Author: admin

1. The third post in a three-part series highlighting why I love the life insurance industry and have chosen to serve the tech staffing/Tech Exec Search needs of those within it.  As a financial instrument, life insurance stands alone as a seemingly miraculous product every time a death claim is paid.

I was the first of the four children to leave our father’s deathbed. The doctor told us he could linger as long as two weeks. My middle sister was a college professor on summer break, so she volunteered to stay with Mom and Pop until the end. The rest of us returned to our homes in various states to begin our grieving process and contemplate a life without father (aka Pop).

The last time I saw Pop was when he walked me to my car parked in the driveway of his Phoenix home. As we said our final good-byes, there was no holding back the tears.

“I love you, Pop.”

“And I love you, son.”

Choking on emotions, I said, “I don’t know what else to say, Pop.”

“How ‘bout… ‘see ya’ later’?”

“Yeah, for sure. See ya’ later, Pop.”

“See ya’ later, son.”

I’ll never forget the day the music died in my life. My Dad was a very accomplished pianist, though he couldn’t read a single note of music. He gave his final performance the night before I saw him for the last time. Pop was sixty years young when he died. I was thirty-four. Neither of us was old enough.

Just a few months before my father died, I met with my mother and their MetLife agent to review Pop’s policies.  Turned out he didn’t have any.  The policy I sold him years ago had lapsed.  There was a conversion option on the eighty-five-thousand-dollar group term policy he had through his last employer, but it had not been exercised.

The conversion option was good for a year from Pop’s retirement date…fifty weeks ago.  That’s right.  My mother was two weeks away from losing an eighty-five thousand-dollar death benefit.  Instead, miracle of miracles, she paid a few hundred dollars in premium before collecting the death benefit in full upon Pop’s passing. Thank you, MetLife!

THAT is the miracle of life insurance!  I believed it before I lived it, but having lived it, I will never die without it.  Nor will I ever stop encouraging all others to pledge the same.

The life insurance industry is one of the most rock-solid on the planet.  Thanks to all who work so diligently to keep it that way.  From actuaries to investment specialists to the agents in the field and those who supervise and support them… God’s best to each and every one of you for giving the world the miracle of life insurance.

Go to Part 1 of this 3 part series: Trust Fund Boy Mans Up

This is part 2 in a three-part series highlighting why I love the life insurance industry and have chosen to serve the tech staffing/Tech Exec Search needs of those within it.  As a financial instrument, life insurance stands alone as a seemingly miraculous product every time a death claim is paid.

Recall from part 1, before graduating from college, I supported our young family by selling life insurance.  This story tells how my biggest sale may have never happened without my lovely bride’s timely assistance.

It happened nearly a full year after leaving the life insurance business to join IBM.  Still a licensed agent, I kept one prospect file with me at all times.  Uncle Bob’s file contained dozens of ledger statements I had periodically reviewed with him over the course of nearly two years.

My uncle was an engineer by trade and a very successful businessman. Nothing escaped his painstaking attention to detail. I will never forget the day the life insurance stars finally lined up for Uncle Bob and me.  It was during a phone conversation we had from my desk in the downtown Indianapolis IBM office.

“So Brad, according to column five, the premiums paid in will equal the cash value after ten years. Correct?”

“Yes sir, that’s correct.”

“And the death benefit at that point would be $xxx,xxx Correct?”

“That’s right. $xx,xxx more than the face value.”

Silence…a seemingly nine-month pregnant pause. Though still a rookie salesman, I sense I am very close to closing this deal. A deal that will pay me more in commissions than my annual salary at IBM. I bite my tongue, knowing that anything I say could blow it. Silence can be a salesman’s secret weapon, though often the hardest one to deploy.

Finally, he speaks.

“Well, what does it take to put this in force?”

Did I hear him correctly? Is he really going to buy this time?  My throat feels as dry as our checking account. My heart pounds. My pulse races. I am completely unaware of what’s going on in the office around me.

“All I need is a check for the first month’s premium.”

“That’s fine. I’m going to be out of the office for the rest of the day. If you’ll come by on Monday, I’ll have the check waiting for you.”

“That’s great!  I’ll be there first thing Monday morning. Thanks Uncle Bob and have a nice weekend!”

Rookie that I was, I knew enough to know that once the prospect says “yes” the salesperson should beat a hasty retreat. Decked out in my IBM blue suit and starched white shirt, I was trembling uncontrollably with tears freely flowing down my face. I could not believe our good fortune. Wait ‘til Elaine hears this. I called her immediately.

“Are you sitting down?”

Wanting to savor every delicious moment, I walk her back through all the details of my lengthy phone conversation with Uncle Bob.

“And then he said I could pick up the check at his office on Monday.”

“Monday? That’s three days from now,” she said with great alarm in her voice.

“What if he changes his mind over the weekend? Worse, what if he dies? We can’t take that risk. You call him back right now and tell him you will come to wherever he is to pick up the check and close this deal.”

In all the excitement, I had forgotten the most fundamental rule of selling—it’s not over until the customer cuts the check. Fortunately, once I tracked down Uncle Bob and sheepishly explained my dilemma, he chuckled and arranged to meet me that afternoon. Credit my lovely bride with an assist in closing the biggest sale of my young career. How ironic that I was no longer in the life insurance business when it happened. Thank you, Manulife!

Go to Part 3: The Miracle of Life Insurance

This is the first post in a three-part series highlighting why I love the life insurance industry and have chosen to serve the tech staffing/Tech Exec Search needs of those within it. As a financial instrument, life insurance stands alone as a seemingly miraculous product every time a death claim is paid.

Since starting my lifelong sales career as a College Agent for Northwestern Mutual, I have often said if I had a career “do-over”, I would not even consider changing my starting point. My two years at Northwestern not only taught me how true sales legends served their clients with unparalleled professionalism, but perhaps more importantly, how to handle the hourly rejection that comes with the territory. Brutal as it was, I remain forever grateful for the experience that has served me so well over so many years. Thanks to Frederick Bolyardfor striking the original match.

William was a law student at Indiana University-Indianapolis. He came from a wealthy family and enjoyed a sizeable trust income. Despite his blue-blooded background, he wasn’t the least bit haughty, actually seeming a bit unsure of himself. William was determined to stand on his own two feet, especially in the eyes of his father.

“So, William, which will it be, the fifty-thousand-dollar whole life or the 65-Life plan?”

“Well, I’m leaning towards the 65-Life, but I really think I need to run it by my father this weekend when I’m back home.”

“Really? Is your father going to be the one paying for this?”

“No, I’ll be paying for it,” he confidently shot back.

“Do you need his permission to take out this policy?”

“Not really. I just thought I should get his opinion.”

I could sense William regressing into a well-established pattern of always seeking Dad’s permission, never his forgiveness.  “So what are you going to do if his opinion disagrees with yours? Would you get the policy anyway?”

“Probably,” he said with some trepidation.

“Then is there really any reason not to get it now? If you gave me a check today, the coverage would be in force as you’re driving home this weekend. Wouldn’t that make for a better trip, William?”

“Yeah, I suppose it would.”

“Great! Would you like quarterly or annual premiums?”

With that, I closed one of the most gratifying sales of my young career. To this day, few sales have equaled the satisfaction of helping young William step out of his father’s shadow and into full manhood. Thank you Northwestern Mutual! Come to think of it, only one other life insurance sale brought me more satisfaction than this one.

Go to Part 2 to learn the role my lovely bride played in getting Uncle Bob to cut the check.