Help with Project 200

[VolAgent]

Short of asking them, you aren't going to get the addresses. That or go to their home if you know where it is and write it down.

But follow healthagent's advice. Ask your sales manager what else you are going to do besides the Project 200 to develop prospects.

 

[WinoBlues]

All this stinkin thinkin.
Is as others have said, reality.

Intelius.com about$2.00 each

Put some numbers and addresses down as requested. People that will give you the appointments your manager wants. They had better really like you.

But as stated, it will not keep you in the business. You need to learn to prospect. Your manager needs to teach you how to prospect. He needs to help you put a plan together.

I was asked for the project 100 when I started at John Hancock. I did not do it. Helped that I had moved 3 hours from home to take the job. I did not sell any family for years after I started. Even then I do so reluctantly.

Start asking the other agents their how they started and who they sold.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Ok. Here goes. True story. Maybe this will help.

30 years ago, I also had to do a "Project 100." I was new to the area and didn't know anybody. So approximately 90 of my 100 were baseball players like Bob Boone, Bake McBride, Bob Dernier, Randy Lerch, Ron Reed etc... Yes, I was and still am a Phillies fan.

And I'm still in the business!

 

[Josh]

Why not project 10,000? Just buy a list of people and cold call. At least then you'll still have your friends you can talk to when you get cooked.

 

[Full Throttle]

But as stated, it will not keep you in the business. You need to learn to prospect. Your manager needs to teach you how to prospect. He needs to help you put a plan together.

I have never been in the career channel, but from what I understand, there is a real lack of talent in this area. I'm sure there are some very good exceptions, but I would suspect a newbie's odds of finding a manager who can help them in this respect is minimal. If "get more referrals" is the only advice you get, the manager probably doesn't have much to offer. That being said, some agents have made it this way, so it's not impossible.

I did not sell any family for years after I started. Even then I do so reluctantly.

I started calling friends and parent's friends (not family since there was already a family member with a long tenure in the business) and netted three clients out of about 50 contacts. No one had money that was my age (the three I got) and the one's who had money didn't trust me yet. After that, I had an "oh, ****, now what?" moment. The rest came from the school of hard knocks, wish I could have shortened the learning curve with some real advice and training.

 

[arnguy]

Ok. Here goes. True story. Maybe this will help.

30 years ago, I also had to do a "Project 100." I was new to the area and didn't know anybody. So approximately 90 of my 100 were baseball players like Bob Boone, Bake McBride, Bob Dernier, Randy Lerch, Ron Reed etc... Yes, I was and still am a Phillies fan.

And I'm still in the business!

As Frank would say, Ed, spot on!

 

[Frank Stastny]

Ask your sales manager what else you are going to do besides the Project 200 to develop prospects.

He will get the pat answer they all give, "referrals". After one pisses off all of their friends and relatives referrals are going to be really hard to come by.

The downside to doing the 200 is that no where are they offering to teach him to prospect. If an agent doesn't know how to prospect they are going to have a short lived career.

 

[Josh]

The downside to doing the 200 is that no where are they offering to teach him to prospect. If an agent doesn't know how to prospect they are going to have a short lived career.

I think to some degree (perhaps large degree), that's the point. Let the "manager" get the override (or total comp) using that persons trust, then hire another dozen agents and do the same thing. That could very easily be the managers way to get free leads.

 

[VolAgent]

I think to some degree (perhaps large degree), that's the point. Let the "manager" get the override (or total comp) using that persons trust, then hire another dozen agents and do the same thing. That could very easily be the managers way to get free leads.

You know, as much as everyone wants to hate on the managers about this, I don't think they know better. Odds are, the ones that made it a few years, it worked for them. That or they just got lucky. So they sit there and scratch their heads and wonder why no one succeeds. Plus, I've heard from a few sources that sales managers are told to use Project 200 from on high.

Takes a rare manager to buck the home office and regional VPs. But it is worth looking for, that manager will help you succeed.

 

[Insuranceman]

When I first started in the biz a fellow agent had his plan 200 list stolen out of his desk. It turned out that the manger stole it and was contacting them and running the appointments on the sly.