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Part of the American Term Life Insurance History Project
Term Life Insurance

 

PREPARATION OF THE SALESMAN

However, Sunday comes and all day no word of cheer is spoken to the poor unfortunate husband and insurance salesman.

On Monday morning the salesman quietly and thoughtfully leaves the house in such a frame of mind that he really should visit a physician. But, once in the air, he shakes off memories of the domestic scene and becomes an insurance man again, determined to do or die. He works hard all day, gets an app. for a $1,000 twenty year endowment, examination to be made that night. Rushing home he tells the good news to his wife. Often she is not pleased, but reprimands him in no gentle way for not having insured more people, while also she has something to say about his night engagement. He goes out; returns; spends a restless, sleepless night and in the morning again leaves the house with as little friction as possible. At the office there is another shock. His prospect has a high blood pressure; no chance of getting by. With all these things on his mind, he starts out again with success to the extent of having several people agree to buy in the near future. Today has been a good day, but what is his wife going to say? He braces himself ; goes home, where he receives the same greeting as before.

Right here, let me say that a few kind words would be worth their weight in gold. One thousand dollars in real money would be the value of an encouraging reception at home, because the next morning the salesman would start out with a light heart and a determination to succeed, which will conquer all. An equal amount of good cheer and stick-to-it-iveness belongs to the wife for if she is not with her husband, his greatest obstacle is at home. She must understand that it takes time to create a clientele.

I never have heard of any great success attained without hard-ship; or, to put it another way, anything attained without hard work and worry is not really a success, but luck. If one is to be a doctor or lawyer, it generally means ten or twelve years of pretty uphill business before there is a paying practice. One of the best lawyers in Louisville ran $14,000 in debt before he began to make money. The insurance salesman does not have to wait so long. Two years should place him where he should be getting a substantial income. He is his own boss, is allowed to work where and when he likes, and has by this time learned he has "samples," such as are possessed by no other salesmen; name-

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Part of the American Term Life Insurance History Project
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