Is a job selling insurance the right path for me?

[pampered1224]

I have not gotten a job yet. Still putting in applications faster than I am getting responses and I really need to do something. Well, that something may have fallen into my lap. And it is not because I am an IT guy but rather because I am a PC person. This job is selling insurance.
1) It takes $200 to go through the class, get my license for the State of WI and be finger printed. (Not sure why that, but WI needs it.) This would be out of pocket. 3 year longevity on the license.
2) The group I would be working with DOES NOT USE COLD CALLS!! All of the "clients" have already requested info.
3) It is commission sales. 55% payable upon receipt of a signed contract. I also do not feel bad about these sales because most of the average sales are around $10 to $20 a month for the client.
4) THERE IS NO CONTRACT that ties me to the company, amount of sales nor time. I can do this for a week or forever. I can sell something or nothing. It will be up to me. Except to make enough to recover the $200.
5) I AM NOT PAID BY THE COMPANY. I am paid by the Insurance companies of which we deal with ING, Transamerica, and Mutual of Omaha are amongst those. Also, I did call Transamerica and Mutual of Omaha and yes, they do use the company I would be going with as brokers.
The company is NAA.

What do you all think?

 

[wadesgirl]

I don't have any advice about the job but know that I feel for you! I've been laid off for 7 months now. I've applied for at least 2 jobs a week per my unemployment requirements and I've had 3 (THREE) interviews! The first one just focused on the fact that I had no experience for their job, second one told me that they didn't even have any positions open (why have me come in for an interview) and the third was only last week. I haven't heard anything back from them yet. It's hard and frustrating!!

 

[scottcooks]

You could try it for a limited time - 6 months. It sounds a lot like Aaflac. Another simlilar idea is American Family Insurance.If you like people, is real estate an option?

 

[pampered1224]

Not around here! I have a dear friend who, up to 2007 was pulling in about $80,000 per year in commissions. She was selling three to four homes a week. Now she is lucky if she pulls in $25,000 a month and sells 2 to 3 homes a month. Not only that, the cost of becoming an agent is about $1000. So...
And thanks Scott. In a way, it is not much different of a risk than PC is. It is all in the communication. The way PC is working though for me and a lot of consultants in SE Wisconsin, I would still supplement that income. Besides, I sort of asked about advertising PC to folks. Tracey said to wait and ask. She did not see why it should be an issue as long as I completed the insurance part of my call first. I told her, I would just maybe leave a mini catalog and a seed. She liked that. So...

 

[Sheila]

I know NOTHING about the field, so I really can't comment on either side.Can you talk to some of the employees who have been doing this 6-12 months & see how they feel about the position? They are still new enough that they know what it's like to get started in this economy & have been there long enough to know if it's something they still see themselves doing in 3-5 years or if it's something they are doing while waiting for a better job to come along.

 

[pampered1224]

I did talk to some of the people there. Jasmine, who has been doing this since September, has about one or two signs a week. This means she averages about $450. She is a full time college student. She needed flexible as she is in some sort of field of study where she needs to grab lab time when it is available. S fixed schedule would not do it for her. She averages about 15 calls a week, usually 9 appointments and usually 3 or 4 signs. So... Darren, another guy who started the beginning of January is calling about 30 or 40 people per week as well but can do appointments whenever. He is averaging about 9 sales per week. This is translating into almost $1300 a week. Seems like a good thing to do. So... I am calling today to see about the classes and such.

 

[Sheila]

(((fingers crossed))) for you John!

 

[pampered1224]

Well, I have the fees I need put together and I will be making that call today to see how to proceed. Sounds weird but I am actually excited about this venture. Maybe because I keep picturing myself 10 years from now getting under a desk to pull wires and having to have help getting up every time I do!
I mean, really, how hard it is to get off a kitchen or dinning room chair?