Money and You – Life insurance and its agents

by Jet Villamor

Well-trained professional life insurance agents are an endangered species.
I have been in the industry long enough to experience first hand how people look down and frown on life insurance agents. They may have their own reasons, ranging from their experiences with other life insurance agents or they may have a wrong notion of what a life insurance agent actually does.
Before one becomes a true life insurance agent, he has to submit himself/ herself to a series of training programs, including the need to pass an insurance commission exam to be granted a license to sell life insurance products. Basic training program will usually run from five days to one month, depending on the curriculum of the company. Becoming a life insurance agent is not a walk in the park. Regular training programs are scheduled and have to be enrolled in for the agents to be always updated with the market trends.
Taking the licensing exams and passing all the training programs are not enough. Agents have to maintain a certain level of productivity, depending on the company standards for them to maintain and renew their license. Failure to meet certain parameters would mean revocation or termination of their license to sell.
The life of a life insurance agent is never really easy.
We know for a fact that businessmen, executives, employees and practically everyone is busy, that makes a life insurance agent busy too but always remember this, well-trained, professional life insurance agents are doing you a favor – they do.
The next time a life insurance agent approaches you, be thankful and please give him/her a little time to talk and listen, 15 minutes will do for one to show you if indeed you still have a need for their services. We have trained our agents to perform the needs based approach where, you will first be examined if indeed you are in need of their services. In fact we are training our agents to become financial advisers in the truest sense of the word (not just in name and calling cards).
If indeed you are fully covered, a well trained agent will simply congratulate you for doing a great job in providing for your family. If the opposite is true, a well trained agent will offer his/her services with a tailor fitted product – without forcing you, and in fact encourage you, to get it from someone who already enjoys your trust. Because to trained agents, what is really important is for them to be able to open up the minds of the prospects and make them understand the beauty and importance of the product we call Life Insurance.
In the not so distant past, many agents simply considered themselves “commissioners” – whose interest was to earn commissions no matter what. These are the uncommitted agents who usually destroy the very favorable reputation of good agents. These are the now-you-see, now-you-don’t, types. Servicing is never really in their minds, that is why well- meaning clients abhor this kind of agents because you’ll only see them when they are out to collect from you because they still have something to get from the premiums they’ve collected from you. The moment you’re premium payment is no longer commissionable, they’re gone.
Successful agents are servicing freaks. They will always do the extra mile in servicing their clients and possible prospects. They are those who are always there for a client, not just during premium collections. These are the agents who would remind you of your due date even if its already beyond the commissionable years. There are those who never forget to greet you on your birthdays, anniversaries and other important occasions.
A lot of agents join the industry for the wrong reasons. For many, becoming a Life Insurance agent is simply a matter of having no other choice. I know of a lot of people who for lack of doing something only joined the industry so as to have something to do while waiting for something else. There are so many agents who are working part time – what can you expect from a part time agent?
Successful life insurance agents are usually those who never think of really becoming one until they realize the value of the product. Most agents who are now successful and who became millionaires because of the business were usually the reluctant agents until they truly believed that indeed life insurance is a great opportunity for one to be able to help.
Being a life insurance agent is not just simply a career or a business – most of all, this is a vocation. When you make it a mission, commissions will simply follow. Lots of them.
Most Life insurance companies are looking for individuals’ day in and day out who have what it takes to become successful in this field.
A life insurance company looks for an individual with an entrepreneurial mindset. Somebody whose integrity is beyond question. One who values family and self and is highly motivated.
An ideal candidate must be a self-starter. Self reliant. Very persistent and hard working. Somebody who has an ardent desire to leave a legacy and make a difference in the lives of many Filipinos.
A good life insurance agent must have a winning attitude. One who stops at nothing but success – he must have the habit to succeed.
The best candidate must love to help, loves to teach, loves to learn and wants to earn unlimited income.
If you have any of those what I have just mentioned above – the life insurance industry needs you.

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