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asebf
Member
Joined: 11 Sep 2007
Posts: 257
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2007 23:16
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A while back I was fortunate enough to have helped build a life insurance company. I had several hundred agents working for a lot of managers, and I did not get to meet most of them.
In going through my copies of the commission statements I started seeing one agent doing very well – every month. After a few months I called his manager and asked him what was up with this guy.
My manager (Pete) chuckled and said he wondered when I was going to notice. He said this person was a young black guy in Louisiana selling polices to the army base personnel.
I said "A young black guy, in the deep south, selling to army people?" He said yes – but the story gets better. He lives 100 miles from the base and commutes every day. He drives 200 miles a day.
Baffled, I said how can he spend this much time on the road? Why does he not just rent a room or something? Pete explained further.
This guy has to come back to his town every day as his kidneys are not good and he needs his blood cleansed through dialysis each day.
Ok, I say, let me get this straight. Young black guy in the deep south selling life insurance to military people – lives 100 miles away – and is on dialysis daily on top of all of this – and he is setting sales records?
Pete says yes. The reason he is doing so well is that he has to. He has no insurance and must pay the medical expenses out of his pocket until a kidney donor is found. Basically if he quits working – he will die.
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I swear this is an absolutely true story. I then started looking at all the other agents we had that had all these excuses why they could not turn in applications. They were tired. People did not keep their appointments. People hung up on them. The leads I provided were not good enough. They do not have enough time. Aunt Matilda from Arkansas is visiting. My husband's 2nd cousin once removed had a baby.
I wonder if they had to work to stay alive, if they would somehow over come all these excuses?
As Dani Johnson says – at age 65 – 98% of people are either dead or dead broke. Maybe you are in the same position as my agent with the bad kidney – but you just don't know it yet?
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Bob
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HGwyneth
Member
Joined: 3 Nov 2007
Posts: 3
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# Posted: 23 Nov 2007 03:36
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That is a great quote. It reminds me of a story about Colonel Sanders of KFC fame. He began his business when he was about 68 but didn't get his first break until he was around 72. He was rejected hundreds of times but maintained his drive.
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getagrip
Preferred Member
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 955
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2007 15:30
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Wow! That's determination! Hopefully, the guy's kidney's won't fail...
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ka7952
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Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Posts: 142
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2007 20:35
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What a moving story!
I agree, it has to be that you can't afford to fail. That will make you work real hard.
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