Past Point of No Return, but Trippin' on Healthagent

[missingbigbad]

okay, i'm pretty much past the point of no return and fully committed to selling insurance at this time--turned down all other job prospects, closed my business, etc.

money is tight. i have three kids and a wife to support. my wife can't work because our 9 yr old daughters is severely disabled. i have to make my $1800 health insurance payment each month or pay twice that for my daughter's meds and equipment. not to mention frequent ambulance rides to the er to stop status seizures. my 16 yr old will be going into pre-med next year. she carries a 4.7 gpa and scored 33 on her act, so we she will recieve scholarship opportunities, but still...

i was feeling confident. i have started successful businesses without a dime for start-up.

then, i started digging deeper into the forum and reading healthagent's posts. i started to feel like, without a bunch of money, i am destined for financial ruin if i continue to move forward.


i got not even 1 second of sleep last night.

i'm hoping someone can come in from the other side--share a story about how they worked hard, starting with nothing, and made it. if not, lie to me. afterall, i'm already past the point of no return.

thanks,
mbb

 

[cfperfect]

Hey Man,
it sounds like you already know what to do to be successfull. Don't let the 95% who tell you it takes a ton of money to make it. Just work hard with whatever budget you have, rely on your past successes as your guide and not on those who are stuck in mediocruty because of their own negativity. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE TO. JUST REMEMBER TO ALWAYS ASK FOR THE SALE! That's where most of us lose.

Good working friend

 

[Guest]

Henry Ford said "If you think you can do something or you think you can't... you're right."

For the vast majority of people, John (Healthagent) is right on target. But you don't sound like "the majority." You sound to me like a man who knows what he has to do and is simply going to work and work and work until "it" happens.

Knowing what I know about you (from what you posted) this would not be the industry that I would advise you to enter. However, what I probably don't know about you most likely mitigates all of that.

I believe it is important to have at a minimum six months of living expenses in the bank before starting this business. The structure of the business almost necessitates this because most agents are paid "as earned."

If you and your wife can decide that this is a "do or die" situation where "failure is not an option" and she will help you call and market, AND if you have sales skills and a plain old "KMA, I'm going to succeed" attitude, I would not bet against you.

People here know that I'm "big" on education... but I will "bet" on sheer determination and work-ethic over education most of the time. It will all depend on how good your sales skills are. It will all depend on if YOU can prospect and if YOU can close. (I don't mean a hard-sell close... I mean convincing people to do what is in their best interest even though they really don't want to!)

As I said, conventional wisdom, as espoused by John P., is valid; it applies to average people. From your experience and with what you are dealing with, I would say you are far from average. Thus, I would not listen to conventional wisdom... assuming you are an unconventional person.

At the end of the day, week, month, year, your success will depend on how long and hard you will work... how much determination you have, how persistent you are in doing the basic sales activities of cold calling and how well you master the products and the ability to convince people to buy them.

What others say means nothing. It is NOT up to them... it is up to YOU. You will hear what others report on what they have seen (or think)... but if you are an extraordinary person it seems to me you will have extraordinary results.

The possibility of stepping into a higher plane is quite real for everyone. It requires no force or effort or sacrifice. It involves little more than changing our ideas about what is normal. - Deepak Chopra

When I talk to young people about a career or "going" for greatness, I always like to read them the following. Perhaps it will help you as well.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt

I kind of like Nike better: "Just do it."

I wrote this essay in 2000. Maybe it will be of some help.

I think you are going to do just fine.

Al
Preserve your memories

 

[Justin Bilyj]

You should go to IHIAA (healthagent's) Organization, there is a wealth of information on starting this career with a shoestring budget, good training videos, and a crowd of people that are willing to help you out. If your new in this biz, and you get a little bit of money I recommend Liano's training, he knows what hes talking about and gives you some really good guidance on surviving in health insurance sales.

 

[Expat]

Henry Ford said "If you think you can do something or you think you can't... you're right."

At the end of the day, week, month, year, your success will depend on how long and hard you will work... how much determination you have, how persistent you are in doing the basic sales activities of cold calling and how well you master the products and the ability to convince people to buy them.

That pretty much sums up how successful you will be.

 

[Paradigm]

okay, i'm pretty much past the point of no return and fully committed to selling insurance at this time--turned down all other job prospects, closed my business, etc.

money is tight. i have three kids and a wife to support. my wife can't work because our 9 yr old daughters is severely disabled. i have to make my $1800 health insurance payment each month or pay twice that for my daughter's meds and equipment. not to mention frequent ambulance rides to the er to stop status seizures. my 16 yr old will be going into pre-med next year. she carries a 4.7 gpa and scored 33 on her act, so we she will recieve scholarship opportunities, but still...

i was feeling confident. i have started successful businesses without a dime for start-up.

then, i started digging deeper into the forum and reading healthagent's posts. i started to feel like, without a bunch of money, i am destined for financial ruin if i continue to move forward.


i got not even 1 second of sleep last night.

i'm hoping someone can come in from the other side--share a story about how they worked hard, starting with nothing, and made it. if not, lie to me. afterall, i'm already past the point of no return.

thanks,
mbb

I've been doing this for a long time and I am a high volume health producer and I will tell you the secret to this business and it is leads; ie someone to talk to about what you offer.

It doesnt matter if they are internet, telemarketing, referrals, affinity groups, or referring groups. All that matters is they want to talk about what you are offering and have the ability to purchase what you are offering.

Ideally a person should invest 500.00 a week into this business if they desire to make six figures a year but like anything else you can start small.

The reason you can start small is the return on investment is very high in this business; at least 5-1. So the key is generating leads and developing a compelling value proposition for each client and then closing the sale.

Auto Dialers, internet leads, cold calling all work as long as you are willing to do so too. The least expensive method is to sign up for go leads 9.95 a month and you will receive an unlimited list of businesses, phone numbers and contact names in any area of the country you want and in any industry you like.

Once you get your dollars up invest 100.00 a week in internet leads, then 200 then 300 and join networking groups and give great customer service and eventually and with effort you will succeed. Work this like a job, and if you need to cold call business 4,8, 12 hours a day do that if that is what it takes to be successful. The reason people fail is they half ass and don/t do the necessary numbers to make money. This is a numbers game like all sales but instead of 3 calls and 1/5 closing its 1-2 calls and 8/10 closing to acquire clients.

I hope this helps. You seem to have the one thing that it takes to be successful; the willing to take action to do whatever is necessary to succeed. Now acquire the knowledge, build your skills and work your ass off and you should be fine.

 

[Guest]

Based on healthagents posts (not to speak for him and I'm not health), health insurance is an "in-demand" product. It would seem to me that you need to spend every waking moment STARTING NOW for the foreseeable future talking to folks face to face about their health insurance (what they like / don't like - how you can save them money - everything healthagent teaches that you have probably already learned the basics of in a day - join IHIAA, you'll have his cellphone number to call during a sale for advice).

Keep it simple, walk and talk and SEE the most people you can see morning, noon, and night, and get mucho apps into underwriting. Seems the only way out, but you'd also probably take off the like Space Shuttle!!! If you are willing to do massive work quickly, healthagent will guide you, I'm sure.

Outwork you problems. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. Quickly.

My two cents.

 

[missingbigbad]

thanks to everyone for the feedback. so many life changes right now... ihave classes on monday and tuesday, test on friday.

for those who sent private messages, thanks and i can't pm back yet because i don't have 30 posts. this is such a great forum.
mbb

 

[allhealthandlife]

thanks to everyone for the feedback. so many life changes right now... ihave classes on monday and tuesday, test on friday.

for those who sent private messages, thanks and i can't pm back yet because i don't have 30 posts. this is such a great forum.
mbb

Half the battle is just showing up - then fake it until you make it.

When you start being sucessfull use that energy to push you beyond just making what you need to survive.Nothing suceeds like sucesss.

Cliches but true.