Reasonable Expectations

[Arno]

answer the question please

Hey, so what is the answer to my question. How much did you guys make your first year? How many appts. were you able to set a day?

Arno

 

[Frank Stastny]

When you say you are "working part time" does that mean that you have another job to go to at 2pm?

I'm not familiar with the product, is it like an Advantage plan and does it fall under the same restrictions? I don't think anyone knows what will happen after March 31 since this is the first year that Advantage plans will be available to seniors all year.

The amount of money you make is entirely up to you, I don't think anyone can answer that question for you. It just depends on how hard you are willing to work. You already have the information to calculate it yourself. Take the commission you are making times the number of policies that get issued. If that isn't enough money for you then boost the number of policies you write.

Regarding setting appointments. There are days that I am able to set four of five appointments very easily and other days when I call and call and don't set any.

It really is all in your hands.

I will say this about working part time. I have never known anyone who was extremely financially successful working at anything part time. Hell, I know a lot of guys who aren't successful working fill time.

I wish you tons of luck and I hope you make a killing. I would love to say I know someone working part time that is making a ton of money. I know I can't.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

My honest advice is if you want to do this part-time then just don't do it. I don't want a part-time lawyer or doctor. Insurance is very serious. If you're not serious about it and want a part-time job then check out Walmart. Sorry, but that's honest.

 

[Arno]

wow that was rude

I'm not doing this part time. I do this as my full time job. I have to work hours around my wife being in school and helping out with the kids. When I was getting good leads I was able to set 2-4 appointments a day doing MA plans. Now those leads have dried up and things have gotten a bit tougher, so I have started looking around for ways to expand my business. Next year my wife will be done with school and I can do this full time. So I wanted a realistic assessment of what kind of salary people made their first year working. I have a 75K/year job that I can go back to if I want, I want to know if I work at this what kind of money I can make. I have heard everything from 15-30K/year to 15-30K/month. I thought that on this board, where many agents are registered that I could get a pretty good idea of what to expect. Obviously I was wrong.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

This might sound like a smart-ass answer but believe me it's not; you'll make from $0 to $100,000 and anywhere in between. Because your success depends entirely on you, your drive, your attitude and your committment. No on one this board can possibly ballpark what you'll make. Is $75,000 1st year possible? Absolutely.

 

[Frank Stastny]

There is no set amount that one can earn. As stated before it is up to each agent and depends on how well organized they are, how hard they are willing to work and how many hours they are going to devote to selling insurance.

I can tell you this, working in the senior market selling MA plans you will have to write 85.71 apps per month, to make $30,000.00 every month. Can you do that?????? I can't, maybe some others on this board can.

No one can tell you how much you will earn in the next month, let alone in the next 12 months.

I have seen it stated that the average L&H agent in the US makes around $36,000.00 per year. Are you average or above average? Only you can answer that question.

I would venture a guess that less than 50% of the agents on this board are making $75,000.00 a year after they pay all of their expenses and that is without any benefits including health insurance.

You sound like you are "coming down hard" on us because we can't tell you how much you are going to earn. It sounds to me as though you better go back to that $75,000.00 per year job and all the benefits that go with it.

It's going to be very difficult for you to make $75,000.00 this year selling MA plans especially since you are, as you originally stated, new to the business and working at it part time.

 

[Arno]

thank you for some honest answers

Thank you for some honest answers. I'm definitely above average. I started in December and I'm up to about 50 policies. Considering the learning curve I don't think that is half bad. Now that I have been doing this for 2 months my expectations are becoming more reasonable. It was kind of a shocker at first when I wasn't able to set 10 appts. a day and make 30K/month as several people had told me I would. It sounded too good to be true, and I should have known better, but one always wants to believe. As for going back to my job, that's the real kicker. The problem is that we really like living in Texas. We like the people, we have found a house we want to buy. We love being so close to the outdoors and our kids love their school. So now the pressure is on me to make this work for us. I knew it was an absurd question when I put it out there. But I figured ten people would say, yeah, my first year I made X$. Then I would get a pretty good idea of the possibilities. The second problem is that the rate that I have been able to set appointments has dropped off considerably when my leads changed. (due to the company not me) That frustration led me to this board and to some new products that I can offer. I'm not down on you guys on the board, just that one comment about working part time.

Arno

 

[Frank Stastny]

As far as I'm concerned there is only one thing that is of major importance in life. "Quality of life". If that is missing then all the money in the world is not going mean that much to either you and /or especially to your family. (I don't think money alone gives one quality in their life.)

That is why I "gave up my day job" to sell insurance in the first place. I was tired of being owned by corp. America. I wanted to put me and my family back in control of our lives.

I also walked away from a very good job with lots of perks. I don't regret a minute of it.

Regarding your comment about you working "part time": I believe you stated that in the first sentence of your initial remarks. That is why we addressed it.

It's a tough decision, I wish you luck regardless of what you do. If I can help please don't hesitate to give me a call.

 

[Arno]

you hit the nail on the head

Thanks, that really is the crux of it. Starting all over again at something new is always tough. I am good at sales, it seems to come naturally. Perhaps after 11 years of "selling" kids on biology selling anything else is easy. Although today I did have the door shut in my face, AFTER setting the appointment!!! Not once, but twice on two appointments on a row. YOW!

My wife really thinks the quality of life in El Paso is better than San Diego, I have mixed feeling. (Maybe because I am the breadwinner until my wife finishes school) As for if you can help, you already have. I was also already telling my wife about your program for managing contacts!!

 

[Frank Stastny]

I just went to your website, WOW! Any thoughts I had about whether or not you can make it have been dispelled. (Do people really send you money?)

I use to hire and train agents and the one thing that was missing in a lot of them was a strong desire to succeed and a passion for life. Most of them I felt were just looking for an easy buck. If I didn't "hold their hands"every day, call and wake them up in the morning and hand feed them leads they just didn't do much.

I really don't think you have to worry about being successful. You just have to find your nitch.

Why not put your passion for sailing to work for you. I have an agent using YIO who loves to sail and is now selling insurance to boat owners. He is a life insurance agent who saw an opportunity and capitalize on it. Now he sells both life and boat insurance and gets to hang around marinas all day. Another one who sells term life from his sailboat. He has a satellite phone and computer hook up and does all his business over the internet.

Good luck, I hope you get to realize your dream, it's an awesome one.

Check your messages, I sent you a PM.