interested in hearing from any first year superstars, thank you.

Jim

The best is yet to come - I still remember my 1st FE renewal commission (wasn't that long ago...early 2011). Still getting it monthly...
My thoughts are, if you enjoyed the work, and made enough to survive, most of us on here wouldn't consider that "bombing."

Ok, that's my attempt at inspiration...

 

[insuranceconceptscindy]

The first year was the hardest for me. You're still learning and growing. It takes a little while to get really confident with what you are doing, as well as getting your system down. Don't get discouraged. Keep moving. The next 20 years will be awesome!

 

[davisgroup]

I do enjoy the work, and that is what makes me want to stay with it. I just thought it would be good to hear from people who struggled the first year instead of guys who put up super numbers.

 

[tins]

I do enjoy the work, and that is what makes me want to stay with it. I just thought it would be good to hear from people who struggled the first year instead of guys who put up super numbers.

Normally never post any of my numbers. I'll make an exception here.
I didn't do FE, I was working Medicare market.
But anyways, in my first 10 months, I made $11K, with about $15K in expenses. It was rough starting out, but a number of years later I am making a great living.
It is a rough industry to break into, but if you can stick it out and make it- you can provide a terrific life for yourself and your family.

 

[smokin goose]

Normally never post any of my numbers. I'll make an exception here.
I didn't do FE, I was working Medicare market.
But anyways, in my first 10 months, I made $11K, with about $15K in expenses. It was rough starting out, but a number of years later I am making a great living.
It is a rough industry to break into, but if you can stick it out and make it- you can provide a terrific life for yourself and your family.

Thanks for that post. It is good for a new guy to know.

 

[jdeasy]

I am closing in on my first year in FE and it has been a struggle, to say the least. I could sure use some inspiration from agents who bombed their first year, but hung tough and persevered. How bad was it and what made you stick it out? Not interested in hearing from any first year superstars, thank you.

Jim

When I started it wasn't in FE and I had a terrible start to my career. I started captive with AMGen and while I was only there a few months I never sold the first policy.

My second gig was with NAA and I was fortunate to get with a group that offered fantastic training of which I took every advantage. I failed at AGLA because of a lack of training and I made at NAA because of the intensive training.

Same when I made the switch to FE as a career. I struggled terribly at first with EFES because I was just looking at it as still selling life insurance and not understanding the market.

Again I was blessed to be a group with a manager that not only knew how to sell FE, but also knew how to teach others. I was willing to unlearn what I thought I knew and sell out to the ones that knew more than me.

Once I did that the struggles went away. And fairly quickly they went away.

The moral is that you, {and I mean the royal you, not personally}, have to find a mentor that you are willing to trust 100% and listen to 100%.

I'm sure people can and have learned on their own and became Road Scholars of FE the hard way. But why not shorten the learning curve?

 

[benefits365]

To be sure, most EVERYone stunk it up in year one.

Sure, there's a Superman here and there, but most of us (be honest) wouldn't have thought much of "first year us" if we met them.

Keep at it. You've learned most of the hardest lessons, I'd wager. More than likely, you're turning a corner right now. Best of luck moving forward.