Originally Posted by Tomfromtheshade
Most people fail in this business because they are procrastinators. They don't want to get their hands dirty and then they fail miserably. To all of you new agents this is what you should do.
Read about the five ways approach. Learn it inside and out. Then go to at least 100 businesses every week and USE IT! Don't worry about knowing what you are talking about in the beginning. Just learn how to get the appointment. You can always take a seasoned agent with you on the appointment.
Go door knocking in your own neighborhood. This is great Saturday activity. Start around 11:00am and do it straight through until 5:00pm. Go right up to the door and knock on it. When someone answers this is what you do/say:
Hi, my name is Tom and I own ___________ Insurance Agency here in town. Do you currently have a life insurance agent? (wait for them to answer and it doesn't matter if they say yes or no) I would like to apply for the job. (let them say their response) I am taking time to today to meet all of my neighbors, but I want to make an appointment to sit down with you and (if they give you the "I already have life insurance" spiel) give you a free review of your current coverage (if they have no life insurance agent) or show you how you can protect the people you care about with the right type of insurance. This next part is important...get out your notepad and look at it. Then tell them days and times you have available. I am available Tuesday at 6:00pm, Wednesday at 7:00pm or Friday at 5:30pm. Which appointment would you like? Don't let them hem and haw about it and decide for themselves. Then get out your card and write their appointment date and time on it and give it to them. Shake their hand, tell them you will see them soon and LEAVE.
I am telling you. There is no replacement for beating the pavement and getting in front of people. Using this method you will be meeting literally hundreds of new people every week. If you meet 200 people per week and only 1% of them buy something you are writing two apps per week. If you are averaging $500 per app you are now in the $52K per year club. This is if you SUCK and can only get a 1% response. Imagine what 2% could bring? That would make you MDRT in your very first year.
Its not about reinventing the wheel. Its about doing the work. Do the work, make the money, pay yourself what you are worth.
Don't let some craptastic sales manager preach to you about friends and family. ITS B.S.! You show me a guy that builds his book selling friends and family and I will show you a guy who's friends and family don't invite him over anymore and a guy that will be out of business in a year.
Also, don't waste your money on leads. You will starve if they are your primary source of clients. They are a great supplement if you are already successful and have the cash to dole out for them, but other than that they are a waste of time.
Spend the time that you are not prospecting businesses and homes to meet attorneys and accountants. You should ask your friends and family who they use as their attorney and accountants and then drop their name to get your foot in the door. These people are a gold mine of referrals IF they trust you.
But, in the beginning its all about getting in front of people. If you spend at least four days a week prospecting by "cold walking" you will have more people to see than you can shake a stick at.
Do it and prosper!!!
This is coming from a guy that just got a rude awakening in the business. I am now following this advice and I submitted 11 apps last week. This week looks like it will probably be about half of that, but even if you are only doing 5-6 apps a week you are making loot.
5 apps per week for $50 per month life policies = about $600 commission each or $3000 per week in total. Its simple math. BELIEVE IN THIS!
FIND PROSPECTS!
MAKE APPOINTMENTS!
MAKE MONEY!
Great post and 100% accurate. I cold call using the phone but I have door knocked and had good success with it, but I'm nursing a torn achilles tendon.
I have never had an agent knock on my door, or call me, to sell me insurance. NOT ONE!!!!!
Here is the daily routine I have commited to and I stick to it as closely as possible, except for Monday which I spend the evening with my wife
6 a.m- I get up and drink a cup of coffee,watch the news, wake up, oh, and shower
7 a.m do paperwork from the day before, read about my products, watch training videos
8:30a.m-5 p.m begin cold calling, 95% of the time for Med supps, I also do appointments during this time, I have found a way to cold call as I'm traveling, did it yesterday and works great.
5p.m-6 p.m eat dinner with my family and hang out with them
6p.m.- 8 p.m- more cold calling for life insurance, families are home from work
Of course, closing appointments will take some of the cold calling time
I have found as you have, there is no easy way for a new agent to work in this business. I had very little to do this morning, but it's now go time, and I don't mean go broke.
When I was in management for Honda, I made 100k a year, AND I'M TIRED OF BEING BROKE, there is no excuse for it.
Work as if you work for someone else.
Re: Blueprint for Success for New Agents
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