To; Xrac- Why Combined Insurance

Roger that

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I'm thinking of joining combined strictly for the training. I would stay for three months max.

I have 30+ years of sales experience in various industries. I see you mention combined for training quite A few times.

My question to you is - Do you think combined Teaches you how to sell insurance (product knowledge) and not just how to be a salesman period?

I think it would be ridiculous to start out independent without knowledge of the industry and what your actually selling.

Tell me if I'm wrong.
 
I'm thinking of joining combined strictly for the training. I would stay for three months max.

I have 30+ years of sales experience in various industries. I see you mention combined for training quite A few times.

My question to you is - Do you think combined Teaches you how to sell insurance (product knowledge) and not just how to be a salesman period?

I think it would be ridiculous to start out independent without knowledge of the industry and what your actually selling.

Tell me if I'm wrong.

What state are you in?
 
Unless they've drastically revamped their training over the past decade, what you'll get from Combined is sales training from the 50's (or 30's!) combined with W. Clement Stone's Positive Mental Attitude philosophy, complete with chanting their various mantras every day during training. If that's what you want, getting a copy of "Think and Grow Rich" and similar books along with a few old sales books will suffice.

What type of insurance (or more importantly, market) are you looking to get into? Combined peddles low priced accident, sickness and cancer policies. Unless it's really changed, you'll spend a lot of time driving around the state picking up the semi annual premiums on these policies and trying to get referrals, cold calling (door knocking) etc. I think they've redoubled their efforts with trying to get groups signed up via list bill and so on, thus competing with AFLAC and Colonial, which used to be their forte. But unless they've completely changed things, much of the required "service work" still involves going all over the place picking up semi-annual premiums, knocking doors and using very old school sales techniques in an attempt to get inside.

If you're wanting to learn the industry, you'd most likely be better off going with one of the major life or health carriers. I think most here would also say that 3 months is not enough to learn the business unless it's a very simple product. A year would be more like it, depending on what market(s) you're thinking of focusing on. If you're only looking to stay captive for that long, it's perhaps better to try and absorb as much as possible via these online sites. There's much more information out there for the indy agent than ever before. Some marketing organizations offer some training as well.

Combined is a place that hires newbies (often unlicensed ones) that don't know any better and who perhaps can't get hired elsewhere due to a lack of sales experience, etc. They'll basically hire anybody with a pulse that can get licensed.

EDIT: Since this is in the senior forum, are you referring specifically to Combined's Senior marketing division? If so, their Med Sup and LTCi products are very overpriced in most places, if not everywhere.
 
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If you want product knowledge and advance life insurance techniques a place like NYL, MM, Guardian or NWML is what you want. Combined is for someone who wants to learn how to prospect, door knock, handle objections, keep you nose to the grindstone, and not quit. Combined is not about product knowledge.
 
Xrac, I didn't mean to call you out. It's just when I searched combined on this forum, you had good things to say about their training.

I am currently in merchandise and we've lost 3 of our major accounts and I'm tired of all the traveling and looking for a change. The one thing I love about what I do is the structure and that's why I thought combined may be a good place to start from what I've read on this forum.

I am interested in fe, medigap/medicare and ltc. Learning how to prospect to the senior community is important to me and why i considered combined and agla. In my experience and opinion prospecting makes up more than half of the formula for success.

I spent 3 days with NYL but I didn't like the idea of trying to sell to friends and family who know I'm completely new to this. They said they would hire me regardless of any credit issues. So that's still an option.

Is it possible to get in person training with an IMO/fmo? Prospecting and training are my biggest concerns since I am looking for a career move.
 
Xrac, I didn't mean to call you out. It's just when I searched combined on this forum, you had good things to say about their training.

I am currently in merchandise and we've lost 3 of our major accounts and I'm tired of all the traveling and looking for a change. The one thing I love about what I do is the structure and that's why I thought combined may be a good place to start from what I've read on this forum.

I am interested in fe, medigap/medicare and ltc. Learning how to prospect to the senior community is important to me and why i considered combined and agla. In my experience and opinion prospecting makes up more than half of the formula for success.

I spent 3 days with NYL but I didn't like the idea of trying to sell to friends and family who know I'm completely new to this. They said they would hire me regardless of any credit issues. So that's still an option.

Is it possible to get in person training with an IMO/fmo? Prospecting and training are my biggest concerns since I am looking for a career move.

Ride along with a Combined manager for a couple of days and see if they are a fit for what you want.
 
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EDIT: Since this is in the senior forum, are you referring specifically to Combined's Senior marketing division? If so, their Med Sup and LTCi products are very overpriced in most places, if not everywhere.

Actually in my area (zip 383**) combined is quite competitive in the med supp market. IE 70 y/0 female nonsmoker Plan F is 123.20.
 
Actually in my area (zip 383**) combined is quite competitive in the med supp market. IE 70 y/0 female nonsmoker Plan F is 123.20.

Yep. It is the cheapest in my zip.

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I started with Combined Worksite Solutions a year ago. There are some great people there and the Worksite division doesn't do all the cheer leading bs.

I will be cutting ties with them next month, but I absolutely do not regret starting with them. It has been a wonderful learning experience for me and I've made some good friends along the way.
 
Yep. It is the cheapest in my zip.

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I started with Combined Worksite Solutions a year ago. There are some great people there and the Worksite division doesn't do all the cheer leading bs.

I will be cutting ties with them next month, but I absolutely do not regret starting with them. It has been a wonderful learning experience for me and I've made some good friends along the way.

Besides all the cool aid chants, what are some other differences between worksite & the regular combined route? How many hours do you work on the average day? Have you pulled in 40k or more since you been there? What products did you sell and did they give you in depth training?
 
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