Work Life Balance - the unwind side?

[WinoBlues]

Great advice, even for us P&C guys.

Oh and Wino, I know you're a strong supporter of military veterans (thank you for that), but I miss the old avatar. I found it aspirational! LOL

P&C book.

I started out with an existing book of orphans to work. In my second year at John Hancock I was offered a position with three Allstate agents as their Life specialist. A year and a half in . I learned to comb their files for information before calling the clients. I knew so much about them before we got to hello. Made convention for all three.

Then I moved to a P&C agency and learned about X-Dating, and dating my Ex. While X-dating I subtly asked Life questions and x-dated their Term life. About 7 years in and didn't even know buying leads was possible.

I learned a lot about prospecting and selling Life from P&C.

I took over serving Life books from several widows. They kept the renewals, I defended the book and kept all new business.

That Avatar is a self portrait

 

[WinoBlues]

Haha.. what a well kept secret this industry is.

10X10%

I learn the secret early on.

Work hard after coffee. Until about 10PM. That's the secret secret. The stealth smooth operator secret.

I'll explain - I was recruited into the business about 3 hours from home. Going through a divorce at about 30 years old. Oh and all I owned was a truck, a towel and a fork and my mom's Mervyn's CC.

So, I would go into the office for free coffee and donuts. Work until 10PM cuss the boy was Capital B broke. Now the secret - in that part of the Bay Area the secretaries and office workers would hit happy hour and dance clubs early. So by 10PM the Jr execs have spent their money buying the ladies drinks and are now belligerent young drunk frat boys. I slide in sober and work on my closing skills.

OK, now I'm a frail old man and married. So it is coffee, YouTube, Brunch, maybe a call, email or a text or two, a nap and maybe Happy Hour. Youth is wasted on the young.

 

[Policy Monkey]

P&C book.

I started out with an existing book of orphans to work. In my second year at John Hancock I was offered a position with three Allstate agents as their Life specialist. A year and a half in . I learned to comb their files for information before calling the clients. I knew so much about them before we got to hello. Made convention for all three.

Then I moved to a P&C agency and learned about X-Dating, and dating my Ex. While X-dating I subtly asked Life questions and x-dated their Term life. About 7 years in and didn't even know buying leads was possible.

I learned a lot about prospecting and selling Life from P&C.

I took over serving Life books from several widows. They kept the renewals, I defended the book and kept all new business.

That Avatar is a self portrait

That's great. My story is not too different from yours (minus the divorce). Around 12 years ago I was burnt out in the car biz, went and got my 4/40 (CSR) license (mostly because the course was shorter so I could start sooner, plus I didn't know any better). Then I walked into every agency in town and dropped off resumes until one brave soul took a chance on me. I had no knowledge, experience, book or pipeline, but I sure could talk good.

I figured out how to run prospect reports from the year prior and sent new quotes on spec with a nice cover letter. I probably wrote 30-40 % of those. I was earning my keep within the first month. After a year as a CSR I took the 2/20 (Agent) test and passed first try. It's been all uphill from there!

 

[Policy Monkey]

That Avatar is a self portrait

I thought as much. My avatar resembles me too (cute, hairy, smelly, prone to throwing dookie).

 

[WinoBlues]

I figured out how to run prospect reports from the year prior and sent new quotes on spec with a nice cover letter. I probably wrote 30-40 % of those. I was earning my keep within the first month. After a year as a CSR I took the 2/20 (Agent) test and passed first try. It's been all uphill from there!

Working the book and X-dating, yup.

Uphill - Yeah, same here. Up hill, but with experience the hill is more of a stroll and a better view.

 

[Policy Monkey]

Working the book and X-dating, yup.

Uphill - Yeah, same here. Up hill, but with experience the hill is more of a stroll and a better view.

As an old sales manager used to say, "That's no hill for a climber!"

 

[Elliot Becker]

all I owned was a truck, a towel and a fork and my mom's Mervyn's CC.

I thought boomers were supposed to buy houses for the price of a tissue box back then, didn't you get the memo?

 

[WinoBlues]

I thought boomers were supposed to buy houses for the price of a tissue box back then, didn't you get the memo?

So the story goes.

Also, did I mention divorce, in California?

But, I figured it out.

I am so lucky my then buddy talked me into leaving construction, moving 3 hours away, sleeping on his couch and taking 50% comp. It was a lot of fun also.

This is a great industry to be in. A client called me and asked if I could stop by to help with a form. I show up in a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops. I leave with a large container of awesome homemade salsa and homemade tortillas. Dude, it doesn't get better than this.