01 Aug 2006 07:17 PM

Why Would Anyone Become An Insurance Agent?

by Anna Glendenning | More from this Blogger

    

As a retired insurance agent I don't remember one time where I sold a policy and heard the clients say, "Oh, this purchase was so wonderful let's go out to dinner and celebrate."

I did have a few high risk drivers who had to provide proof of auto insurance I was able to make happy by finding insurance they were eligible to purchase. The closest thing to "celebrating insurance customers" were those young drivers who had already wracked up a few speeding tickets.

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I am sure car salespeople, and real estate agents have watched as their clients signed on the dotted line with excitement and joy of their new purchase. But, not the insurance agent. In fact most often my customers were irritated and not at all happy to have to pay for something as abstract as the possibility of a true disaster or loss.

I know it's difficult to write the premium check for insurance, because I have to write those checks too. Year after year sending good money to an insurance company because the state requires it in order to drive or the bank wants their loan money paid even if the car or home is destroyed or damaged.

The fact is insurance agents don't hear very many happy people leaving their office. Usually, we hear about how much it costs to insure the things our clients want or have. We hear all the conspiracy stories about the big greedy insurance companies investing in things with the premium dollars. We hear about the unjust underwriting and the fact personal credit score are used.

Why would anyone want to sell anything based on speculation, risk, and possible tragedy that hopefully most people will never need?

I can tell you why I did, because when there was a loss, a claim that event no one ever thought was going to happen I was able to witness what the insurance really means at the time of real loss or tragedy. When someone was hurt or their home burned to the ground I could quietly celebrate the fact that these people would be taken care of.

I have seen some amazing things happen following terrible events and loss because of insurance. For me becoming and insurance agent was all about being able to help people during a horrible time in their lives.

The complaining and sometimes anger directed at insurance in general rolled off my back, because usually when I was finished listening to those things I followed up on claims for people suffering.

So, the fact is that some people are willing to listen and ignore the grumbling and complaining about how much insurance costs, knowing that if needed their customers will be covered in the event of a horrible loss.

If you want to surprise someone and make their day try leaving a thank you voice mail or sending a note to your insurance agent--just because.

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Learn more about Anna Glendenning

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Anna Glendenning is a mother of four. Sean and Tori, are grown and out of college, Makala and Marty are biological siblings and were adopted together in 2003. Anna's Personal Website http://www.

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6 comments so far

Michele Cheplic Online! (31776) 01 Aug 2006 08:19 PM

My mother is in insurance as is my uncle and my grandfather was an insurance agent for years prior to passing away. Most people don't realize that insurance agents have to buy insurance too and they don't get a discount (at least my mom doesn't). Great article!

DianeScraps (4230) 01 Aug 2006 09:41 PM

I was a licensed agent for 12 years, just recently letting my license expire. There are definitely very few times that an agent, really sees appreciation from a customer. But I have stood in charred remains of a customers business (at 11 pm) and been their as the buisness reopened. I have held a widows hand, and confirmed that yes the spouse did have life insurance to cover her finances. Those people, and many more, are more then customers, they are now friends.

Evan (130) 03 Aug 2006 08:01 PM

Great opening line! Not too many insurance agents are being taken out for a nice dinner! Although we probably deserve it for the hard task of selling insurance!!!

Evan www.Leads4Insurance.com

Patrick (5) 15 Aug 2006 07:45 AM

It's not about the task! The agents do it for a varied reasons! One being money! Other's I know do it as a side business. But as the things vary, a family's insurance agent is the one who comes with the good hope that yeh, there was something that the deceased left for them!

People feel relieved once they have taken a life insurance policy and yeh many of them bless the agent too :)

Anna Glendenning (4467) 11 Jan 2007 09:54 PM

You are so right!

DonOsborn (6) 15 Jan 2007 02:14 PM

Selling insurance is not an emotionally rewarding experience.

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