Farmers Insurance Agent: How Exactly does this Work?

[WORKEROUTER]

www.farmersinsuranceagent.com

After posting my resume on monster.com, I received an email from this company explaining an opening as an Insurance agent. How exactly does this company operate?

I'm looking to get a sales job, but have no prior experience to speak of.

 

[Joe The Homophobe]

I tried this once. They told me I had to take classes, and pay for them, and first I had to start out by talking to random people on the street trying to give them insurance quotes based on the info they gave me.

 

[Bible_Belt]

You have to telemarket, knock doors, or find another way to bring in business. It's a tough job.

 

[WORKEROUTER]

You have to telemarket, knock doors, or find another way to bring in business. It's a tough job.

For a guy who wants to try a sales job this summer (with little exp.), what would you suggest?

 

[KarmaSutra]

Watch Glengarry Glen Ross. Sales is all about cold calling. It's a tough racket and not for the weak stomached.

 

[Bible_Belt]

It's tough starting from scratch. Some people are better in person, and others are better over the phone. If you have a clean-cut "nice young man" appearance, in-person sales might work better. If you are tattooed and pierced, the phone might be better, unless you are selling to other tatooed and pierced people.

Probably the most important part of a sales job is believing that your product is a good deal for people. You have to sell it to yourself first, then your emotion is contagious. The second most important part is working with successful people. I worked with one group of guys who were so good at their job, that I could barely keep up with them. I only considered myself average. But later I learned that we were the top distributor in the seven state division, and my own sales numbers that were only average within my office were within the top 2% of all salespeople in the division. Much like unsuccessful people drag you down, very successful people will drag you up.