Thinking of Getting Out of the Business

[yellow]

I am an experienced agent - 12 years in the business. I am so tired of hunting down qualified candiates...My income is up and down and I am always stressed about money. Anyone have any suggestions? I am tried DOZENS of lead companies with no successs. I have also done tons of prospecting and I am involved in numerous organizations.

Should I get out? I love what I do, but hate the stress!

 

[somarco]

12 yrs in the biz and still chasing leads. Have you been in personal production the entire time? What line?

 

[arnguy]

Try Tequila----that should take care of your stress and make you a more effective insurance agent!

 

[STIBROKER]

Works for Al.....

Try Tequila----that should take care of your stress and make you a more effective insurance agent!

 

[SalemInsuranceGuy]

I am an experienced agent - 12 years in the business. I am so tired of hunting down qualified candiates...My income is up and down and I am always stressed about money. Anyone have any suggestions? I am tried DOZENS of lead companies with no successs. I have also done tons of prospecting and I am involved in numerous organizations.

Should I get out? I love what I do, but hate the stress!

I guess the thing to ask yourself is what would you get into if you get out of insurance?

Do you have a written business plan? Including projected sales?

Do you have a budget, including money for marketing? Or do you just kind of wing it?

What does your production look like on average over the past year?

Is the money situation from lack of production or too much other debt?

I can understand your frustration though. I've been in and out of the insurance business many times. Some by choice and some not. Between insurance, military, and taking some government contracts I've done pretty well. I think not staying consistently hurt my insurance production over the years, but the high amounts I've made from the government contracting has made me debt free except for mortgage which I keep. Having little debt has really eliminated almost all of the stress.

What kind of leads are you buying? What kind of prospecting are you doing? How much are you budgeting for leads? The reason I ask is I know some agents only spend $200 on leads and make $2000 off it but have bills of $3000. The logical answer would be to buy more leads. But they say they can't afford it. Somewhere there is a flaw in your business plan. Take a good serious and honest look at everything. After that only you can make the decision. How much do you need to make a month to stay in business? Can you work captive somewhere with a base salary plus commission and survive? What other training do you have to go into something else and will that give you enough money? Tough decisions to make and only you can ultimately make them.

 

[STIBROKER]

Really...so what is it...

Hello - are you still with Mass Mutual? I am interested in getting on with them on the Broker side. I have gone to the website several times and requested a contact, with no reply. Do you know who I might speak wtih?

Thanks

 

[xrac]

I am an experienced agent - 12 years in the business. I am so tired of hunting down qualified candiates...My income is up and down and I am always stressed about money. Anyone have any suggestions? I am tried DOZENS of lead companies with no successs. I have also done tons of prospecting and I am involved in numerous organizations. Should I get out? I love what I do, but hate the stress!

How old are you? Is this some type of mid-life crisis. Do you need a long vacation? Are their other stress factors bearing down on you at this time. What part of the market are you in? What would you do if you got out? What can you do to change the stress level. How full is your prospect pipe line?

 

[SalemInsuranceGuy]

How old are you? Is this some type of mid-life crisis. Do you need a long vacation? Are their other stress factors bearing down on you at this time. What part of the market are you in? What would you do if you got out? What can you do to change the stress level. How full is your prospect pipe line?

Don't feel bad if it is a mid-life crisis. I'm 46 and have been through mine for years.

 

[xrac]

Don't feel bad if it is a mid-life crisis. I'm 46 and have been through mine for years.

Mine started at 37 years old. Since that time I have started two new businesses totally different from each other and dabbled in the financial field. However, I have held on to the same wife!

 

[SalemInsuranceGuy]

Mine started at 37 years old. Since that time I have started two new businesses totally different from each other and dabbled in the financial field. However, I have held on to the same wife!

I hit mine when I was divorced from my first wife of 10 years at age 29. I really didn't start getting my act together after that until I was 40 and married my current and last wife, who is 14 years younger than me. Now at 46 I'm pretty squared away in everything but settling down career wise. I love insurance, but I also love going overseas for the government. So I still have that wild side to me yet. Luckily being independent I can do both. One day, maybe in a few years I'll grow up and finally settle down and make a firm committment to just selling insurance. I've set a deadline of 2014 for myself, so 5 more years to completely grow up.