Ninety-Two Percent of All Agents Fail - Why?

[Frank Stastny]

I've been doing this since Labor Day 1984 and I still have problems with rejection. It's not an easy job. I enjoy doing it. You learn a lot about people. Everyone I knew that was in the business, is no longer. They've all....quit, retired or a few even died.

I learned quite a bit about selling from sales managers and the "pro's" of the business.

Most agents will sell, but not service clients. I've known a few that could sell 10 times what I do, but would keep the issued policies in their vehicles, for weeks! Just mail the darn policies! I almost always mail policies the day they come in. Most companies will mail them directly to the insured.

As far as the average income quoted in the first post in this thread, I agree....$45,000 is about average. Reasons...decrease in commissions after the first year...people die...drop the policy...replace the policy...get on medicaid...etc...

You have to sell and service your clients...you ***always*** have to sell. You should ***always*** service your clients. Servicing... leads to future sales and referrals.

The most important thing in this business....you have to sale policies. Not 20 a week to make it and survive, but at least a few a week...consistently. Always.

I wanted to respond to this thread but thought I better see what others had to say first. I have trained a lot of agents and feel I know most of the reasons why agents fail.

Russ has said it all!

There is a lot more to being successful, as he stated, than just writing the app. When I was captive there was an agent in the office who every week consistently put up large figures in "sold" policies. However, when one looked at his in force premium he had one of the lowest in the office.

He would state that it is a total waste of time communicating with clients when that time could be spent writing more insurance. It doesn't matter how much business an agent writes, what we get paid on are policies in force.

I still have as clients people I wrote Med Supps for in 1993 when I first started selling insurance.

 

[agent C]

I think the % is kind of vague. Do feel that any certain line of insurance has a higher fail rate than the other also other things to take into considertion is if the agent is starting from scratch.

 

[Guest]

Thinly veiled? LMAO

I'm confused, I thought 90% of everyone failed? Not just sales!

Come on isn't this a thinly veiled attempt to get people to ask you about your High probability selling system....and after only 12 posts...imagine that...

And I would say a lot of agents fail because they are not doing activities that put them in front of prospects....And most people treat this career as a job expecting people to flock to them to buy insurance....

 

[SportsNut]

Okay, I will shut up now before I write a book on this.

Hey Mark, you could just make another one of those "best selling" videos...

Maybe an idea for your next one... you could dress up in Richard Simmons garb, and with some of his music playing low in the background you could rant on the merits of the reasons why so many ppl fail in the ins biz...

OR NOT...

 

[Guest]

Ah, I miss that sense of humor sir ; )~

Hey Mark, you could just make another one of those "best selling" videos...

Maybe an idea for your next one... you could dress up in Richard Simmons garb, and with some of his music playing low in the background you could rant on the merits of the reasons why so many ppl fail in the ins biz...

OR NOT...

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

I'm confused, I thought 90% of everyone failed? Not just sales!

"If at first you don't succeed, try try again."
- Thomas H. Palmer

 

[Guest]

Maybe that's the point, they ain't trying again!!!

"If at first you don't succeed, try try again."
- Thomas H. Palmer

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Maybe that's the point, they ain't trying again!!!

Actually, knowing when to quit is a valuable, underutilized concept. Recommended reading: The Dip, by Seth Godin.

 

[Dave020]

Hey Mark, you could just make another one of those "best selling" videos...

Maybe an idea for your next one... you could dress up in Richard Simmons garb, and with some of his music playing low in the background you could rant on the merits of the reasons why so many ppl fail in the ins biz...

OR NOT...

Maybe something like this?

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Geez, when I saw "Richard Simmons Exploding Steamer", I thought it was gonna be about a turd or somethin'...