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.
September 2017
Originally submitted when the topic 'My Career Went Bung' was last offered in September 2017, Ray has chosen to resubmit it seven years later.
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.
September 2017
Originally submitted when the topic 'My Career Went Bung' was last offered in September 2017, Ray has chosen to resubmit it seven years later.
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