There had to be a better lead
My first really bad experience came from a company pitching insurance leads. I had purchased Internet insurance leads from companies in the past and felt I had wasted my money. I was contacted by a company who found me on Linked In about providing leads for life insurance for people with pre-existing conditions. The sales person detailed how the leads would be generated from people who were to be specially asked if they wanted some one to contact them about life insurance.
Attention to details
Along with my initial payment for the leads I sent, at their request, the zip codes that I wanted the leads from. After weeks of excuses as to why I had not received the leads I paid for, it became apparent that they didn’t have a legitimate company. Numerous requests for a refund were met with more excuses or silence.
My money went on vacation without me
My only recourse since they were in another state was to have my Legal Shield attorney service send a refund demand letter. I never received a refund or leads. To add insult to injury, I had liked the companies Facebook page and I would receive posts in my news feed of the various trips the owner of the company had taken. Ouch!
If it sounds too good…
Several months ago I was contacted by a company that worked in a niche field of disability and life insurance and were looking for representation in my area. Because I wanted to diversify my business I listened to their representative about the unique nature of their products and approach. I thought I had done my due diligence in researching the company and talked to some of the current sales representatives.
I’m all in
Ultimately, I flew back to their offices in Michigan for training. After the training I could see the products and support information were seriously lacking in specifics. In short, if I can not provide the client with an illustration of the allocation of all their funds, I am selling blue sky. The prospect of having a complaint filed against me for incomplete disclosure was more than I could stomach. To make the sale you essentially had to prey of the customer’s fear of the future as opposed to calculated ROI and a comparison of competitive products.
Can you spare a dime for my buddy
Recently I was contacted by another company that found me on Linked In that represented annuities. From talking to the representative everything sounded good. I was not ready to commit because I still need to complete my mandatory annuity training. Out of the blue, I get a call from the sales rep with a sob story of a fellow recruiter that was going to lose his position if he did not pick up a new agent to market their products.
Urgent reply needed, don’t delay
If I could get the appointment papers completed by the next morning, his colleague who he was generously giving his prospective new agent to, would not lose his job. I dutifully filled out the paperwork out of my compassion to help a fellow human being. Why was I not surprised when the representative I had been working with called and said it was too little too late and his colleague was dismissed any how. On the upside, he told me, he would be my inside sales contact. Of course now I am being badgered to complete my annuity training so I can start selling for them.
Notice a pattern?
All of these incidents have two things in common. First, I was contacted by a connection on Linked In. Second, I was inexperienced and naive. A third component is that all these companies work in the insurance field. Is it any wonder that the insurance industry has a crummy reputation? If these folks are willing to hood wink their own customers and agents, just think how they view and treat prospective consumers. Linked In: be careful what you wish for.