Weak Captive Sales Managers

wehotex

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Houston, Tex
I have noticed this throughout my career in MA companies (worked for 3 of them). They have constantly placed people with no sales background let alone people skills in positions of sales management/directorship. I've seen HR people, hairdressers, fitness instructors, salespeople with very little experience in healthcare sales to NO experience get these management jobs over and over (because they knew the right people obviously.) My last manager at United Healthcare got his job because his father in law had an important lobbying job at the company. He was easily the worst manager I ever had. He knew nothing about MA, didn't even try to know and played video games all day while the reps were out working. They had to practically tie him up so that he wouldn't sneak off to play golf during the day. He also was a horndog who played favorites with the prettier girls in the office. His boss was a bitter repressed homosexual who got a higher management job when nobody else wanted it at the Company. He too had little experience.
These managers never seriously had to worry about their numbers because they had motivated ppl that brought in the numbers. They could have hired a monkey to do the job. The one thing that I've noticed is that they seem to have to kiss up to their bosses more than a salesperson does.
Does this type of management hiring occur more with medicare advantage companies than other industries, insurance in general?
 
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I worked one of their call centers for a year back in 2009 so I could have some benefits and deal with a messy divorce. Your experience is the norm. That outfit is filled with lowlifes and promotion depends more on "diversity." (read: hanging out at the club with lowlife mid management with no experience.) than performance. Wasted year of my life.
 
I worked one of their call centers for a year back in 2009 so I could have some benefits and deal with a messy divorce. Your experience is the norm. That outfit is filled with lowlifes and promotion depends more on "diversity." (read: hanging out at the club with lowlife mid management with no experience.) than performance. Wasted year of my life.

The odd thing is that the married to a woman repressed homosexual fired a manager that actually knew what he was doing, but kept the bimbo that made him look "hetro" in the office since he was always fawning over her. The bimbo left the company but allegedly stole some company information before she left which resulted in termination "for cause" from United. Even her sexy caucasian female status couldn't help her. The fired employee has since gone on to work in a better role at another major MA company. My old horndog manager has since been doing a series of temporary odd jobs since leaving United, never to be on Easy Street again.
 
The odd thing is that the married to a woman repressed homosexual fired a manager that actually knew what he was doing, but kept the bimbo that made him look "hetro" in the office since he was always fawning over her. The bimbo left the company but allegedly stole some company information before she left which resulted in termination "for cause" from United. Even her sexy caucasian female status couldn't help her. The fired employee has since gone on to work in a better role at another major MA company. My old horndog manager has since been doing a series of temporary odd jobs since leaving United, never to be on Easy Street again.

Who cares? What is the point of your thread?

Is it to vent?
Is it to simply bash?
Is it to warn others?
Is it a case study in the workplace relationship dynamics at major fortune 500 companies who have middle managers with repressed sexual desires?

You sound bitter. You mentioned your manager's alleged sexual orientation/tendencies more then once. You appear obsessed with it.

What does it say about you that you worked for such "weak captive sales managers?" I'm not digging on you, just giving you constructive feedback.
 
Focus LTC said:
Who cares? What is the point of your thread?

Is it to vent?
Is it to simply bash?
Is it to warn others?
Is it a case study in the workplace relationship dynamics at major fortune 500 companies who have middle managers with repressed sexual desires?

You sound bitter. You mentioned your manager's alleged sexual orientation/tendencies more then once. You appear obsessed with it.

What does it say about you that you worked for such "weak captive sales managers?" I'm not digging on you, just giving you constructive feedback.

I don't there is a point except to vent. Truthfully, there is a shortage of experience insurance sales managers.
 
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a true salesperson or sales manager would go nuts as a manager for an MA plan, where people have to practically get on the knees and beg for you to enroll them, with all the regulations. Then of course, what are you supposed to do outside of the AEP? It's perhaps the most atypical sales manager position one can imagine. Its a job where there can be no guerilla marketing, very little thinking outside the box, i would think. Thereby, in a way, it would be a very challenging job in a way. There is an MA plan with a local office here in my town, with a sales manager and sales team. A part of me would love the challenge, the opportunity.
 
Does this type of management hiring occur more with medicare advantage companies than other industries, insurance in general?

From what I've seen, mediocrity is at all levels. Also excellence.

I came into insurance from someone who was a weak manager but I heard he was an excellent salesperson (although I never saw him sell anything). Near as I can tell, weak managers tend to cause a lot of us to become independent. Myself included. But I certainly don't think it is specific to MA sales divisions, or even insurance in general.
 
JMO, lower level management for any sales field is going to be weak as a rule. A good salesperson can often make more than an entry level manager. The skilled salesperson definitely has less stress. So while the skill set is not quite the same, there is little incentive for a good salesperson to step up into management.

So the people who are interested in the job are average to weak salespeople or someone new to the field.
 
VolAgent nailed it.

When I was at Humana, the top producers wanted nothing to do with management. One told me a smart organization would never take their top producers out of the field. Usually, management are mid-level producers who are well liked. Not to say they are bad, but usually not your top level producers.

If you are a new agent, do what the top producers are doing. Simple as that.

I have had great and poor sales managers. But, I think you can have the same results in any sales industry.
 
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