Pros
Potential to earn income proportional to your effort
Cons
If you are thinking about getting in to selling insurance and/or financial products, it's important to know the nature of this business. Most of the things you read about are for the most part accurate but don't really matter because this industry has a system that been working for many, many years before the last agent arrived. People are talking about the downsides but it's just the nature of the business. You either go with the system or not. You wouldn't get a job as an accountant and then complain that you don't like working with numbers right? It is what it is and we can't really judge it. The company typically will not lie to you and for the most part everything is as it appears. However, there are some things that I wish someone would have shared with me in the beginning though: 1. This job is very hard emotionally and physically. You'll work long hours, spend your own money, and experience more rejection than typically any other time in your life. For men, this is especially hard since we equate what we do with who we are. 2. You really need a fairly significant natural market of friends and relatives. Even if they don't buy from you, at least you’re more likely to get referrals from them which are the lifeblood of your success (now and in the future). If you just moved here or don't know too many people, it will be extremely difficult to find customers. It's not impossible as some people have done it, but it's much, much harder to succeed. Most successful agents started out in their area with plenty of friends, family, and referrals to get them going. Getting past the first year is the biggest hurdle which is why the natural market and/or referrals is so important. Your first year prospecting will most likely be the following years business. In other words, it takes time for new contacts/people to trust you. Of course, I do not have the statistics, but I would estimate based on the number of relatively successful agents at the office, about 8 out of 10 are locals. It's probably the same for other companies. 3. Only about 3 out of 10 make it past the first year for whatever reason 4. Your expenses will be very high so make sure you have a reserve of three to six months to live on. 5. You are not really selling a product in the traditional sense. You are selling based on emotion and your ability to disturb people into action. You have to have this character in the beginning or develop it rather quickly. 6. Don't be shocked when your friends and relatives distance themselves from you. Remember that they think, you think, they are expected to buy something from you. 7. You are a captive agent. Remember this as you can only sell this companies products. Many people want to work with an independent agent who they feel has access to a wider variety of products and services. This may or may not be a problem, but you should be aware of it. There are so many wonderful things about this business and the upside of this career is phenomenal. Just be prepared before you make this decision. I hope this helps.
