Do You Like Your Job?

[scagnt83]

Unless you work the Medicare market between October and early December.

And then sit by the pool for the rest of the year



Generally speaking, most experienced life and health agents do not work over 40 hours per week if averaged out over the course of 12 months. The under 65 health agents bust their ass for 2 months, spend 2-3 months trying to get paid, and then spend the other 8 months complaining about ACA

 

[FLM2]

In a 2014 video posted by SMS with guest speaker Chris Westfall, Chris has said that in the past 5 years 42,000 insurance agents have left the industry compared to that year of 2014. Go to the 16:15 mark of the video to hear Chris cite the statistic.

Christopher Westfall SMS Senior Marketing Specialists Sales Summit Webinar - YouTube

Chris Westfall's "Why sell Medicare supplements" video posted on Youtube has many thousands of views and many people see this as an opportunity to start in the Medicare industry without understanding all the problems that we all face. I'm just trying to be helpful for these new agents who think this industry is all about rainbows and sunshine. The new administration under Trump may deregulate our industry (God I am hoping Tom Price and company does) and bring back our industry to the glory days of the late 90s to late 2000s.

Seeing that CMS has dropped the 48 hour rule for Scope forms is a positive start in the right direction. Let's hope these deregulations continue. I don't think our industry is bad, I'm just telling new agents that our industry is very challenging due to the excessive rules and regulations that we must follow. It's best that new agents fully understand the hurdles we must overcome before they invest their time and money to start in this career only to find out a few months later of all the problems in it. We all must weigh the Pros and the Cons with everything we do in life.

I have 11 years of industry experience and I don't want to leave, but yes I'm having moral debates with myself because I am struggling to get clients like many of us are. I'm in my first 4 months and I'm torn over doing this part time and getting a part time job to pay my bills or going to work for a major insurance carrier like UnitedHealth Group, Humana, or Anthem that pays a very nice salary. I want to maintain my license however in hopes that the Trump administration will eventually deregulate our industry from the Obama era of excessive regulations. Chris Westfall recommends that I stay independent, but I can always quit working for the insurance carrier when the time is right and rejoin the independent broker community. I'm sure you guys would welcome me back with loving and open arms. lol

On a side note, I don't see why you guys view a local Wisconsin broker as your direct competition, because I am only licensed in the State of Wisconsin. I am no threat to your book of business and most of you guys who are licensed in multiple States avoid Wisconsin like the plague.

Three pieces of advice:

• If you didn't live through a period of time as an active agent, with real time experience, don't post what you think happened because it isn't correct
• Listen more
• Talk (and post) less and certainly in less volume, you can't possibly be successful in sales doing stream of consciousness monologues.

 

[sman]

And then sit by the pool for the rest of the year

Not true. It's too cold from January through April. I usually don't open my pool until late April to early May. Plus, I have to leave time for golf.

Generally speaking, most experienced life and health agents do not work over 40 hours per week if averaged out over the course of 12 months.

I agree. If I'm being honest, I don't work anywhere near 40 hours per week. There was a time I did, but not for several years now. I hope to change that soon. I want to make better use of my wasted time.

The under 65 health agents bust their ass for 2 months, spend 2-3 months trying to get paid, and then spend the other 8 months complaining about ACA

If they're smart, they would have transitioned to something else while still grabbing the low hanging fruit of the ACA market. I still do a small amount of U65 health business, but I likely won't this coming Open Enrollment. We're just not going to have many options (one carrier in my county) for next year. Just not worth the headache. I'll keep my dozen or so small groups, but I'm saying goodbye to the indy market.

 

[Labesky]

If you have $200 deductible on your car insurance, this aint for you.

If you have $1000 deductible it MAY be right

If you dont have an expensive car and carry liability it PROBABLY is a good thing

Self employment is about

RISK TOLERANCE and

AMBIGUITY TOLERANCE

Tons of Corporate refugees DONT make it.

Maybe one of the biggest hurdles is your personal life. Kids about ready to start college? Buy a big house in the last few years? Spouse doesnt work? All those can be killers.

There is no set answer, the answer is within you already. My experience is worthless to you. You just need to hold up the right template to yourself.

 

[Labesky]

Not sure why but was thinking about your question yesterday.

One of the big issues in Medicare insurance--newbies getting in-and getting out. They have no clue what they are doing, misinform the member, and then when you bump into the client you try to fix it.

Not sure what the turnover rate is but VERY high.

I am curious to know what your thoughts are at this point