January 27, 1923.   WOMEN IN LIFE INSURANCE EDITION; INSURANCE ADVOCATE   21

ADVICE TO BEGINNERS

By J. Elliott Hall, Hall and McNamara, General Agents
Penn Mutual Insurance Company, New York

As a general proposition, for the the business-girl-applicant herself,

soliciting of the ordinary class of   predominate; and without neglecting

prospects, i.e., the large percentage   it, rather submerging both the natural

of calls being made on business men,

we are not sanguine and cannot wax enthusiastic over the possibilities of the woman life agent. The incessant pounding of disappointment in the early stages of a life insurance career, coupled with the nervous tension under which a beginner—salesman al-ways operates until he "breaks the ice" in sufficient instances to gain self-confidence, is too wearing on the sensibilities, necessarily more tender in the gentler sex.

However, we do not mean to be discouraging, but rather directive, from our experience, in the sense that we are of the opinion that the field of the woman agent, is among Business Women, and that she should specialize entirely upon calling upon women in business, seeking interviews of the business man where some definite circumstances initiate it.

In soliciting business women, we do not mean women solely in executive positions; we mean every girl or woman who works and produces income. School teachers, nurses, stenographers, secretaries, telephone operators, clerical help, city and government employees, in fact any woman or girl earning $1,000 annually should be solicited by the woman agent. A small average policy will result of course, but with the Woman Agent, just as it is true of the male life insurance salesman, only to a tremendously greater degree, FREQUENCY of CLOSE rather than Size of Policy, is the important thing.

To illustrate—a young lady joined this organization recently, (having convinced us she had the calibre we require) purely on faith, based on a statement she had heard made in one of our educational courses to the et-feet that any one, "man or woman whom we could know, would place themselves completely in our hands, being amendable to every suggestion, and EVERLASTINGLY WORK at it, could develop the Seeds of Life Insurance Success."

After proper instruction in an educational course of two weeks, this young woman followed entirely our thought of soliciting young women of about her own age, she featured exclusively a PLAN of GUARANTEED SAVINGS of "so many cents a day," or a "dollar or a dollar and a half a week," etc. This will result in a CASH PAYMENT at the end of fifteen years or some such short maturity, with Disability Waiver and In-come in even so small an amount, making what the proposition does for

regularity—insure other women, regardless of amount. She should not seek big cases, keeping happy instead of becoming a nervous wreck. She should work among her own kind of people—women in business.

There are of course, exceptions. Star women agents have occasionally flashed across the life insurance firmament—but they are EXCEPTIONS. We believe that this business in corn.

mon with all industrial and commercial life is in the main, made up of average people—men and women. Therefore, we want the women agent to enter it Right, and not with abnormal expectations.

We Welcome the Advent of an In-creasing Number of Women Life Insurance Solicitors. We know that they will make the Business a Better Business, for where can WOMEN ENTER, and NOT IMPROVE, but to do their BEST and keep HAPPIEST, we recommend that they work among their sisters in other lines of business.

   •~   

WHAT INFLUENCED ME TO
ENTER LIFE INSURANCE

By Mrs. Louise B. DeNoon, Connecti-

cut Mutual at Huntington, W. Va.

I have been asked what influenced me to enter the life insurance profession. The reason is rather obvious. It was thoroughly discussed in my home for several years. My husband was an insurance man, and I had heard him remark time and again, "Life insurance is my religion," and my sister-in-law (Miss Clara DeNoon) is one of the most successful life insurance women in the country. So quite naturally, when it became necessary for me to choose my life work, life insurance as a profession was my first thought, I am, in a sense," carrying on" that "religion" which meant so much to my husband.

It seems to me, women—more than men, should appreciate life insurance. They are the ones who usually receive the benefits. One has to believe in one's work to accomplish any-thing. This fact, coupled with the preliminary training I had with my husband and sister-in-law, and the inspiration from my General Agent, ac-counts for any success I may have had.

I entered the life insurance profession last April, have applied for $169,-000, and have had no rejections or death claims. I have enjoyed my work and see in it a big field for women. They have not only an equal opportunity with men, but in some respects an advantage. They can al-ways get an interview even with the busiest men, and are assured of courteous treatment. With the proper training, diligence and moderate intelligence, a woman can produce a larger income and at the same time have more freedom in life insurance than in any other business or profession.

and accidental death protection ele ment.

The Result—she has been soliciting five weeks, and has written RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, TWO applications EVERY WEEK, varying $1,000, $1,500 and 2,000, on business women and girls whom she did not know previously. Moreover, she is dealing with people constantly and by intent, with whom she can make friends easily, and developing them as centers of influence to lead by reference to other young women in similar business positions.

If she had begun her life insurance work, attempting to sell men, en-countering difficulty in obtaining interviews, being obliged to deal in figures, inclined to be complex instead of simple; if she had attempted to sell Ordinary Life (to which plan this organization is in large measure in dined); if she had EVEN attempted, as do our regular immediately upon completing their class instruction, to solicit INCOME DNSURANCE, which is the outstanding thought of this office—SHE MIGHT NOT HAVE FAILED—but we are sure that she would not be the happy little lady she is NOW, content to grow gradually; despite her ambition.

She realizes that her work is cumulative. She knows that with all her small quarterly premiums, just keeping her business stable with two APPs a week of small business, that though her income the first three months may be low; the second three months, it 'oubles; the third three months, it trebles; and the fourth three month-period when she is receiving new first-quarterly commissions and three quarterly deferred commissions, that her income QUADRUPLES.

Keeping her avearge production at $3,000 per week, she is then receiving $2,300 to $3,000 annually. When she reached this stage, she is founded in the life insurance business, as far as KNOWING she can make it produce current income.

Then she can develop in all phases of the business upon the foundation of her own experience and knowledge but many a heartache and approach to nervous hysteria upon delayed, rejected or refused "big" business will have been avoided.

Above all, the woman agent should be able to finance herself for THREE MONTHS — Unquestionably. She should keep constantly doing those things which she can learn to have the confidence in herself most quickly, that she can do them with utmost