A big lesson all agents learn is AGENT KILLERS . Many people that fill out lead cards are lonely. They’ll waste so much of your time if you let them . Everyone has anxiety when they start . You’ll chase people to get a sale . So the lesson to be learned is time is your most important asset . You can’t make more of it . In the first few mins if I detect a time waster I’m gone . If you don’t learn that early your career will be short
#1 Aha moment & #1 Biggest mistake?
- Thread starter WolfOfInsurance
- Start date
So you are keeping the pearls of wisdom to yourself, huh?
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This reminds me of a kid I knew years ago. Manager for a little college rock band out of Tallahassee. Used to worry the crap out of us wanting to borrow some sound gear.
Finally we gave in and loaned him some. Worked out pretty good for us. Went on to do all their tours. The group was Creed.
- 4,024
Not sure I’m the guy with the “pearls” of wisdom! How about a CrackerJacks ring?
Here’s the plastic ring of wisdom: “Will jam for food” brings back memories of high school and college. When we were broke, sometimes a bandmate and I would carry our guitars into the corner pizza joint and do a pop-up performance. The guy would always make us a pizza (not sure if it was to reward us or just make us shut up!). As long as we didn’t do it too often, or when the joint was busy, we could count on a free meal.
The business lesson from that experience is: Sometimes things might not be going right. Maybe every lead slams the door in our face. Maybe we’re in chargeback hell. Maybe personal distractions are causing a lack of production. Especially early in the career, it may seem wiser to go out and “get a real job”. But often all it takes is a little creativity.
When I went into independent FE production 18 years ago, I had a hard time getting DM leads in my area. I was struggling financially. My brother in law, who was a successful businessman, offered to loan me some money to catch up my mortgage. But I asked him if I could instead use the money to buy a robocall computer (which were legal at the time). He told me that was a winning idea. I bought it and put it to work. It was a creative idea that turned my situation around immediately.
That would be a happy ending, but a couple years later, robocalls became illegal. Not sure what to do, I joined Insurance Forums. Through my involvement, I discovered that I could get into a system through my local library (ReferenceUSA) and produce lists of new movers. I started calling on them, and also spent an hour a day straight canvassing neighborhoods. I was able to produce plenty of business without relying on purchased leads of any kind (although I’ve occasionally bought aged leads for fill-in activity). Over time, my agency grew big enough that my production mainly comes from working my book.
The moral: If one thing ain’t working, don’t wallow in self pity! Get creative and try something else!
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The best money in the music biz these days it to get one of the fake violins playing the recorded violin music when you run the bow on it and hang out in a busy parking lot. The gullible people donate tons of money because they think you are a talented homeless guy.
It’s the hottest scam going today.
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Had not heard of that one!
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I loved those auto dialers. I used them in the late 80's and early 90's.
i had the comtel CBC 7000. Paid around $1700 for it . You’d set a range of #’s to call and it’d call every one in a row . But it also called police and fire stations and tied the line up . I sold a $9 k premium off it . I remember coming home every night and checking the playing the cassette tap for responses . I think They became illegal in like 1992 .
That is a difficult lesson to learn.
Too often they think things will turn around if they throw more money at it . . . or call more people . . . knock on more doors . . . badger folks who told them no the first time.
The problem is you, not them.
If you are trying to learn golf, or improve your game, the driving range may not be the place for you. If your swing is off, practicing an incorrect swing will not improve your game.
Sometimes you do need to find a new fishing hole but more often than not, you need to examine what you are doing right and what isn't working. Jettison the things that don't work, keep what does work, move forward and add bits and pieces as long as they make you more productive.
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