An Agent Writes About ‘The Most Valuable Sales Tool Of All’
To The Editor:
Twenty years ago as I began my “new life” as an insurance agent, a young colleague suggested I sell a $30 per month family health insurance plan. I asked an older, more experienced agent his opinion about this particular plan. The agent replied that I should stay far away from it, and to always remain very cautious about what I sell.
Thankfully, I listened. Within a month, that health insurance company selling the $30 per month plans was out of business, and my young colleague was in deep trouble.
Always remember that the best interest of your client comes first and foremost, far ahead of any consideration about sales commissions. Once you have lost the confidence of your clients, its almost impossible to recover.
People who build their businesses with integrity, and with the ultimate welfare of their clients as their first priority, will never face recrimination. Just ask the former executives of Enron, Arthur Anderson, Adelphia, and Tyco. In each of these cases, greed, short-sightedness, and the absence of ethics have led these once-powerful companies into tumultuous and compromising situations.
The fallout is steep. We now face a general decline in the stock market, partially due to foreign mistrust of many U.S. corporations. This market decline will ultimately affect us all. Our countrys economic advantage is at risk.
What can each of us do in this politically and economically unstable circumstance? We can focus on the future long-term satisfaction of our own clientele. We can offer only quality contracts from strong, committed, and experienced companies.