Considering moving from school administration to being an insurance agent. Any advice?

Question

School district superintendent contemplating career move.

Answer 1

In my area, you would be making a whole lot more where you are than being an agent & have much better benefits.  Check out pay scales for salaried customer service agents (they are licensed) and producers.  Call local independent agents to see if they are hiring & what the compensation is.  You have to have a thick skin & not take anything personally.  If you have a thick skin & can see through people that may not be completely up front with you, you can do well.

I have been thinking about getting into education so I can get a pay raise, better benefits & much more time off.

Answer 2

Get a heavy listing of the other administrators, teachers, staff, and anybody else.  You have access to the names, phone numbers, and addresses now.  You will not have easy access to them later.

Make the move slowly!!!

Insurance sales are tough, tough, tough.  Begin part time, please.  Then make the move when your family can handle the stress of sporadic income.

People like me, who are expanding their companies into other parts of the nation, are going to be offering you the world.  Beware!   Check us all out before you jump ship.

Go to my site and see if there is a particular area of the business which interests you.  Speak with companies in your section of the country about niche marketing.

My immediate guess is that you would be great at working with teachers, your natural market.  But you have to make the decision.

www.EndlessLegacy.US is my site.  You can ask a detailed question through the site, should you desire.

Whichever route you select, be certain that there are residuals.   That is a must.

Answer 3

Good advice from prior answers.

A few ideas / tips:

1.  Get both your Life,Health & Variable Annuity license

2.  Get your P& C license

3.  Get those PRIOR to looking for employement in the industry.  It'll make you more marketable.  You may not sell "all lines" of insurance, but you may.

4.  Don't necessary take the 1st position or two offered.  As a general rule, insurance sales (all arenas) have a high turnover; hence, companies and agencies are always looking for quality people.

5.  Develop some thick skin and instetinal fortitude.  Rejection is the 1st rule to learn.  None of it is personal - people are saying simply saying "no" to your product / service.

6.  Have 6 months are savings set aside to basic living expenses.  Commission sales are not a salary; it takes time to develop your "natural market" (see prior response) and develop your rythm and routine.

7.  Working for a large independent agency or a large company is a great way to start into the business.  Most have strong training programs, teaching how to market yourself, how to sell, how to prospect (find clients), manage your business, etc.  You may make it a career, or in time, venture out on your own.  Pro & cons to either.

8.  Learn, live by and remember "The Law of Large Numbers".  It is the very basic premise insurance as a whole, but of selling in general.  The more people you speak to, the more people - in time - with say "yes" to your product, your service and you.

9.  Take care of your clients & customers today, and they will take  care of your tomorrow.  Meaning, the insurance business is built on renewals -very different from other sales carriers.  The reason people get into this business.  

10.  Tenacity - as in life - is paramount.

Good luck.  Hope that helps.