Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: AFLAC - to be or not to be an agent, that is the ?

Comments:
: The main point you are missing is that this is SALES. The field is irrelavant. Clearly you are not cut out for sales, and hey it is okay not everyone is. Perhaps your talents are best utlized by punching a clock 9-5 and collecting a check on Friday. Independent Agents make their own schedules and are compensated based on their ability to produce. Smack your head on the glass ceiling a time or 2 and you will understand it. Sure not everyone can make it or even does. Is it tough - YES. Can it be done - YES. As far as recruiting and turn over - look at any business -most businesses have this problem. People switch jobs for 50 cents per hour more. The one problem AFLAC has (if you can even consider it a problem) is that EVERYONE knows the AFLAC name. PS AFLAC is not the only company that has independent agents - it is the way many companies work. Do you own AFLAC stock? I do. And it is pretty darn impressive. From a stockholders perspective - whatever is being done it is working and I am increasing my net worth. : : : Ask them how many people they "hire" in a month. Ask them how many of those people will still be with them a year from now. Ask them how many AFLAC sales people in your region actually make more than $20,000 a year. Also realize you are being sold on AFLAC by probably one of the best sales people AFLAC has in that region. Like any sales person, they have quotos to meet when it comes to sales AND recruiting. Your District has a regional breathing down his or her neck, who has a state coordinator breathing down his or her neck, who has a territory coordinator and so on and so on. : : Do not be seduced by the challenge, the old "Only the really outstanding individuals succeed, we think you are one of those people" line. That approach is designed to make you feel good about them, to make you feel like a maverick, special, and an achiever. Realize that everything being said to you is with the goal of A) bringing one more body in to satisfy their recruiting quota B)with the knowledge that if you do fail the coordinators above you will have made money off you and will continue to make money off you after you're gone. : : Above and beyond anything else, realize that you are taking a gamble with your future. The odds are against you in this gamble. 99% of those sales people before you who took that gamble lost. Do you want a job that is completely commission? Have you ever worked on 100% commission? Do you have any other income to fall back on from a spouse for the lean months. Your income will never be predictable with 100% commision no matter what they tell you. You will have chargebacks, meeting and training fees, supply and mailing fees and other fees AFLAC will never totally explain to you. Those agents who suceed in AFLAC are usually married with a working spouse who can pick up the slack during the lean months. One more thing. It is very difficult to find a 9 to 5 job after you've been "self employed" which is what you will be with AFLAC. Employers shy away from hiring people who have been self employed, particularly sales people. : : : : : AFLAC sounds promising to me. Seems like they have products that cover the situations that we don't want to think about. I have been in those situations first hand experiencing death of two family members and almost losing my wife, lost our retail store, declared bankruptcy etc. AFLAC is pursuing me now. I don't mind the sales, because I can talk the talk and have testimony of hardship, however it bothers me tremendously if AFLAC is smoke and mirrors and all they care about is the comission at all costs. I'm riding along with a agent a couple days and interviews have went well. I have talked to associates of mine that are now agents and they love it! Thhe person interviewing me makes $63,000 year just in renewals and he's under 30 seemed like he has a good heart. I have searched internet etc and have not found bad info so maybe this company actually cares WHO KNOWS!

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