Must Be More Careful what I Write

[insuresu]

Being new here, I have no idea how well people here know each other whether professionally or personally or at all.

I've never been one to be part of the in-crowd. That makes me a maverick. I have a tendency to march to a different drummer than most. I doubt I'll win a popularity contest here or anywhere else. There's a song by the Kinks "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" that pretty much sums it up.

I realize this an agent's forum and the comments etc. are "unvarnished" and "direct". I like that. It's why I'm here. Unvarnished and unfiltered is how I've been described by many, and that's putting it mildly. However, I am a little surprised at the level of anger that seems prevalent in some of the comments. Not only that, but the accusatory nature of the comments, in what I guess is in the name of "truth" is disconcerting to say the least.

I'm no angel. I've made more mistakes than I care to admit and undoubtedly will make countless more. My motives are not always pure or altruistic and can be self-serving just like anyone else. I'm in business to make money too, but I do try to help people. I can't say I'm never in denial, but I do try to be honest and I believe in win/win. There's a difference between honesty and truth. To be honest, I often don't know the truth. Nobody does. I'm curious what some people consider "truth".

I guess this is as good a place as any to vent, especially with and toward one another.

My intention is to share opinions and ideas, realizing there will major differences of opinion etc. It has become obvious that criticism is freely given, and I expect(ed) that. However, when it gets personal, especially when we have never met and the only interaction we have is here, I find that troubling.

I hope to provide honest and respectful constructive criticism if and when possible.

I may be in for a clobbering for writing this. So be it. Whether or not that happens I will be much more careful about what I write and to whom.

 

[WinoBlues]

I have not read any anger. We are all independent and mavericks.

 

[sman]

Why is it when someone calls another person out for questionable tactics, they are accused of being angry?

You've stated very clearly that you sell 95% SI instead of FU. Anybody who's been in this business any length of time understands the subtle ways an agent can move a person toward one product and away from another while seeming to be unbiased.

If you told us you worked the final expense market it would make more sense. But you clearly stated you have clients you know who would qualify for a fully underwritten plan. When the issue comes up where a person doesn't want to have an exam I will calculate the cost over a 20 or 30 year period and ask them if they think paying $xx to not have an exam. And usually that number is thousands of dollars.

So you can now play the victim all you want, but the fact remains, as far as some are concerned, you don't always look out for the clients best interest. And when the unsuspecting client figures this out, that is why there is a negative perception by some of this industry.

 

[scagnt83]

If you are surprised by the multiple responses you get to a question/comment. Perhaps you should reassess your question/comment.

Instead of accuse, ask yourself why.

 

[insuresu]

Please show me when and where I clearly stated that I sell SI 95% instead of FU. I don't mind discussing a misunderstanding but I do not recall saying that. I said I prefer whenever and wherever possible. I also said I explain the difference to the client and let them decide.

BTW, I am not a victim but what began as what I believed was simply sharing a point of view became way more than I was prepared for and to be honest, I'm tired of it, at least for today.

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Yes, I'm surprised by the multitude of responses but only because I'm new and didn't know what to expect. That's not what I find problematic. I believe the title of this thread addresses your suggestion that I reassess.

 

[pcbinsurance]

" I also said I explain the difference to the client and let them decide."
****************
How do you (specifically) "explain the difference"?

 

[insuresu]

I will answer your question with a question. How (specifically) should I explain it?

 

[sman]

Please show me when and where I clearly stated that I sell SI 95% instead of FU. I don't mind discussing a misunderstanding but I do not recall saying that. I said I prefer whenever and wherever possible. I also said I explain the difference to the client and let them decide.

Your very first sentence on the forum:

Whenever and if ever possible, I prefer to write a simplified issue policy rather than a fully underwritten policy

Then Wino asked you this:

What percentage of your SI do you send in as FU after the SI is issued?

You responded with this:

I don't have an exact percentage but it's very low. I will guess about 5%



Maybe I misinterpreted that to mean you write 95% SI. After reading it the way posted above (and not going from memory while posting on a completely different thread) it appears you are saying you go back and rewrite maybe 5% a fully underwritten plan. For that I apologize for making an assumption about the percentage of the business you write as SI. Again, I was posting in another thread of yours and recalled seeing the 5% number which made me think you write 95% SI.

With that said, I'm of the firm belief that anyone who is willing to have an exam should go that route. I don't even tell the client about SI plans unless they balk about an exam (which is rarely). After gathering their info (health history, family history, etc.) I will tell them which carrier is likely to offer them the best rate and tell them what will be required (i.e. - paramed, blood, urine, etc.). I don't even bring up the option of a SI plan. If they balk at the exam (which as I said is rarely), I will give them the cost of going with a plan that does not require the exam. I will then do the math for them and ask them if it's worth $xx thousands of dollars to not have the exam done. It's a rare occasion that they will not have the exam. And if they won't, it usually means they are hiding something. For example, I had a guy ask me what they tested for. I gave a basic summary. He then asked if they tested for weed. When I told him yes and that even if he didn't test positive, most paramed exams ask about use of recreational drugs and if he was going to answer honestly then he'd be declined. So he ended up not even getting insurance at the time.

Now if the prospect is in poor health and aren't looking for a ton of coverage, an SI plan may be a perfect fit. But again, unless a person is working the final expense market, I believe a simplified issue plan is the exception and not the norm.

What do you think your clients perception is when they come across someone who explains how much they could save by going with a fully underwritten plan? Maybe you're fortunate in that you come across a lot of people who don't want to have the exam. If so, what's your secret? The only agents I know who fit that category are working the FE market.

I stand by my statement that selling a SI to a person who would likely qualify for a FU plan because it's "easier" isn't doing what's best for the client. Notice I didn't say because the client doesn't want an exam.

And you can say you don't steer all you want, but as has been stated before, we all know the way that's handled. My goodness, you even talked about a person being declined and it "scarring" them for life. Do you know the percentage of people who are declined when they are working with an experienced agent? What percentage are you telling these unsuspecting prospects?

 

[Cash]

Being new here, I have no idea how well people here know each other whether professionally or personally or at all.

I've never been one to be part of the in-crowd. That makes me a maverick. I have a tendency to march to a different drummer than most. I doubt I'll win a popularity contest here or anywhere else. There's a song by the Kinks "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" that pretty much sums it up.

I realize this an agent's forum and the comments etc. are "unvarnished" and "direct". I like that. It's why I'm here. Unvarnished and unfiltered is how I've been described by many, and that's putting it mildly. However, I am a little surprised at the level of anger that seems prevalent in some of the comments. Not only that, but the accusatory nature of the comments, in what I guess is in the name of "truth" is disconcerting to say the least.

I'm no angel. I've made more mistakes than I care to admit and undoubtedly will make countless more. My motives are not always pure or altruistic and can be self-serving just like anyone else. I'm in business to make money too, but I do try to help people. I can't say I'm never in denial, but I do try to be honest and I believe in win/win. There's a difference between honesty and truth. To be honest, I often don't know the truth. Nobody does. I'm curious what some people consider "truth".

I guess this is as good a place as any to vent, especially with and toward one another.

My intention is to share opinions and ideas, realizing there will major differences of opinion etc. It has become obvious that criticism is freely given, and I expect(ed) that. However, when it gets personal, especially when we have never met and the only interaction we have is here, I find that troubling.

I hope to provide honest and respectful constructive criticism if and when possible.

I may be in for a clobbering for writing this. So be it. Whether or not that happens I will be much more careful about what I write and to whom.

Well I probably haven't been posting long enough to say this but welcome to the forum.

You sound kind of full of yourself with all of these threads and the "I'm special" post.

That being said, if you are going to be full of yourself then I would recommend that you be funny about it. It makes for a better forum experience and it is better to make people laugh than to make them roll their eyes.

You can get away with almost anything in life as long as you are funny enough.

 

[insuresu]

I will begin before the beginning of the post.

I am used to writing a lot and either getting little or no response to what I write. I am primarily referring to the blog posts I've posted on my websites and elsewhere.

I've been trying to establish myself online in a number of different ways, including as an insurance professional. It's been suggested by many that since I have an extensive background in insurance I should probably focus there first.

Until recently, I did not know this site or sites like it existed. It was suggested to me that to help get my name out there I should look for forums and participate in them. I have received many other suggestions as well.

I located this forum and posted my original/introductory post at that time. As I write this, I have not received any response to that post.

As I looked at my profile and attempted to edit my signature, I learned that I needed to have at least 20 posts in order to do that. I had one.

So, figuring I would write a few posts, thinking the 20 had to all be OP, I posted two OP's yesterday. Before I could finish writing the second one, the responses to the first one had begun. By the time I responded to the first one, the responses to the second one had begun. By the end of the day, I was worn out.

I had been accused of lying, whether expressed or implied. My ethics had been called into question. I had been misquoted, if not misunderstood. There were sarcastic and snide remarks to my posts. I felt I had portrayed myself and was being seen as the village ***. That led to my third OP--this one.

I was worn out, caught off guard, and unprepared for what had occurred. However, I make no apologies or excuses and don't expect any from anyone else.

I now understand more about how this forum operates.

That's pretty much all I have to say for now. However, the silver lining in all of this is, this is my 20th post. I can now edit my signature. I appreciate the "help" I've gotten. It would've taken much longer without everyone's input. I guess I should be thanking all of you but don't hold your breath.

In conclusion, going forward, I will refer back to the title of this OP.

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I'm curious which post was perceived as "I'm special".