In 1966, after being in the workforce for 16 years, I decided on an employment change. I could see no chance for promotion in the company where I was, and believed there would be opportunities elsewhere. And so, I ventured into the life assurance field, as I had been encouraged to do.
My first mistake was to enlist with a fairly obscure life assurance company. But it was a subsidiary company of the employer with whom I had 16 years involvement, and so I had the opportunity to have numerous contacts.
My information was that one of the main attributes of being successful was to have plenty of contacts, and so I had covered this facet. What hadn’t been explained to me was that there was a special technique in closing, or finalising sales. As a relatively quiet and unassuming type of person, I discovered that I did not possess this talent. That’s where the problem lay.
In the early stages of my employment, I was accompanied, in my search for customers, by a very outgoing and charming official of my employment company with whom I became quite friendly. He was able to procure sales which were credited to me, and we proceeded satisfactorily.
I did much research and self training, including reading many sales motivational books. I followed up all the birth and death notices, but to no avail! I could not, on my own, clinch a sale. Potential customers were very polite, asking questions and agreeing with the benefits of life assurance. But I could not get them to sign on the dotted line.
In absolute frustration , after a period of 12 months, and although I had no other job to go to, I resigned.. My career had gone bung.
As I write/read this essay I hurt; I cringe at the memory of the anguish that I had endured, as I told my wife that I was a failure ; ….I had no job!
As was my career in this field, this essay is a flop; no chance of writing 500 words!
Ray O’Shannessy.
My first mistake was to enlist with a fairly obscure life assurance company. But it was a subsidiary company of the employer with whom I had 16 years involvement, and so I had the opportunity to have numerous contacts.
My information was that one of the main attributes of being successful was to have plenty of contacts, and so I had covered this facet. What hadn’t been explained to me was that there was a special technique in closing, or finalising sales. As a relatively quiet and unassuming type of person, I discovered that I did not possess this talent. That’s where the problem lay.
In the early stages of my employment, I was accompanied, in my search for customers, by a very outgoing and charming official of my employment company with whom I became quite friendly. He was able to procure sales which were credited to me, and we proceeded satisfactorily.
I did much research and self training, including reading many sales motivational books. I followed up all the birth and death notices, but to no avail! I could not, on my own, clinch a sale. Potential customers were very polite, asking questions and agreeing with the benefits of life assurance. But I could not get them to sign on the dotted line.
In absolute frustration , after a period of 12 months, and although I had no other job to go to, I resigned.. My career had gone bung.
As I write/read this essay I hurt; I cringe at the memory of the anguish that I had endured, as I told my wife that I was a failure ; ….I had no job!
As was my career in this field, this essay is a flop; no chance of writing 500 words!
Ray O’Shannessy.
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