ice cubes to eskimoes

Ice cubes to eskimoes notion destroyed

For years I have been saying I can sell anything. In fact, you have probably heard me say to you, "I could sell ice cubes to eskimoes." It took a harsh reality to prove to me that I am not that kind of salesperson. I know they are out there, but I am different.

I am not a salesperson as much as I am a liaison. I connect people to the product or service that I believe they need to fulfill some void they have before they met me. But for me to embrace the idea strong enough to create a compelling scenario for my customers, I too have to believe the need is real and necessary. 

This is why most of my 15 years in the auto industry was spent providing the customers with the means to own or lease their vehicles and not so much about the car or truck itself. I became a member of the Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals (AFIP) so I could be the best provider of the finance and insurance products with the highest ethical standard.

When I left that industry and decided to get into insurance, I needed to know the product was needed and the carrier truly cared about their customers. I was fortunate to find such a company and I did my part sharing their message to consumers for almost eight years. Then for about four years after that, I took that passion for  those products and services and shared its awesomeness with other agents, as I have already shared with you in a previous post. 

As I investigated various career path opportunities, I was certain I would find the answer in sales of some kind. Initially, I didn't consider the necessity of the what being important to me, but I know now that it matters more than even I was ready to admit. 

I accepted a position in advertising sales with an absolutely fantastic team that was already complete but in a growth phase. The leaders of the team certainly are experts in their field and exude the passion that my past two careers gave me. I wanted to view their products with the same passion so I spent many hours outside of work researching the sales process and the various ways that the products could be marketed. I believe, given enough time and activity, that I could do well in the multimedia sales industry, but I may never really know because I had to leave.

I want to digress momentarily to thank those leaders, (hopefully reading this) for giving me the opportunity to learn their business model and more importantly for welcoming me into their fold. I hope we continue to grow our friendship. I will never look at an advertisement in print or online the same way again.

My decision to leave was because I was offered a position with an insurance company to manage a small team of agents  and develop them, as well as, recruit for future expansion. The product will help low to mid-income families. The adreneline rush I got when the hiring manager made me the offer reminded me why I thrived in the insurance industry to begin with. It wasn't the sale that excited me as much as the overwhelming joy I felt when I knew the customer was better off  from what I was able to provide.

To bring this full circle, I need to help people. Since I am without a degree in social science, medicine, or any degree for that matter, insurance is the medium that seems to fulfill that need. This was exponential when I was helping customers  process a claim or when I would finish a training session and several of the attendees would express their gratitude with a simple thank you. 

that's the Brick Way...