Observations

Insurance is a tough racket.

Surprise, I’m changing agencies again.  I’ve given up on Banker’s and am now talking to a company called PMA / USA (Performance Matters Associates)   They specialize in workplace insurance or what is sometimes called voluntary benefits.  They go to companies and sell life and health policies to the employees.  Sounds like a much better gig.  No marathon phone sessions calling people who don’t really want to hear from you.  We get the call from the HR department and meet anyone interested on their breaks.  I expect this will mean more interested people but I’ll really have to see.  Banker’s sounded good at first too.  If everything goes well I’ll start in a few weeks.

Party Prank - Show your friends you love them.

How would our friends know we cared if we weren’t mean to them now and then?

I got this from the latest Wired Magazine.

1>  Get an Ice Tray and freeze some ice cubes.

2>  When the ice starts getting solid put some mentos in them.  Position them so that they are totally encased in the ice cube.

3>  Once the cubes are totally frozen you can add them to your victim’s glass of diet coke.

4>  When the cubes melt down enough for the mentos to contact the diet coke, the drink will overflow with foam.  Much hilarity will ensue at this point.

I haven’t tried this myself yet.  Feel free to give it a shot.

Yes, I'm now a secret Insurance Agent.

I recently had a surprising meeting at work.  We had a meeting to give us the latest updates on following the new rules on selling insurance.  One section of the meeting was on advertising and how the rules affected us.  Insurance advertising is heavily regulated and any published ad must be reviewed by a small army of lawyers.  We drifted into the subject of web advertising and guess what.  Due to the requirement that any advertisement must be reviewed we cannot create any of our own advertising.  If we want to advertise we must use the company approved items.  So basically we cannot put anything original on our web pages about ‘national company’ life.  In fact, we have been asked to not even list the company name on our personal sites.  That includes blogs and any social site.  They consider any listing of the name an un-reviewed advertisement. We can only say that we are ‘insurance agents for a national company’ in our current employment sections.  Wonder how that affects on-line resumes? Is it still considered advertising if it is negative?  It would be funny except they are serious and our jobs hang on keeping our licenses.  There are still a lot of people that don’t understand the web.

I start Twittering.

After seemingly years of denial of the importance of Twitter, I finally signed up.  I’m going to try it.  I got a software offer that made me.  So, there, I’m on it now.  I haven’t found everyone yet but I’ll add all of you as I find your links.  I started with Austin, Jose, and Geeksouth.    I’m at @andserve if you are interested.

I change jobs

Combined Insurance no longer owns me.  Truthfully, they never really paid me very well. So, I have moved on.  I signed the papers Friday to start working at Banker Life and Casualty.  I start my training on Monday.  It should be a good move.  I like their lead structure a lot better.  We’ll see if that helps the bottom line a little.

It's here.

I was pleasantly surprised today when the official insurance license came in the mail.  The state of Tennessee has granted me the right to sell health and accident insurance.  Watch out world.  Starting this week there is one more person selling insurance.

I pass the exam.

Yes, everything worked out and I passed the Health Insurance exam for TN.  The exam was on Nov. 25th.  I’m waiting until the state completes the paperwork and I receive the actual license.  Until then I can’t start the job.  I’m continuing to study the sales material and get everything back on track that was late while I was in Nashville.  Another milestone passed on my new job direction.

Status at Week 1

I have come back to JC so I can straighten out some stuff before the next phase of the training starts.  Monday we start the sales training.  The Combined Insurance Company was the creation of Clement Stone.  Stone is a famous motivational writer of the fifties.  He was also connected to Napoleon Hill.  Hill is famous for the book ‘Think and Grow Rich’.  Stone wrote several as well and contributed to the Grow Rich book.  The sales program is based on Stone’s selling system. It should be very interesting.  I’ve read a little of his work.  Like most of the motivational writers of that time he stresses just pushing through your limitations.  They weren’t big on touchy feely stuff back then.  I’m looking forward to seeing his work presented for the 2008 salesman.  Their meeting room is next door to the License training room where I’ve been this week. We heard them chanting motivational sayings several times.  I guess we will be chanting this week too.

The State test is early Thanksgiving week.  I’m studying hard.  I get mixed comments from people who have passed it.  Some say it’s easy and some say it’s hard.  No matter what they say, some people do fail it, and those people don’t get to work before they do pass it.  So, I study.  I need an income to start as soon as possible.

Later…

I start the training

Today I arrived in Nashville to start training.  Tomorrow I attend my first class.  I have checked in to the motel.  As they told me I have a room mate.  That seems to be part of the training.  I wonder if it’s so we can be exposed to some else in the same position we are.  They send out snipers in teams of two.  The reason is that if only one person is sent, they may decide to not shoot the target.  With another person along there is enough social pressure to make sure the target is shot.  Could that be why everyone is issued a roommate?  Just enough social pressure to keep everyone excelling.

Job News

Good news,  I’ve been hired by Combined Insurance as a field agent.  Monday I start their agent training in Nashville for three weeks. Then I’ll be back here to spread the word of low cost health insurance.  Have no fear, I’m continuing my web activities, my other projects, and of course my quest.  My e-book will be completed and my blogs will continue to inspire and encourage those also seeking success.  I’ll just be able to pay the bills a little quicker. The universe continues to push me toward ultimate success.  I’ll keep you informed.