Is Telesales Working Consistently. Here Are my Comparisons

[StagekissPDX]

Just to insert something into this conversation: I am not rare or unique when I say that I'm not comfortable walking into a strange person's home anymore, after a very near miss. And no, I don't have anyone I can buddy up with. I didn't get into the insurance field to be worrying about my safety, or think about having to carry pepper spray with me, or having to brush up on my self-defense moves, or even download safety apps that would alert the police, if I'm cornered in a customer's home.

I'm disappointed that when I brought up my safety concerns to a popular member of this community, they told me "You're probably in the wrong field then." Say what? So to only be successful as an FE and/or life insurance salesman, it's imperative I put myself in harm's way.....REALLY? With automation coming fast like a freight train, this industry hasn't innovated far enough? FE or Life or whatever insurance someone wants, can't be done over the phone and online....REALLY? Telesales/Virtual Sales seems like a win-win for the environment: stepping out of our cars and working from home cuts down on pollution, and a salesperson is not put in harm's way, by walking in blind, into a stranger's home.

I've wondered why there is a dearth of female field agents in the business, and an educated guess would be that female agents have had a near miss on their safety, as what I experienced, have been assaulted, raped or even worse in the field. Or maybe they just cannot stomach fending off their worries about their safety, and what to do if the unthinkable happens to them.

And I no longer buy the implausible excuse I heard from the IMO I was with, that what happened to me was a "one off", and that agents are rarely, if ever, harmed in the field.

Virtual/Telesales just makes the most sense.

 

[KRobby]

I'm disappointed that when I brought up my safety concerns to a popular member of this community, they told me "You're probably in the wrong field then." Say what?

Give us a name to go after!

Also, not to diminish your concern, but given the low end crime stats of seniors, I wonder how the risk of harm going into their homes compares to that of operating a motor vehicle on the roads, or simply being in the neighborhood. But of course, those are also eliminated/reduced by implementing telesales campaigns. Telesales was huge a few decades ago in other financial services markets.

 

[Thedude]

Give us a name to go after!

Also, not to diminish your concern, but given the low end crime stats of seniors, I wonder how the risk of harm going into their homes compares to that of operating a motor vehicle on the roads, or simply being in the neighborhood. But of course, those are also eliminated/reduced by implementing telesales campaigns. Telesales was huge a few decades ago in other financial services markets.

A name to go after? Haha for what? It’s sort of true. None of the things she mentioned I’ve ever heard happening to anyone in the field. Any old timers want to chime in?

Rape ....murder? I’m a stats man and I bet the likely hood of that happening is so low.

The most dangerous part of the job is driving.

 

[billyb]

You have to admit that most of the neighborhoods we go into are not the most affluent people in town, but for the most part I have always been treated with respect. Last week I knocked a door of a black family and I heard the kids scream "Daddy their is a white man at our door." several times. He greeted me and invited me in and I sold him a $2500AP. I am sure there are parts of the country where I would not go knock on a door, but in my area I feel safe. The biggest concern I have is dogs.

If you don't feel safe doing F2F then try the phone. I did and I did not like it. A lot of sales by phone are not what is best for the client. This week I replaced 3 GI policies and the insured's were all healthy and did not realize they had a 2 year wait until I showed it to them. So if you do it then do it right.

 

[billyb]

Rape ....murder? I’m a stats man and I bet the likely hood of that happening is so low. The most dangerous part of the job is driving.

I am sure if an insurance salesperson was raped or murdered while out in the field it would be all over the news and I am like you, I have not seen it. I can understand why a person might think they might be harmed just by looking at the surroundings though. I went into home a while back that was filled with people who looked like drug addicts and I followed the lady who opened the door to a bedroom way in the back of the house where my lead was laying in bed covered from head to toe with blankets. I spoke to her and told her who I was and she threw the covers off and we had a nice conversation. I thought for a minute going in that maybe I should just back out, but it all ended well.

 

[DayTimer]

I am sure if an insurance salesperson was raped or murdered while out in the field it would be all over the news and I am like you, I have not seen it.

I know for sure it has happened to real estate professionals - one in particular is a long unsolved homicide right here in my area from 22 years ago.

However, for FE agents, the danger isn't likely to be from one of our prospects but from the surrounding area. Last week I was door knocking when a drive by shooting occurred just two blocks up the street. A woman who was sitting on her own porch was shot, though she was not the intended target. This morning Allentown police shot and killed a man who was walking in one of my main neighborhoods firing a pistol in the air shouting he was going to kill somebody.

My little city has gotten to be quite the shoot 'em up gallery this summer ... that is where the danger is - working some dangerous areas. I'm comfortable with our prospects.

 

[DayTimer]

The most dangerous part of the job is driving.

Indeed ... many probably underestimate the danger.

 

[Thedude]

You have to admit that most of the neighborhoods we go into are not the most affluent people in town, but for the most part I have always been treated with respect. Last week I knocked a door of a black family and I heard the kids scream "Daddy their is a white man at our door." several times. He greeted me and invited me in and I sold him a $2500AP. I am sure there are parts of the country where I would not go knock on a door, but in my area I feel safe. The biggest concern I have is dogs.

If you don't feel safe doing F2F then try the phone. I did and I did not like it. A lot of sales by phone are not what is best for the client. This week I replaced 3 GI policies and the insured's were all healthy and did not realize they had a 2 year wait until I showed it to them. So if you do it then do it right.

I definitely agree we are in rough areas! That’s why I halfway agree with F2F just isn’t for her. There’s nothing wrong with that. All I’m saying is it’s a bit over the top to write things like rape and murder when it’s so unlikely.

I am sure if an insurance salesperson was raped or murdered while out in the field it would be all over the news and I am like you, I have not seen it. I can understand why a person might think they might be harmed just by looking at the surroundings though. I went into home a while back that was filled with people who looked like drug addicts and I followed the lady who opened the door to a bedroom way in the back of the house where my lead was laying in bed covered from head to toe with blankets. I spoke to her and told her who I was and she threw the covers off and we had a nice conversation. I thought for a minute going in that maybe I should just back out, but it all ended well.

I feel like insurance agents just have some respect in the hood. Like people are usually like oh hey a nicely dressed person he must be important lol even if they were criminals I bet they didn’t think twice about doing something. It’s like robbing the cable guy....you don’t think about it!

 

[WinoBlues]

Kinda along this thread.

I had some running around that needed to be done for a couple of weeks. Signatures, pick up checks etc - Saw a guy pissing in the median, three auto accidents and a homeless guy and woman methheads throwing down. Just driving around was a trip.

 

[StagekissPDX]

Hey everyone, thanks for sharing on this thread. I appreciate each of you, and didn't mean to sound overdramatic. The lead WAS Final Expense, btw.
I can't help thinking what could have happened, had I gone into the prospect's home, and it stung when I reached out the person I referenced earlier, shared my story and told him that I was now too nervous to meet strangers in their homes alone, and he told me straight up, "You're probably in the wrong field then."
I love being a Final Expense agent. But I don't want to worry about my safety. This is why I'm going to be pursuing the virtual side of this :-)