My Head is Spinning from Too Much Information

AgentJP

New Member
19
Hello I am trying to figure this out. After 10 years in the auto business I had enough and quit. It's been six months and I'm ready to go back to work. Since I am a good salesman I feel I'll be able to do well in the insurance industry. My goal would be to have a residual income of 100k after 5 years.

Getting licensed is not a problem. I've previously been Life and P&C licensed here in California.

I'd love to find a good independant and work for them to learn the ropes and open my own agency some day. My main challenge is trying to digest the overwhelming amount of information.

I've read a lot here on this forum and will continue to do so but any advice on how to proceed is appreciated and if you know of a good independant here in Northern California (Sacramento area) I would be obliged.
 
Hello I am trying to figure this out. After 10 years in the auto business I had enough and quit. It's been six months and I'm ready to go back to work. Since I am a good salesman I feel I'll be able to do well in the insurance industry. My goal would be to have a residual income of 100k after 5 years.

Getting licensed is not a problem. I've previously been Life and P&C licensed here in California.

I'd love to find a good independant and work for them to learn the ropes and open my own agency some day. My main challenge is trying to digest the overwhelming amount of information.

I've read a lot here on this forum and will continue to do so but any advice on how to proceed is appreciated and if you know of a good independant here in Northern California (Sacramento area) I would be obliged.

There's good new!!!!

You can do it, because I am doing it and I was in the auto business from age 25 until I turned 45 and said to heck with this 70 hour a week crap.

If you truly learned how to sell by studyiing and watching guys like Joe Verde, among others, you can definitely put it to use in this business.

There will be guys on this forum tell you that inurance is not "selling" it is "educating". BULLCRAP!!!! Educating IS selling and most of the guys that tell you this are most likely trying to get into your pocket, NOT ALL.....

I found that the easiest way to learn, exactly the same in the car business, is to concentrate on one product at a time. Take small bites and evetually you're full.

The bad news is: If you went broke in thecar business, this is going to be a tough row to how because it takes a while to get money to come in unless you go captive or something that pay salary.
 
Well unfortunately I did go broke in the auto biz. I really didn't like it when times were good and I hated it when times were bad.

Selling isn't a problem. Like most people, I envison that prospecting effectively is.

Joe Verde is pretty good and I've done some of his training and picked up a few things. My organization was big on Grant Cardone. I've also done quite a bit of Tom Hopkins training although in his case it was more general sales training.

Still reading tons on this site and still feeling completely overwhelmed.

I think the main problem is confidence on a good route. I understand there is no "best" route, I just want to avoid a bad one.
 
Well unfortunately I did go broke in the auto biz. I really didn't like it when times were good and I hated it when times were bad.

Selling isn't a problem. Like most people, I envison that prospecting effectively is.

Joe Verde is pretty good and I've done some of his training and picked up a few things. My organization was big on Grant Cardone. I've also done quite a bit of Tom Hopkins training although in his case it was more general sales training.

Still reading tons on this site and still feeling completely overwhelmed.

I think the main problem is confidence on a good route. I understand there is no "best" route, I just want to avoid a bad one.

I have trained with Grant Cardone too and his stuff will be useful in this business.Here's what you will need to do, so take a good look at your work ethic yourself.

1. You must work all day, that doesn't mean being in a tie all day, that means finding ways to talk to people.
2. You must realize that people are not going to come to you like they did in the car business.
3. You MUST find a prospecting system that works for you and use it religously. ALL DAY!!
4. Don't sell your family first, even a monkey can do that, make sure you learn who to sell to complete strangers.
5. Don't waste your money buying leads. Total waste of money if you don't know your products.
6. Only pay attention to about 1% of what you read on this forum, because you have been in sales, and you know the majority of salespeople are liars when it comes to what they can do, and what their production numbers are.
7. Become the expert in your area for the product you sell. I did very well doing this with med. supps. but have a long way to go with P&C, but I will get there....
8. I recommend you start out with Medicare supplements because they are very easy to learn, and very easy to sell...
9. WORK smarter AND harder..
10. Sell what you enjoy selling, specialize in a couple of things, AND
11. HAVE FUN DOING IT!!!!!!!
 
Good luck in making the transition. It's very doable, in fact, you have some insight other P&C guys don't, basically what it takes to make an auto dealership work.

Capitalize on your experience and dive in.

But, I have to ask, if you didn't enjoy the auto business, why do you think you'll enjoy the insurance business? I understand the auto business has gone belly up over the last few years, so I get that part, but curious why, when times were good, that you didn't enjoy it?

No real answer needed, just something you should do a little soul searching on.

Dan
 
But, I have to ask, if you didn't enjoy the auto business, why do you think you'll enjoy the insurance business? I understand the auto business has gone belly up over the last few years, so I get that part, but curious why, when times were good, that you didn't enjoy it?

That is an easy question. Aside from your customer base you build no equity. Furthermore, you work every weekend and holiday. Finally, you often worked till 10-11PM, sometimes much later.
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3. You MUST find a prospecting system that works for you and use it religously.

Thanks for your advice. Everything you mention is no problem for me except the first part of #3 which frankly scares me.

What did you find worked for you selling supplements?
 
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That is an easy question. Aside from your customer base you build no equity. Furthermore, you work every weekend and holiday. Finally, you often worked till 10-11PM, sometimes much later.
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Thanks for your advice. Everything you mention is no problem for me except the first part of #3 which frankly scares me.

Not as bad as it seems. It is like a lot of things we go through in life, once you get the guts to do it, try it out, it becomes very easy to do.

What did you find worked for you selling supplements?

I began by cold-calling on the phone, but now most of my sales are referrals, spouses of insureds that are turning 65 now,but I also do group meetings like Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.

I sold a med supp to a gentleman a couple of weeks ago that heard me speak at a Kiwanis club meeting back at the beginning of last year.YOU HAVE GOT TO GET OUT THERE AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE GUY TO COME TO IF THEY EVER NEED YOUR PRODUCT.

I don't market med supps now because I found that they weren't really much of a challenge for me after awhile, and I am the kind of person who becomes bored very easily if I'm not learning something. I do 90% commercial P&C and I LOVE IT. I love the process, it keeps me busy, I like learning about it, I like the challenge, and I think it will take me much longer to learn this sife of the business which should keep me from getting bored for a long time.
 
VaDwayne could you PM your email address. I have a few questions about P and C. I tried PM'ing you but I didn't have enough posts for it to go thru. I won't waste your time. Thank you!
 
Hello I am trying to figure this out. After 10 years in the auto business I had enough and quit. It's been six months and I'm ready to go back to work. Since I am a good salesman I feel I'll be able to do well in the insurance industry. My goal would be to have a residual income of 100k after 5 years.

Getting licensed is not a problem. I've previously been Life and P&C licensed here in California.

I'd love to find a good independant and work for them to learn the ropes and open my own agency some day. My main challenge is trying to digest the overwhelming amount of information.

I've read a lot here on this forum and will continue to do so but any advice on how to proceed is appreciated and if you know of a good independant here in Northern California (Sacramento area) I would be obliged.

I had a similar backround as you. I sold cars right out of high school and quit after around 10 months. I was pretty good at selling, but hated the hours and fact that building relationships was no easy task. I find it much easier in insurance just because of the product.

Building relationships with people, businesses, etc is essential. Just make sure you have a plan in place to constantly touch or contact people who have either bought from you or referred others to you in the past. They are the best source of future sales. I can't stress this enough since cold selling is getting harder to do all the time.

Good luck!
 
I'm starting to get my head wrapped around this topic. Not sure which way to go but I've got some good ideas now.
 
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