No One Will Have Done You a Favor by Buying Off of You

On the surface, I am sure the above caption sounds arrogant to the reader, but it isn’t meant to be an arrogant statement. At least, it is not intended to be a statement born out of an arrogant heart. Instead, it is meant to be one that is rooted in gratefulness and in the realization that the noble profession we have chosen, the insurance and financial services profession, is one of the greatest professions that has been conceived by the mind of man.

In a world where people toil to make a living, an honest living, and work to provide for their needs and their family’s needs, we get to do one of the better things in life and sell insurance.

What I mean by that statement is this; there are a lot of good and great things that people can do for a living. There are professions and lifelong pursuits such as being a physician to the poor and under-privileged, counseling of the mentally ill and those in crisis, being a nurse, a fireman, policeman and countless other vocations which can be said to be noble in serving the common good of all mankind. These individuals, and others like them, are heroes and are to be honored for the sacrifices and risks they take on behalf of others.

Our Profession is a Noble Pursuit…We Serve the Common Good of all Mankind

But for those of us who are agents, advisors and consultants who sell insurance products and financial services, I would like to say simply, we are cool.

Yes, our profession is a cool profession; a profession that is so often misunderstood and unfairly maligned by the general public, a profession that is vital to industry, vital to our high standard of living, vital to innovation and invention; a profession that is the foundation for so many other industries and people. Take away the insurance & financial services industry and you do damage to the entire landscape of society.

Keeping the Promises…Other People Make

We help keep the promises…that other people make to their loved ones and business partners. Though a loved one may die, a home burns down, business ambitions are lost, or a car is stolen; we are there for our clients…keeping the promises they have made to their families, their friends, their colleagues and business partners by way of insurance protection. We are the means to an end…And that end has nothing to do with what it is that we sell…but in what we can do for people and what our products can do for them.

So if we are so cool, why do people have such a low opinion of our industry and profession? Who is to blame for our poor public image?

To a large degree, those of us who work in this industry are to blame for the negativity and distrust dominating public opinion. Simply put, we aren’t talkative enough about the great things we do for people. Our problem is in a failure to tell our story to enough people…enough of the time.


We Don’t Tell Our Story to Enough People…Enough of the Time

We need to tell our story, to talk about our good deeds in restoring people and making them whole financially. We need to make sure people hear about how we’ve helped people avoid financial ruin or getting into a financial crucible where bankruptcy would have been the logical next step for them had it not been for insurance money to save the day.

Consider What We Do and You’ll Understand the Caption to this Article

That’s right, we are cool. We are in a great and noble industry. And when I hear people quip about how insurance is a “rip off’ or complain about how we work to deny claims and to not pay what we promise, I let people know that such a statement is untrue.

Why? Because I know and respect the people who make the industry so wonderful…good people…dedicated and hard working individuals…and I can’t remain silent when such things are said. Rather, I will tell the story of how insurance and the industry is one of the noblest professions around and how it can keep them from having an accident turn into a tragedy by way of financial hardship.

Consider Life Insurance & the Impact a Policy can Have on a Family’s Future

For example, the loss of a loved one is devastating, to say the least. As a human being who loves people and cares for them deeply, I wish I could take the pain and grief left for the surviving family members away when someone dies... But, I can’t take away their heartache; no one can. It is…what it is…and so life goes on and we can only pray and hope that the future is brighter for those left behind to carry on.

But, things don’t always move forward as hoped. In fact, it is my observation that the loss of a loved one does one of two things to the surviving family members. It either brings a family together making them closer than ever. Or, it tears a family apart driving a wedge between brothers and sisters, husbands and wives...fostering resentment and bitter feelings in the aftermath of a tragedy.

The reasons can vary widely as to why a division among family members can occur. Nonetheless, pile on the bills in the aftermath of a loved one’s death and the likelihood for strife and a rift among family and friends is dramatically increased. Hence, the miracle of life insurance and how it provides families and individuals with the liberty to deal with the pressures of a loved one dying and the associated financial pressures that follow. The agent who sells a life insurance policy today...can be preserving the relationships of brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers for generations to come. I'll bet you never really thought of it that way before...That is why I say, we are cool.

I Did Not Drink the Kool-Aid®

I am not an apologist for the insurance industry, nor am I someone who blindly follows along; drinking the Kool-Aid® of mindless agreement with everything we do....I also don’t think they need me to argue in support of what they do…I believe their actions and good deeds speak for themselves. Are there bad actors in the industry? Yes. What industry doesn’t have its problem children; companies who practice illegal and deceptive practices that harm the consuming public and tarnish the reputation of others as a result. But those are few in number and they do get policed. Heightened vigilance in the industry to make sure consumers are treated fairly and right is something I am fully in support of in order to avoid and stop abuses and other misconduct by insurance companies.

Don’t Gush All Over When People Buy Off of You…You Know What I Mean…

Bottom line, when someone buys off of me…or you…be grateful that they chose you as their trusted advisor, their insurance agent who is responsible for making sure that they are protected for what they need and want. That is a good thing…gratitude is an appropriate reaction towards a customer who selects you and trusts you to be their agent, particularly since there are so many agent choices out there today.

What isn’t appropriate is the notion of gratefulness that is born out of a sense of unworthiness or favor…In other words, I do not think it is healthy to think of yourself as lucky or fortunate to have had someone actually do business with you, as if, the customer has better choices than you for an agent and they stuck with you anyway. That’s nonsense. You are the better choice.

My sense of the matter is that some agents, particularly new agents, do feel a bit of the “unhealthy” gratitude I just mentioned. The quicker that kind of thinking is dispensed with the better for you as a professional. Bottom line, no one will have ever done you a favor by buying off of you…

You will have done the favor by seeking them out as a prospect, planning a sales conversation that is persuasive and compelling, and in monitoring their needs and meeting with them periodically to review their situation and adjust their individualized insurance plan so it is current and relevant for what they want and need.

That’s a lot of work, energy, concern and dedication invested in a client by an agent…That’s why I say, No one will have ever done you a favor by buying off of you…It’s because we earn our livings by making sure other’s lives are secure…

For that reason, our clients should be thanking us for doing the worrying for them so they don’t have to…

No One Will Ever Have Done You a Favor by Buying Off of You...

The Favor Will Have Been all Yours...


Copyright © 2009 - Tony Cefalu