Your 1st Month As an Independent....

[GeorgiaAgent]

How did everyone's first month in business go? This is more directed towards the agents/brokers that started from scratch.

I have been working just over a month and have a lot of renewal dates on my calendar, but not a whole lot of commission to show for my work (only prospects for future sales).

Did anyone else feel a little frustrated at this point? Is this typical?

Thanks for the responses!

 

[stuartmoore10]

I started back in January, so a just barely ahead. I can relate to how you felt.

You just want to get in there and start making money right away and it just does not happen. The first policy I wrote was my own renter's insurance.

You just have to stay patient. I made 3x the amount of commission in my second month as I did the first and now in my third month I am on track to do even more. It gets a lot easier to talk to people and figure out how to work insurance into the conversation.

I feel like I have learned so much from my first month and I am only in my third. Stick with it and try to think a new person or new avenue to go after each day.

 

[souldeux]

I started from absolute scratch - never had a sales job, never tried to sell a thing in my life. Well, I walked around with a guy for eight hours once watching him try to sell alarm systems door-to-door in a trailer park, but that's it. I had...I can't really remember, but I want to say $2,500 in the bank when I walked out of my crap desk job for the last time.

First month sucked. I sold four policies - one to my fiancee, one to her sister, one to one of my best friends from college, and one that I actually prospected and closed. I was so damn depressed and discouraged by the end of the month that I was about to start looking for a bridge with something firm and/or sharp underneath. Bob and Paul (from the forums here) took the time to talk to me on the phone and - although I can't get them to accept the credit they deserve - honestly gave me enough hope and confidence to keep going.

It got better. And it's still getting better, too, the more I learn about this business. And it'll get better for you, too. It's worth the trouble.

 

[DJM]

ive been doing it for almost a year now, was captive, now im trying to start my own agency. the first month was very hard for me. but the second is easier, same with the 3rd, and 4th, and so on... things will get better, and easier. it will come to you. just keep up the hard work, and one day you will be making 6 or 7 or 8 figures a year. that is my goal, and i am willing to put in the hard work to make it happen. if you are willing to put in the time and hard work, you can make anything happen. just dont ever give up.

 

[Tomfromtheshade]

The first month is hard. If you have hopes of hitting the ground running you shouldn't discount those hopes, just realize that you are planting seeds. If you stay true to yourself, stay steady with your prospecting, and keep doing the things that other successful agents have done to find the money you will find it too. This is not the business of geniuses. It is the business of steady hard workers.

 

[Mi_Panic]

my first month sucked, doing FE it took two weeks of prospecting just to get some stuff lined up.

 

[sunmed]

Tomfromtheshade hit it right on the head

 

[DT1970]

The work you do prospecting and planting seeds today are the app.'s you will write tomorrow, or in a month, or next year. The old addage about "keeping your head down" is so true. So is the one about not getting too high or too low. Both bad times and good times end. Always. Miss a day prospecting now, there will be a correlating day in the future you will have no sales. In this business, I would much rather be slow and steady than run in streaks when I "need" app.'s. It's frustrating to management and their little sales promoations - but it works for me - makes your income a little more predictable as well.

I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your posts...there are quite a number of you that share your experience and wisdom...I found particularly interesting your take on State Farm as well.

Just saying thanks for taking the time

 

[Insuranceman]

My first month I bang the phones 7-8 hrs a day calling small businesses with no clue what I was doing. I sold 4 health plans the first month.

I found out a month later all 4 of them were declined while expecting to get a nice check any day. I was devastated, I was so broke I was looking for change for gas money. I was behind on all my bills , 3 months behind on my last car payment, creditors calling all day long.

I remember sitting at my desk thinking that I had hit rock bottom ready to throw in towel. Then the phone rang, a business owner I had spoken to wanted life insurance on him and his wife $ 1,700 comm the another call 30 min later for 2 life and 2 health for another business owner $ 1,900 comm. That was in 2001 I've never looked back since.

 

[Paradigm]

Always remember you must pass through failure first to be successful.