There are just some people that are cut out to work in insurance and everything they do and everything they say screams out what sort of business they are in. I certainly do not mean this in any nasty way as I know many insurance men and I have a lot of respect for them, but it is the same in any profession, there are often certain characteristics that mark out their field of business.
Many insurance men eat, live and breathe their trade. They never take a rest from it. Beyond the standard short-sleeve wash-n-wear shirt and tie and insurance-speak language, the very best of them have custom leave-behinds. Sure, you'll find your standard business card, insurance rate sheet, and maybe some slick promo from the home office. But the best of them -- certainly a large percentage of the most successful -- have their own custom "bling". I got one myself the other day and could hardly believe it. Seriously, this guy gave me a small figurine, dressed like him. It was from an ornaments collection (see: Insurance for Christmas Ornaments ) that he said come in both female and male, brunette and blond varieties.
Maybe it is a touch of the envy speaking here, but I never had that kind of sales tool when I was coming up the ranks. I'm here thinking about my retirement and life insurance now in my "almost" golden years, things I might have taken more care of had I had the kind of office support and sales tools available to these guys today.
Of course, nobody back then had anything more than a mechanical pencil we all thought were all the rage. As in any age, competition gets more fierce with time, and as that competition escalates, new tricks and gimmicks are created. I just have to tell you, I'd never seen an insurance ornament before, certainly not one personalized like his, and for a moment, I was a little jealous. Just for a second, I longed to be back on the road, hitting the pavement with my bag, knocking on doors. But that moment passed as I realized I didn't have to be anywhere today. There are advantages to every stage of life.
