Are you proud to be a salesperson?

I have been selling life insurance for the past 25 years. During this period, I had seen countless of agents recruited into this industry but most failed to last and stayed permanently. Life insurance is a noble product which is accepted but should be sold in the proper manner by our agents. Hopefully by adding some advices on my blog, my fellow colleagues can have a better chance to survive in this profession.

Insurance agent is basically a salesperson. Most people are not proud to be addressed as a salesman. Once you have that negative thought, you would find difficulties to sell and approach people. Many prefer to name themselves as Financial Advisor or Consultant, but they would never introduce themselves as an insurance salesman or saleslady. I think they considered salesperson as the lowest profession of all careers. Not me! I tell the whole world that I am only a salesman selling life insurance. For I am proud to be one. The 40 years of selling, rewarded me with respect from my clients. Not once, did my clients degraded me but rather they are so proud that I am an insurance salesman.

The biggest mistake of our agents is; "they are very well verse in knowledge pertaining to insurances but they are the least knowledgeable in selling themselves." If you are knowledgeable in the insurance product, I would term you as an insurance personnel. Those from the management, like the CEO to the lowest office executives are all considered as insurance personnel too. They are equally knowledgeable in insurances but just that they don't sell like an agent.

The first duty of an agent is not to sell his product but rather to know, how to sell himself to others. Selling to friends and relatives are not considered as selling. They buy merely to help you. Those easy sales are transacted more like orders taking and not true needs.

A professional sale person has a skill, who can market himself to everyone he encounter. The minute he meets a new prospect, he can create excitement, humour and a sense of confidence. He reflects a charismatic charm towards his new approach who automatically likes his confident personality. Within a shortest time, he can build trust and liking, when the new friend shall feel the sincerity in him. Once he can reach this level, the prospect would be too eager to listen further. This is what I called, "Do you know how to sell and market yourself before you sell your company's products?"

Is easy to be an insurance agent but isn't easy to be an insurance salesperson. If you are interested to be an effective sale person, please don't hesitate to write to me. I would be too happy to further highlight this subject.