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Since we are talking about phones that will do "whatever"...have any of you looked at the Motorola Q from AT&T??? That thing is a "HOSS" and will do everything except mow your yard and do the dishes.
The Necessary Tools: Starting in 2 weeks
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The iPhone seems a bit expensive for my blood, though I'm not opposed to it in theory.
I was looking at these and trying to figure out which is more suitable.
(these are neither endorsements nor intended for advertising purposes, links go to phones for comparison only)
Amazon.com: Samsung Blackjack II Black Smartphone (AT&T): Cell Phones & Service
This has a built-in GPS, which could be useful for me, since I'm not great with directions.
Amazon.com: palm Treo 680 Smartphone (AT&T): Cell Phones & Service
This one is a "palm Treo," but I don't know how it stacks up... with an iPhone, other treos, etc. I've never used a cellphone before (the emergency one in the car is sprouting mold and spiderwebs).
Both of these come with service plans starting at 40$ per month for 450 peak minutes. I'm guessing I'll need to spend more than this and get 900 minutes per month, even if I do most calling from a landline. Is that a good assumption?
Looking more deeply into the laptop purchasing, I'm trying to figure out if either (or ANY) phone has a compatibility where I can plug the laptop into the phone and get an Internet connection running through the cellphone (ie, no additional cost for cellular Internet in the laptop). Is this a pipe dream or something that's feasible?
Thanks again for your help!
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Sure. iPhone opens Word docs as Excel sheets fine. The only issue is that the only way to get them INTO the iPhone is via email. I don't know of any other way to get them into the phone.
One thing however. You can read .xls and .doc files, but you can't change them. Can you do that on Treo?
FYI, iPhone does a good job reading PFF files as well, but I assume Treo also does that.
One thing I love about iPhone is that you can easily change the resolution on the screen by using your fingers to do a "reverse pinch." You put two fingers on the screen and move them apart and the screen gets larger! I assume Treo has an enlarge button of some kind?
My iPhone has enabled me to travel without a laptop. It is no substitute for a laptop as you would not want to do any serious database updating on it, but YOU CAN if you want.
One nice thing about iPhone is that there is a HUGE community of users so if you have a problem there are countless people online who can help.
It has a nice guided tour video you might want to see... if it is working. It seems to stall a lot. It's probably using the crappy ATT Edge network!
As you already know, everyone who has a Apple-anything is part of a cult. We take care of our own!
Al
- 14,808
all I can say is you all do an awful lot outside of your office. When I'm out of the house I'm generally:
Shopping
At dinner
With my wife and son
All of which means I'm off - which means my day is done or it's the weekend. I obviously have a cell - when someone calls me it rings. It also has a feature allowing me to call others.
For me to have a device that allows me to surf around the net, check spreadsheet, documents, etc...when I'm at dinner? I'd be in divorce court.
There are toys I choose not to have since I know all I'd do is play with 'em.
Shopping
At dinner
With my wife and son
All of which means I'm off - which means my day is done or it's the weekend. I obviously have a cell - when someone calls me it rings. It also has a feature allowing me to call others.
For me to have a device that allows me to surf around the net, check spreadsheet, documents, etc...when I'm at dinner? I'd be in divorce court.
There are toys I choose not to have since I know all I'd do is play with 'em.
- 15,319
John you ignorant slut! (Had to find a time to use that line).
Actually I really like my Samsung i760. Since I am out of the office, it's very handy to log into my quote engine if needed. Doesn't happen often but it certainly beats telling someone "I'll call you later."
The iPhone is basically a gadget but if it floats your boat, fine. My phone/pda is a tool and that's all I use it for.
Rick
Sounds to me like you are (at least considering) pouring a lot of $$$ into a new venture that is totally untried.
This is not a put down, since I do not know you, anything about your skills or work habits.
The life insurance business, even with a supportive company like NYL, will chew you up and spit you out.
Most of the carriers have abandoned the agency system in favor of brokerage, but a few career shops (such as NYL) still exist.
They seem to hire mostly experience men and women, with college degrees and strong community ties. Some have been in sales before, some not.
The ones who make it have a strong desire to succeed, have been successful in their field in the past, and have the funds to float their business for 12 - 18 months, depending on their monthly nut.
Unless your situation is exceptional, you will see a dip in income for the first few months . . . or longer. For some folks that is panic time.
If a loss of income is going to create additional stress then you need to reconsider.
This can be a very rewarding time financially but it is also very challenging. It is most likely unlike anything you have done before. Some months you can work 300 hours and produce very little. Other months you will work 50 hours and be flush.
There is no predicting.
As long as you understand the money dynamics, are prepared and comfortable with it, you should do well.
Even if you are flush and have a low monthly note, I would still dial back to the bare minimum until you get your feet wet. You can always add things to the mix once you get up and running on an as needed basis.
The most important advice you have been given so far is, talk to other agents who have been successful and pick their brain. Might be good to seek out someone with 2 - 3 yrs in the business who came from a similar background. At the least, talk to someone who did not have sales experience and pick their brain.
That is the best $10 for lunch you will ever spend.
Some agencies are in to mentoring, where they assign a rookie to work under an experienced agent (other than their manager), possibly on a split commission basis. This is probably the best way to learn the business.
You have a lot of gadgets on your list. A cell phone that can do everything but wash your car is nice but is it really necessary? A laptop is fine, especially if you are running proposals, etc in the field. Seems like a lot of public places (like Starbucks) have WiFi as do many offices.
A wireless card for your laptop is nice but may not be necessary if you plan ahead. If you don't need it you can save $100 - $200 per month that can be used for other things.
Someone mentioned the "all you can eat" cell phone plans. Metro PCS, Virgin and Cricket are a few with flat monthly fees (around $40) that may work just fine. There is no contract, so if you don't like the service it is not like you are tied in to using the plan for 2 yrs.
I would avoid the dialer until you get comfortable in cold calling. Nice, but just another tool, or money down the drain.
CRM software can go either way. Depends on how "automated" you are.
Some folks do just as well, at least for a while, with a DayTimer. If you have a permanent place to work, a wall calendar is a great tool to give a visual reference of how your day, week and month looks. If you use a desk calendar as well you can easily see at a glance how productive (or not) you are (or were) in any given week.
Activity leads to results.
Correction.
PRODUCTIVE activity leads to results.
Lot's of folks in this business are busy as bees but never accomplish anything. It is very easy to fool yourself into believing you are making progress when in fact you are spinning your wheels.
Learn the difference in productive activity and busy work.
One will make you wealthy while another will send you down in flames.
Track your ROI.
I do this religiously.
Closing ratio's are meaningless. If you have 100 prospects and close 50 but only make $10 per sale you are not working your business correctly.
Take that same 100 prospects, make 5 sales at $2,000 each and you are on the right track.
When you track ROI you will know very quickly where to invest more funds and where to cut your losses.
Back to software . . .
There is a lot of open source software available for free or a nominal charge. Someone really should start a thread, and make a sticky, on open source software.
You mentioned Excel which is a good program. You can get the student edition of Office 2007 for under $100 and that will do just fine.
You can also get Open Office for free.
Back to computers.
I have a Dell desktop and an Acer laptop. Both came with Vista Home Premium and trial versions of Office 2007 plus some extra goodies.
Check out Dealcatcher for specials, especially on Dell.
They are running a special now on a Dell desktop for $699.Consider upgrading to at least 3 gig of ram and Vista Home Premium. Don't get Home Basic. The 250 gig hard drive is probably sufficient.
Keep us posted.
This is not a put down, since I do not know you, anything about your skills or work habits.
The life insurance business, even with a supportive company like NYL, will chew you up and spit you out.
Most of the carriers have abandoned the agency system in favor of brokerage, but a few career shops (such as NYL) still exist.
They seem to hire mostly experience men and women, with college degrees and strong community ties. Some have been in sales before, some not.
The ones who make it have a strong desire to succeed, have been successful in their field in the past, and have the funds to float their business for 12 - 18 months, depending on their monthly nut.
Unless your situation is exceptional, you will see a dip in income for the first few months . . . or longer. For some folks that is panic time.
If a loss of income is going to create additional stress then you need to reconsider.
This can be a very rewarding time financially but it is also very challenging. It is most likely unlike anything you have done before. Some months you can work 300 hours and produce very little. Other months you will work 50 hours and be flush.
There is no predicting.
As long as you understand the money dynamics, are prepared and comfortable with it, you should do well.
Even if you are flush and have a low monthly note, I would still dial back to the bare minimum until you get your feet wet. You can always add things to the mix once you get up and running on an as needed basis.
The most important advice you have been given so far is, talk to other agents who have been successful and pick their brain. Might be good to seek out someone with 2 - 3 yrs in the business who came from a similar background. At the least, talk to someone who did not have sales experience and pick their brain.
That is the best $10 for lunch you will ever spend.
Some agencies are in to mentoring, where they assign a rookie to work under an experienced agent (other than their manager), possibly on a split commission basis. This is probably the best way to learn the business.
You have a lot of gadgets on your list. A cell phone that can do everything but wash your car is nice but is it really necessary? A laptop is fine, especially if you are running proposals, etc in the field. Seems like a lot of public places (like Starbucks) have WiFi as do many offices.
A wireless card for your laptop is nice but may not be necessary if you plan ahead. If you don't need it you can save $100 - $200 per month that can be used for other things.
Someone mentioned the "all you can eat" cell phone plans. Metro PCS, Virgin and Cricket are a few with flat monthly fees (around $40) that may work just fine. There is no contract, so if you don't like the service it is not like you are tied in to using the plan for 2 yrs.
I would avoid the dialer until you get comfortable in cold calling. Nice, but just another tool, or money down the drain.
CRM software can go either way. Depends on how "automated" you are.
Some folks do just as well, at least for a while, with a DayTimer. If you have a permanent place to work, a wall calendar is a great tool to give a visual reference of how your day, week and month looks. If you use a desk calendar as well you can easily see at a glance how productive (or not) you are (or were) in any given week.
Activity leads to results.
Correction.
PRODUCTIVE activity leads to results.
Lot's of folks in this business are busy as bees but never accomplish anything. It is very easy to fool yourself into believing you are making progress when in fact you are spinning your wheels.
Learn the difference in productive activity and busy work.
One will make you wealthy while another will send you down in flames.
Track your ROI.
I do this religiously.
Closing ratio's are meaningless. If you have 100 prospects and close 50 but only make $10 per sale you are not working your business correctly.
Take that same 100 prospects, make 5 sales at $2,000 each and you are on the right track.
When you track ROI you will know very quickly where to invest more funds and where to cut your losses.
Back to software . . .
There is a lot of open source software available for free or a nominal charge. Someone really should start a thread, and make a sticky, on open source software.
You mentioned Excel which is a good program. You can get the student edition of Office 2007 for under $100 and that will do just fine.
You can also get Open Office for free.
Back to computers.
I have a Dell desktop and an Acer laptop. Both came with Vista Home Premium and trial versions of Office 2007 plus some extra goodies.
Check out Dealcatcher for specials, especially on Dell.
They are running a special now on a Dell desktop for $699.Consider upgrading to at least 3 gig of ram and Vista Home Premium. Don't get Home Basic. The 250 gig hard drive is probably sufficient.
Keep us posted.
- 17,041
I had the Motorola Q for 1-week. Great phone! Great size! Horrible PDA!
It doesn't have a touch screen and that made it basically useless to me. You have to goe through menu after menu with buttons rather than tapping the screen.
For talking on the phone though it was probably the best I've ever used.
- 17,041
Sure. iPhone opens Word docs as Excel sheets fine. The only issue is that the only way to get them INTO the iPhone is via email. I don't know of any other way to get them into the phone.
One thing however. You can read .xls and .doc files, but you can't change them. Can you do that on Treo?
FYI, iPhone does a good job reading PFF files as well, but I assume Treo also does that.
One thing I love about iPhone is that you can easily change the resolution on the screen by using your fingers to do a "reverse pinch." You put two fingers on the screen and move them apart and the screen gets larger! I assume Treo has an enlarge button of some kind?
My iPhone has enabled me to travel without a laptop. It is no substitute for a laptop as you would not want to do any serious database updating on it, but YOU CAN if you want.
One nice thing about iPhone is that there is a HUGE community of users so if you have a problem there are countless people online who can help.
It has a nice guided tour video you might want to see... if it is working. It seems to stall a lot. It's probably using the crappy ATT Edge network!
As you already know, everyone who has a Apple-anything is part of a cult. We take care of our own!
Al
Yes the Palm can create edit and do it all with Word, Exell, Powerpoint etc.
The Palm is getting a little dated by today's standards when compared to Window's Mobile and iPhone for some of the neat features they have.
But for business use, synching with databases (Outlook, ACT, YIO, or just about anything else) calander, rate calculators, excel spreadsheets, word documents, to-do lists, etc. it is just so good and so easy to use that in my opinion it is hard to beat.
I have the Treo 680 through ATT BUT the software AT&T adds to their Palms causes problems for a lot of programs. I recommend going through Verizon or Sprint if you get a Palm. If you MUST have AT&T I would buy an unlocked Palm NOT an AT&T version.
AT&T has caused a lot of headaches for Palm users by limiting the functionality of their 680 phones.
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- #29
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Tons of great information in this post. I am unconcerned by the initial dip in income (my wife has a steady income and I was grossly underpaid as an educator). I am best described as a hybrid between an efficiency expert and a competitive overachiever.
I don't know essentially anything about the business, but have pending appointments with a dozen folks already, including a local architect and a lawyer who owns his own firm. I don't have a lick of experience in sales, but I make up for it with grit and confidence. (My wife lovingly adds "and arrogance" to this list. I suggest that it isn't arrogance if you can back it up with success
)Personal aggrandizement aside, I am looking for expensive tools so I can maximize my output with a substantial initial investment. Additionally, I understand the value of broadcasting an aura of expertise and professionalism that is facilitated by having fancy and expensive work-toys. I doubt I'll make many extra sales because someone's impressed by my phone, but it's as you say, every big sale counts.
You'll note also that these "big purchases" from my links go to phones that pay you when you activate them. That would help reduce the initial costs. One of my favorite websites is fatwallet.com, where they have deals comparable to those on dealcatcher and elsewhere.
I am extremely interested in any free software that's out there, and will check each link for how I can best use the available free tools as well as purchased ones.
I've also seen several people refer to interfacing phone and calendar. Are you referring to a phone-specific program, or a web-interfacing program like google calendar? I'd like to have my interns (yay, coming from an educational background!) and my wife to have full access to my calendar. Any recommendations on a calendar program that will facilitate this?
Expensive tools will not make you a better sales person. Just one with a smaller bank account.
There is no substitute for hard work.
All the tools in the world will not generate a single sale if you do not use them effectively and efficiently.
More businesses fail due to under-capitalization (including spending too much on things that are not productive or properly used) than anything else.
Just because you have money to burn does not mean you should not use it.
My basement is filled with gadgets and stuff I thought I needed (business and otherwise) but never did.
The folks who are impressed by fancy phones, expensive cars and tailored suits are probably not the class of client you want.
Or maybe they are . . .
I have made more money in casual dress, driving an older (but clean) car than I did when I wore 3 piece suits and drove a newer model luxury car.
Phones, jewelry, tailored clothing, hi tech toys will not change who you are.
People buy from the person, not the "shell".
Google has an online calendar. Outlook has the ability to publish a calendar to the web as well.
I don't use either because I really don't want folks tracking me down. I work when I want, where I want.
If someone needs me they usually have their best shot via email. If I am in my office I am usually on my phone so they are most likely going to get voice mail.
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