Life has a funny way of twisting and turning on you, and before you know it, there you are. Sitting at your computer learning all about life insurance, preparing for a state insurance exam so you can begin your latest career selling supplemental insurance for a company that is represented by a duck.
I never, ever dreamed of selling insurance.
But here I am. Earlier this week, I had a huge crisis in which I was convinced I was making the biggest mistake of my life. I've calmed down since then, but I'm still quite apprehensive about everything that lies ahead. Despite the compliments from friends, telling me I have a great personality and a very trustworthy air about me, I'm still not convinced I can sit down with business owners and convince them that they ought to provide what I'm selling to their employees. I've been told that I actually have exactly the type of demeanor that will not only get me in the door, but also selling very well...but I'm not 100% sure that I want to spend the next six months, year, two years, whatever doing this.
Maybe I'll love it. I know the earning potential is much better than teaching, and I will be my own boss. Now that, I really love. Imagine, no principal telling me what to do. Lovely, right? I can work from home when I'm not out setting up new accounts, and I can set my own hours. If I want to work out with M. the Reasonable at 7:00 in the morning, then come home and run, I can do that. I can work in my pajamas, or my workout gear (though I'll probably be more productive if I shower and at least stick some jeans on. On the days I'm going out to businesses, of course I will dress up.
There are some huge advantages to what I'm doing, and from everything I've learned so far, the company is incredibly supportive of its associates in the field. I've spoken with two ladies who have worked for them for many years--a friend of my parents, and her daughter. Both were candid with me, not sugar-coating anything. And both are convinced that if I put 100% effort into it for the first couple of years, I can have the same kind of success that they have.
Friends are already telling me that the product sells itself, and I'm quite lucky to be selling a product that has been marketed with pure genius. Everything about the marketing has ensured that people don't find the commercials offensive or off-color. People know the company, they know how the product works, and selling it shouldn't be all that difficult--especially as California is still a somewhat-new market for it.
The bottom line is...I'm terrified. Since high school, my mind has centered on the "I'm a teacher" mentality. It's what I wanted to be, what I studied to be, what I became, what I held on to through almost two years of unemployment. Changing that line of thought is downright terrifying. I have felt, this week, almost like I'm mourning the death of a career path.
Another source of anxiety has been my fear of being stuck. Once I get going in this, what if I find I hate it? What if, six months from now, I'm miserable? Will I be stuck? Heavens no, but I forget that sometimes.
So forward I go. I'm learning about life insurance, and I am scheduled to take the state exam on the 13th. Most of what I'm studying won't apply to what I'm selling, but I have to get the license. It's a lot of information, and it's quite stressful memorizing it all. I find most of it quite dull. But I've passed many a test to be a teacher and I know I can pass this one, too.
Then I can go forth and still be a teacher--only this time, I'll be educating people on why my product is something they can benefit from. I hope to be good at it.
1 comment:
You'll do fine. In fact, if you want an easy way to get over your fright at the proposition of selling insurance, think of it as teaching. That's what the insurance salesman does: teach people why they need insurance. I know you can do that.
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