Confessions of a millennial advisor

Expand Your Network

Don't rely solely on doing business with people you know. After college, I moved to Chicago, and I am originally from Pennsylvania. Unfortunately for me, I did not have friends and family members to help start my business. I saw many new agents rely too heavily in the first 6 months on sales to friends and family. If an agent is not continually obtaining good prospects, the agent will generally be out of the business in a year.

Always Be Prospecting

Don't let a bad experience ruin your day. I had so many "no shows" from prospects in my earliest days, I could not even keep count. Don't quit– find more names and keep prospecting. I made sure if someone stood me up at a restaurant, I would not leave there until I got the server's name and number. In other words, I was always prospecting! Learn to effectively prospect, and this business can be a delight!

Listen To Your Manager

Managers are there for a reason. If they tell you to spend 8 hours a week prospecting and have 10 appointments a week, do everything in your power to make that happen. A manager's job is to help an agent succeed; be coachable and follow the process.

Track Your Activity

Any successful business owner knows how much profit is needed each month to keep the business going.  The profit comes directly from activity. Phone calls lead to appointments and appointments lead to sales. An agent should know how many phone calls they need to make in order to close a certain amount of business. If you are not tracking all the activity, you are working blind.

Establish Work-Life Balance

What about job satisfaction? It is no secret that we millennials want a good work-life balance. While a lot of work is required in the early years, you can largely control your calendar, especially after you have achieved some success. You can take some down time with family and friends, go on trips, and pursue your hobbies.

A huge aspect of job satisfaction is achieving the respect of clients and co-workers, and that respect is icing on the cake. Though I am still young, I simply do not let age get in my way. I attempt to always go above and beyond with my professionalism. Clients and acquaintances are usually very surprised to learn my age. As an agent, I dressed the part, knew the products better than other agents, and role played my scripts and methods to overcome objections regularly. I also invested in my business and paid for an office, so my clients could see how well I was doing. Has the hard work and attention to detail paid off? You bet it has!

A great job in an industry helping families survive and thrive, a clear path for success, and outstanding work-life balance — now that is a career that millennials can love!