My personal experience with Aflac

[PL & Associates]

Re: Working for Aflac?

Hodaka,

I've only visited this forum for two days, but as an Aflac representative, I gotta say - Dude, you're killing us. Please stop...you're giving me sisacell.

PL

 

[InsSalesIsNotForEveryone]

Re: My personal experience with Aflac.

Thanks for the feedback guys. There's more to the post, but apparently a moderator needs to approve it. Stay tuned!

All of this is true. I just quit this morning. I wanted to give people who were considering the job an accurate idea of what to expect. Because obviously, I didn't know what I was getting into.

I spent a lot of time perusing these threads last night. And felt foolish for not researching before I decided to sign on with Aflac. I made an error in judgement because I found out I knew someone who worked with Aflac. As I said, she does well, but I was misled with the carrot on the stick routine so common with these types of jobs.

Cheers.

 

[2fast]

Re: Working for Aflac?

2fast, did you work for them? I quit this morning after working with them for about a month. I posted about my experiences on the main page. I think maybe I could have summerized my entire experience in the simple statement you posted above. They do misrepresent the facts.

A good example of this would be how they hook you with the high dollar salary expectations. I remember my regional manager showing me a copy of average salary expectations for an Aflac employee. It had crazy numbers in the six figures area; I believe it got into $250,000 plus. Anyway, I noticed on the bottom of the page it said that this was an average of the top 5 salespeople in the country. Or maybe it was in the region. Either way, thats what they showed me.

I wonder how different it would have looked if they had showed me an annual report with the average of ALL agents employed by aflac over the past year, including first year agents. I'd love to have seen an actual average of just all first year employees, including the poor saps that make absolutely nothing. I'm sure the figures would be a tiny bit less appealing to prospective employees.

Yes, I was lured in by the duck as well. I stayed for 2 weeks until I saw the light. I caught my DSC in quite a few blatant lies in that short period of time as well as noticing the inaccuracy of the "facts" that I was enticed in under. They were actively recruiting my replacement before I even began. That illustrates the turn and burn nature of AFLAC agencies. My hope in posting about my experiences is to save someone else the headache of dealing with the duck. I can only say that the experience prompted me to get my license and armed me with some knowledge as to what to look out for as I endeavor to find a real insurance job.

 

[InsSalesIsNotForEveryone]

Re: Working for Aflac?

Hodaka,

I've only visited this forum for two days, but as an Aflac representative, I gotta say - Dude, you're killing us. Please stop...you're giving me sisacell.

PL

Fortunately for you, sisacell is now curable.

 

[PL & Associates]

Re: Working for Aflac?

Not for Everyone:

So you're the guy who takes a starting position at a Fortune 200 company, with no experience in insurance sales, works for one month before QUITTING, and really expected to make a salary of $250,000?

Now you're jobless, sitting in your basement naked from the waist down, banging away on the keyboard, claiming you were deceived.

You either misunderstood, or looked foolish enough during your interview that the recruiter decided to have a laugh at your expense.

In my office, I've got a 22 year old making six figures. I've got an agent in her 60's that has been with us for two years, no prior experience, making the same amount. I have an brand new agent that has been with me for one month, who has closed 12 accounts.

Writing $250,000 in premium over your first year is quite difficult, but not impossible. I meet a few every year. Consider a total commission of about 50% on business written, plus 6% renewals each year. Write only half that amount in premium ($125K) and your doing alright, considering that you are coming in on the ground floor, with no experience.

Sales ain't easy. If it were, everybody would be making money doing it. Aflac's training is such that if (often, a big IF) new people follow the program we lay out, they have a better than average chance at building a successful career, and making more money and security than they would ever make at a salaried position.

I'm proud of my company - and I have a big reason to be. If you are going to judge a company, consider the opinion of someone who has been sucessful, rather than some dude sitting half naked in a cellar.

PL

 

[theinuranceguy]

Re: Working for Aflac?

Not for Everyone:

So you're the guy who takes a starting position at a Fortune 200 company, with no experience in insurance sales, works for one month before QUITTING, and really expected to make a salary of $250,000?

Now you're jobless, sitting in your basement naked from the waist down, banging away on the keyboard, claiming you were deceived.

You either misunderstood, or looked foolish enough during your interview that the recruiter decided to have a laugh at your expense.

In my office, I've got a 22 year old making six figures. I've got an agent in her 60's that has been with us for two years, no prior experience, making the same amount. I have an brand new agent that has been with me for one month, who has closed 12 accounts.

Writing $250,000 in premium over your first year is quite difficult, but not impossible. I meet a few every year. Consider a total commission of about 50% on business written, plus 6% renewals each year. Write only half that amount in premium ($125K) and your doing alright, considering that you are coming in on the ground floor, with no experience.

Sales ain't easy. If it were, everybody would be making money doing it. Aflac's training is such that if (often, a big IF) new people follow the program we lay out, they have a better than average chance at building a successful career, and making more money and security than they would ever make at a salaried position.

I'm proud of my company - and I have a big reason to be. If you are going to judge a company, consider the opinion of someone who has been sucessful, rather than some dude sitting half naked in a cellar.

PL

I think your getting the idea that we are saying AFLAC is a horrible decision... not saying that at all, for MOST people it is not the way to go...

Truth of the matter MOST AFLACKER dont make 6 figures...

AFLAC has a VERY high turnover rate...

AFLAC managers are full time recruiters...

AFLAC recruiters use statements like "we found the cure to sickle-cell" (sarcastic) and we are a Fortune 500 company to build credibility...

And seasoned agents know better than to join AFLAC, I got the same products that pay my clients direct, and I can get higher commissions...

Is commission everything, no, but it means alot.... If there where the best priced life policy but my commission was 50%, that would not be the first plan I would present, hell, I wouldnt even get contracted with them...

I own my bussiness, and I deserve the best compensation...

Bottom line, I am not contracted with AFLAC, but I am familiar with your products because I have the same exact ones....

But My sales technique does not include, "we cured a girl from sisalcell" last year (Whatever sisalcell is) buy from me... Its Im an independent agent and I can shop from you... doesnt it make sense to buy from me...

 

[LGilmore]

Re: Working for Aflac?

What I am finding amazing is the guys here throwing around "I make six figures" seem to have a lot of time on their hands to engage in a back and forth. It seems to me, if you were really making 6 large... you'd be working rather than telling a bunch of agents what you make. This reads like somebody's fishing trip.

Nor, for that matter would you care what somebody on a website posts as your out there making your money every day.

My original comment about Aflac still sticks.. in my 20 years I have never seen an aflac agent twice, nor am I aware of any aflac agent that services the renewal or looks for additional business in the business accounts I call on. Most of which are blue collar which would be a good fit. I would guess they aren't enrolling enough first time through (5-6) to make it work out income wise.

Also before you guys criticize the people that used to work for the duck, REALIZE it means the Duck doesn't do a good job hiring. So everytime you poke at somebody for not making it, it also means your beloved company has a bunch of underperformers as management. If you're willing to take anyone who can fog a mirror, are you really that great of a company?

I've really got no dog in this fight but honestly you Aflac guys, are you helping your company by writing flaming emails? If you represent a class company... act like it. If uppermanagement were to read the stuff you post, do you think they would be happy at what you post?

You're approaching a dissenting pov like you have dynamite strapped around your waists. And as we all know you get the smart guys to sign up for that job...

 

[hodaka1974]

Re: Working for Aflac?

Hodaka,

I've only visited this forum for two days, but as an Aflac representative, I gotta say - Dude, you're killing us. Please stop...you're giving me sisacell.

PL

New York AFLAC easy dude, These are the facts!!

 

[hodaka1974]

Re: Working for Aflac?

I think your getting the idea that we are saying AFLAC is a horrible decision... not saying that at all, for MOST people it is not the way to go...

Truth of the matter MOST AFLACKER dont make 6 figures...

AFLAC has a VERY high turnover rate...

AFLAC managers are full time recruiters...

AFLAC recruiters use statements like "we found the cure to sickle-cell" (sarcastic) and we are a Fortune 500 company to build credibility...

And seasoned agents know better than to join AFLAC, I got the same products that pay my clients direct, and I can get higher commissions...

Is commission everything, no, but it means alot.... If there where the best priced life policy but my commission was 50%, that would not be the first plan I would present, hell, I wouldnt even get contracted with them...

I own my bussiness, and I deserve the best compensation...

Bottom line, I am not contracted with AFLAC, but I am familiar with your products because I have the same exact ones....

But My sales technique does not include, "we cured a girl from sisalcell" last year (Whatever sisalcell is) buy from me... Its Im an independent agent and I can shop from you... doesnt it make sense to buy from me...

For one thing I don not use the sisacell story as a sales tool, and you have been this business for how long and have never heard of sisacell anemia???? WOW

 

[2fast]

Re: Working for Aflac?

For one thing I don not use the sisacell story as a sales tool, and you have been this business for how long and have never heard of sisacell anemia???? WOW

You're like the kid that keeps trying to put the square peg in the round hole... It's SICKLE-CELL ANEMIA. Keep quackin' away...