Career Change to Life Insurance from P&C Commercial

[txinsurancemanager]

To Scott,

Your suggestions are very good. To sell annuities wouldn't different licensing be necessary? At this point, I only have the basic life and health license, no financial products licensing.

I think one of the hurdles for a commercial P&C person to go to life insurance is that commercial P&C is filled with so much exacting detail. I could be totally wrong but it seems like companies put much more responsibility on the commercial P&C agent than falls on the life insurance agent.

With life insurance, a lot of the responsibility falls on the company. Because of that, a P&C person probably tends to make this a whole lot harder than it really needs to be.

I have been on client calls with group life & health people. They were asked point blank questions about the coverage and they were stuck for answers and sometimes simply ignored the question altogether. And they still made the sale!

I've never seen that behavior from a client dealing with P&C coverage. If a P&C agent can't give them solid answers to their questions or get the information later and provide it to them, they are NOT interested in your product. Is it a completely different mindset?

[Bill]

Try selling annutiies, universal, term and disability.

The problem you are having is that in commercial or for that matter all P & C, the product is bought by the client. In L & H the product is sold. Annuities right now are doing well with the security of a guaranteed fix rate. Learn the different uses for Life, buy sell, business continuation, personal death benefits for family, Divorce agreements, etc. The more you learn about the uses the more you can sell the products. Network with those that advise the use of the policies. Attorneys, CPA's and Estate planners and your old commercial lines accounts. Just some ideas. Forget the lead generators they get paid on getting anyone who will give them their info.

[scott]

TxInsuranceManager,

Two minutes on your state insurance dept website will tell you what license you need.

(Annuities are really just life insurance in reverse - most states allow annuity sales with a life license. Variable annuities are a different matter.)

Your examples (and Bill's) of the difference between life and p&c sales are specious. While some may have to buy p&c, they don't have to buy it from you. Moving the prospect to the realization that you offer the best solution and value takes skill - regardless of the side of the fence you're on.