Recently licensed and looking for honest IMO to be successful

[Newby]

. So what does that gave to do with making 70% and netting $14 k ? Writing junk business they'd fail wether they got free leads or not ? They were bad agents throwing spaghetti against the wall writing anyone who could fog a mirror . There demise would have happened quicker paying $800 plus a week for leads . Of course anyone writing $20k a month of good persistent business is much better buying their own leads and making 120%.

I think it's just the caliber of agents that are attracted to free leads and low commissions is just not really people who believe in themselves. Usually not hard workers.

There are exceptions though. I've had a few that started on our regular deal but weren't quite cash flowing their first year where I put them on low comp and low lead cost to get them stable. And those were successful and got back to full commissions within 6-months.

But the difference was, I hand picked them. I could see potential and that this could give them a breather. And a BIG difference was the leads I was giving them were brand new direct mail just like all of our agents run. Not watered down recycled leads that take so many of those guys out.

if an agent gives up commission to get free or cheap leads, and then the leads are a watered down version of (anything other than NEW direct mail leads), then why did he give up the comp? He should just take full commissions and buy his own recycled leads cheap.

 

[Jccwell]

. So what does that gave to do with making 70% and netting $14 k ? Writing junk business they'd fail wether they got free leads or not ? They were bad agents throwing spaghetti against the wall writing anyone who could fog a mirror . There demise would have happened quicker paying $800 plus a week for leads . Of course anyone writing $20k a month of good persistent business is much better buying their own leads and making 120%.

You're probably right to an extent. However, Boman himself said in a recent Youtube interview that most agents who move from free leads to 120 will fail out. The explanation he gave was not dissimilar from my explanation.

 

[DonP]

I think it's just the caliber of agents that are attracted to free leads and low commissions is just not really people who believe in themselves. Usually not hard workers.

There are exceptions though. I've had a few that started on our regular deal but weren't quite cash flowing their first year where I put them on low comp and low lead cost to get them stable. And those were successful and got back to full commissions within 6-months.

But the difference was, I hand picked them. I could see potential and that this could give them a breather. And a BIG difference was the leads I was giving them were brand new direct mail just like all of our agents run. Not watered down recycled leads that take so many of those guys out.

if an agent gives up commission to get free or cheap leads, and then the leads are a watered down version of (anything other than NEW direct mail leads), then why did he give up the comp? He should just take full commissions and buy his own recycled leads cheap.

Then we get back to if your start in this business you need to well capitalized . We've had people say you can start with maxing out credit cards . I'd rather start with free leads . Personally I think you should have $10 k for leads and living exp's . If not it's easy to become desperate .

 

[Newby]

Then we get back to if your start in this business you need to well capitalized . We've had people say you can start with maxing out credit cards . I'd rather start with free leads . Personally I think you should have $10 k for leads and living exp's . If not it's easy to become desperate .

That's where we differ. I believe that you are not ready to get into this biz if you are broke. You need to work your hourly job and work nights and weekends at a side gig to build up money before you get into insurance. Don't start broke and you won't fall (as easily) for sucker-bait that takes so many agents out of the biz.

 

[DonP]

That's where we differ. I believe that you are not ready to get into this biz if you are broke. You need to work your hourly job and work nights and weekends at a side gig to build up money before you get into insurance. Don't start broke and you won't fall (as easily) for sucker-bait that takes so many agents out of the biz.

That's exactly what I said . You need $10 k min to start . But what I said I'd rather take free leads in a Boman type program than run up my credit cards . Running your credit cards up with 22% interest you'll get desperate real fast .

 

[jdeasy]

Free leads, no leads, pay for leads, over pay for leads, etc. None of that matters if there's no structure, training and a proven path to success.

I started with very little money. I didn't have any money. I got great training and used a proven system. I made more money in my first month than I had ever made in one month in my life.

On 5 leads per week. That's all I could afford. Back then they were $14 each.

I started in MP. Actually I started captive with AmGen and left after about 3 months. And wasn't going to do this business. Absolutely no training on how to sell. Only product training. No leads unless you call "project 100" leads?

I don't if the OP wants to be in FE or something else.

I went full time into FE after 5 years in the business. Best move I ever made.

If the OP wants to do FE then look up FEX.

If something else I wouldn't know where to go. I know where not to go.

The OP is getting advice in this thread from some people that don't have a clue about selling life insurance for a living.

That's a problem with forums such as this. The OP has also gotten advice from a couple of real FE producers.

But a new agent doesn't know which is which.

My advice is to identify someone that's doing what you want to do. And is where you want to be.

Talk to them about how they got there and who helped them.

There's not a successful agent that didn't receive help.

 

[rmhaire]

My advice is to identify someone that's doing what you want to do.

Awesome post. And well needed too.

You started out captive. I didn't. I started right out of high school in p&c. Switched to life 2 yrs later. That was 73. No captive. No debit. Just me. And leads hadn't been invented back then. There was no FEX and no JD. As far as insurance goes that is.

But there was a guy by the name of Al Granum and his One Card System. I was fortunate enough to run into him . I bought into his system and I've never looked back. Was it FE? No, just life insurance. All kinds of life insurance. But the system worked. For me and thousands of agents across the country.

You new guys need to go back and read JD's post again. Not one time did he mention a You Tube video, a fancy CRM or FaceBook. None of that crap is going to sell insurance for you.

It's there because the pimps and posers need it there to take your money. And they need your money because they tried selling insurance. They just couldn't do it.

Me and JD are as different as night and day. He's an FE guy and I'm a life guy. He'll write more FE in a day than I'll write in a month. He's got his way and I've got mine. But it's kinda funny what he says on his side is more often than not true on mine.

 

[jdeasy]

Awesome post. And well needed too.

You started out captive. I didn't. I started right out of high school in p&c. Switched to life 2 yrs later. That was 73. No captive. No debit. Just me. And leads hadn't been invented back then. There was no FEX and no JD. As far as insurance goes that is.

But there was a guy by the name of Al Granum and his One Card System. I was fortunate enough to run into him . I bought into his system and I've never looked back. Was it FE? No, just life insurance. All kinds of life insurance. But the system worked. For me and thousands of agents across the country.

You new guys need to go back and read JD's post again. Not one time did he mention a You Tube video, a fancy CRM or FaceBook. None of that crap is going to sell insurance for you.

It's there because the pimps and posers need it there to take your money. And they need your money because they tried selling insurance. They just couldn't do it.

Me and JD are as different as night and day. He's an FE guy and I'm a life guy. He'll write more FE in a day than I'll write in a month. He's got his way and I've got mine. But it's kinda funny what he says on his side is more often than not true on mine.

Thanks. I write life insurance. I bust on Wino by saying I used to do life but then I promoted myself to FE.

I write a lot of FU. I will pivot to FU in an instant if FE is not the best path for the person.

But I only get FE leads. So most people I see are FE people. Even the referrals since they come from my FE base.

I would guess we're not that much different. Businesswise anyway. My whole approach is to find the person's WHY?. Educate them them on what's available to satisfy that WHY.

I'm not a believer in "creating" anything. Like urgency, needs, or anything the posers want to teach. Maybe I can uncover it? But my goal is mainly to just have them enunciate their WHY.

I'm working targeted leads. I pretty much know their WHY. I make my own appointments. To me that's the first step in the process. But I need them to say out loud what they want.

Not need. We all need a lot of sh!t that we don't buy. We do tend to buy, and keep, what we want.

 

[DonP]

Free leads, no leads, pay for leads, over pay for leads, etc. None of that matters if there's no structure, training and a proven path to success.

I started with very little money. I didn't have any money. I got great training and used a proven system. I made more money in my first month than I had ever made in one month in my life.

On 5 leads per week. That's all I could afford. Back then they were $14 each.

I started in MP. Actually I started captive with AmGen and left after about 3 months. And wasn't going to do this business. Absolutely no training on how to sell. Only product training. No leads unless you call "project 100" leads?

I don't if the OP wants to be in FE or something else.

I went full time into FE after 5 years in the business. Best move I ever made.

If the OP wants to do FE then look up FEX.

If something else I wouldn't know where to go. I know where not to go.

The OP is getting advice in this thread from some people that don't have a clue about selling life insurance for a living.

That's a problem with forums such as this. The OP has also gotten advice from a couple of real FE producers.

But a new agent doesn't know which is which.

My advice is to identify someone that's doing what you want to do. And is where you want to be.

Talk to them about how they got there and who helped them.

There's not a successful agent that didn't receive help.

Jd we both know few agents have a chance to make it starting with very little money . Of course there's exceptions .Selling is very mental . . . . When your desperate to make sales customers can feel it and get scared away .Even Scott says they need to have other jobs . Another thing you can't teach and few have is desire and hunger. It's the reason few make it in this business . I remember when I first started in fe . I had just started and winter was approaching . I knew daylight hrs would be less for door knocking . I switched to more appts after 5 and knocking on weekends. Nothing would stop me from succeeding .

 

[rmhaire]

Selling is very mental

And so is being crazy.

Hell, I could sell an iceberg to an eskimo. But I don't. I don't like cold weather.

I made my first sale just a few minutes after I was born. The doctor held me up by my feet and popped my little butt. I turned around and told him if he did it again that I'd knock him on his ass. Two days later I drove my mother home from the hospital.

Everybody sells. It's the system that counts.