BE CAREFUL

makeyoumoney in Wentzville, Missouri said: Donny, I am not an aflac associate, however i do own a company that provides appointments and marketing support for them. If you don't put 150% into your Aflac Career then you will not succeed and you will end up like every other person on this site that bad raps Aflac as well as their RSC AND DSC'S. It is a personal choice whether or not you succeed at Aflac. Good Luck

www.thompsonliss.com

I agree with you, you have to put that kind of effort into anything that you do in order to be successful. I'm definately not like alot of these idiots on here that bad mouth Aflac that expect a hand out and don't really see the fact that its not a "job" and that its a business opportunity.
My question is, would it be possible to put 150% into this and be successful... on a part time basis to begin with. I would love to just be able to quit my job, but thats not an option right now. I fully realize that the more you put into it the faster you will become successful. I have over 10 years of sales experience and I've always been successful. Has there been others in my situation that have been successful at Aflac?

In my professional opinion yes. You could do Aflac Part time if you did it smart. You must have a game plan and a marketing plan in place. You won't be able to afford to just sit around all day telemarketing or banging on doors. The other issue that i see is, you will need training. The first 3 months is just that. With your sales background you should be fine.

makeyoumoney in Wentzville, Missouri said: In my professional opinion yes. You could do Aflac Part time if you did it smart. You must have a game plan and a marketing plan in place. You won't be able to afford to just sit around all day telemarketing or banging on doors. The other issue that i see is, you will need training. The first 3 months is just that. With your sales background you should be fine.

makeyourmoney: First year comissions can be paid in advance or as earned. What does "paid in advance" mean? Headed to my interview w/Aflac tomorrow; extremely excited. I am retired us army, senior nco, and have a strong desire to succeed. Be well. Mike

Michael Manley in Tampa, Florida said: makeyourmoney: First year comissions can be paid in advance or as earned. What does "paid in advance" mean? Headed to my interview w/Aflac tomorrow; extremely excited. I am retired us army, senior nco, and have a strong desire to succeed. Be well. Mike

I am not sure exactly what that means, but i will find out for you.....I will let you know. I would say good luck, but you won't need it.

makeyoumoney in Wentzville, Missouri said: I am not sure exactly what that means, but i will find out for you.....I will let you know. I would say good luck, but you won't need it.

Thanks. Mike

it means that when you get your renewals in the 13 month you get 7% for as long as people stay with their policies...You get paid in advance a years commission when you sign a policy, You can take the option where you only get the 7% per month.

Laurie in Portland, Oregon said: I am guessing you have never been an independent representative before or owned your own business because everything you said that was negative to you, like you don't get paid when you don't work...is exactly how it is when you own your own business and AFLAC is really your own business. You can make as much or as little as you want. Employers want their employees to have the best benefits available and employees want to get back their copays and to get money when they are in need..money that THEY decide what to do with, not that goes to the dr or anyone but the needing person..food, gas, rent, mortgage..diapers formula...chemo, medicine.

I do agree that 7 hours of a presentation would be really long..that is not how it is done here nor in any other states where I have many people in my team.

The product is really awesome! and the financial opportunity is second to none!..The personal stories will make you cry when you learn how many people, and I am betting,even some people you know, have been helped by receiving money from AFLAC.

I think that you made the right decision for you when you left because it seems like you would not be happy working the hours that YOU chose, making the kind of money YOU chose with no limits and providing a product that truely changes peoples lives!

Let me know if you have an specific questions I can answer about working for AFLAC and the products they offer.

Good luck in you career search!

I am considering Aflac for the first time. I have a "generally positive" impression of the company. Is there an average income for first year person with sales experience? What is the long term potential for building a sales team?

AFLAC is a good company. With that being said the non employed managers as they are so called are the reason that most people have a negative experience. These people are the ones that teach the newbies to mislead and misrepresent. If there wasn't about 4 layers of people getting an override commission, then this would be a great company to work with.... BTW you work with these people and not for them...no matter what they tell you

Hi Laurie or any successful agent out there right now,

You might be just the person I need to talk with. I?ve only been an agent post training school for 4 weeks now. I started out of the gates fast and got very comfortable doing my own ERs in my second week starting and opened my first group in the first week so of course, I was floating at that point. Well, since then I have had to deal with the many silly objections and cancellations that they all warn us about.
For awhile it didn?t bother me, but for the last week weeks I?ve been AWFUL! I?ve been starting to job hunt again (which is something I never wanted to do) and I know I?m not dedicating myself the way I know I can and need to. I?m a GREAT people person and I love my DSC and have a good team who is so very supportive, but I can?t seem to shake the fear of the fact that I?m not making money right now (I have a lot of pressure at home to make $ -- and I have a 5 month old at home).

I left a career as an art director working insane hours and not reaping any rewards for it. I got my licensed and started with Aflac because I thought I would be able to manage my own time (crucial with a new child) and still make great wages.

So, do you mind if I ask you what you did in the beginning to keep your chin up and stay on task despite distractions and nay-sayers? I?m so frustrated with myself because I believe in the product, I?m just really struggling right now with making the business work for me, and staying motivated!!

Julie: You may not like what I am about to say. If you are becoming discouraged after only 1 month, you probably aren't cut out for this type of sales.

It doesn't matter if it's selling real estate, mutual funds, or insurance...commission-only selling is very, very diffucult. It takes a 100% commitment; a "refuse to lose" attitude, and the willingness to keep on working even when times are tough, people are rude, and groups cancel.

New agents expect to get licensed and immediately start making "great money." It just doesn't work that way. This a career; and there is a lot to learn. Your first year you are simply trying to absorb the mountain of information you need to have at your fingertips and keep money coming into the house. You literally do not have the luxury of getting discouraged.

There will ALWAYS be objections. Groups will cancel. You'll get stood up, made to wait, even rejected outright. But a successful associate just keeps going. There isn't any magic formula, or 'secret' here. It's just hard work, day-in, day-out, every single day.

I've been with Aflac quite a while (going on 9 years.) It's been a good career choice for me. Were there times when I was scared to death? Absolutely. Did I have 'lean' months, where money wasn't as good as I thought it should be, or needed it to be? You bet.

I think the key here, is...do you enjoy the work? Do you like prospecting, even cold calling? Do you enjoy the challenge of trying to change people's impressions? Is the hunt-and-chase a thrill for you? If so, keep at it. You'll only get better.

It took me years and years to develop the skills to be able to deal with objections that clients come up with. You will too...but not in a month. Or even a year. I will say it again; this is NOT an easy job. There is more to it than simply finding an employer who says "yes" and signing up the employees. Space doesn't permit me to write anymore...so I'll stop now...good luck!

Thanks, Robin. I am enjoying the work very much but my factors of discouragement go far beyond rejections and cancellations, unfortunately. I absolutely understood going into this was going to be hard! However, I think I just expected more success out of me, not BIG money, just somewhat steady money. My husband and I really need to be a two income household and though he saw the potential of Aflac, seeing me go a few weeks with working and not making any money is too much for him. I warned him there would be times like this, but I just don't think he was as prepared, or even truly understood. If it were up to me I'd keep rolling along with the ups and downs because I am really loving Aflac, but when you don't have the support from your family it gets extremely difficult. I had a good day yesterday and opened another group. Yeah! But my husband is pressuring me to do something else and choose Aflac as a "side project"...clearly he doesn't understand the business in this respect as you and I both know it's not exactly a job you can do on the side. Anyway, this is a personal problem and not a sales problem and I do wish things work panning out differently.
Thank you for your response.

Julie Scoggins in Rockwall, Texas said: Thanks, Robin. I am enjoying the work very much but my factors of discouragement go far beyond rejections and cancellations, unfortunately. I absolutely understood going into this was going to be hard! However, I think I just expected more success out of me, not BIG money, just somewhat steady money. My husband and I really need to be a two income household and though he saw the potential of Aflac, seeing me go a few weeks with working and not making any money is too much for him. I warned him there would be times like this, but I just don't think he was as prepared, or even truly understood. If it were up to me I'd keep rolling along with the ups and downs because I am really loving Aflac, but when you don't have the support from your family it gets extremely difficult. I had a good day yesterday and opened another group. Yeah! But my husband is pressuring me to do something else and choose Aflac as a "side project"...clearly he doesn't understand the business in this respect as you and I both know it's not exactly a job you can do on the side. Anyway, this is a personal problem and not a sales problem and I do wish things work panning out differently.
Thank you for your response.

Hi Julie-

I recently had another Aflac agent inquiring about an insurance opportunity I mentioned on another forum. It's called UIWIN {United Independent Wholesale Insurance Network}. You have a variety of lines & carriers to choose from and can add to your arsenal. I can give you some information on this if you'd like. Email me at matth@hamiltoncom.net and I'll reply.

Thanks.

Hello,

My name is Alan and I'm emailing you from Tampa Florida. I was reading all your posts on indeed about your life and experience at Aflac. I am interested in everything you had to say because I applied online to aflac for a costumer service bilingual job position and they called me the next day to set up an appointment. So basically, this next tuesday at 3 pm I have my first interview there. Honestly, I am nervous because I have never worked in a full sales type of company, specially in insurance, but I have been in costumer service almost all my life, so I am a little confident as well, that I'll do ok.
But I am a little confused... do they pay salaries if I work at their offices? Or do I have to first pass the license test, start selling insurance and then receive commissions? Is it a 100% commission only system? In my situation, I really can't stop working my regular job, and I can barely make enough to pay my bills as it is. If I have to pay my way thru training, tests, wait months for commissions, etc., I'm afraid I could not take the job.
I hope you can reply with your thoughts before my interview 3 days from now, because I think that any kind of info from you will be very helpful.
Thank you very much,

Alan

Been getting solicitations for AFLAC since posting updated resume on Monster.com. At first emails, then woman called me at home and invited me to group presentation at central NJ office. Drive 50 miles to office, Regional manager tells his story, how sales is the place to make money, went from blue collar job to making big $ and owning his own business. Poked fun at teachers (why would you work at a job where you get paid same as the worst teacher in the building?). Used his admin as an example of someone in a dead end job (she trades 1 hour of time for $16.00. No future in that!). He was up front about having to get NJ Insurance License first - AFLAC will not pay for it. Office is available for agents use. Went home and discussed with the wife and arranged for 1 on 1 interview through the AFLAC contact. Next day met with DSC. Childhood friend of the Regional Mgr who switched to AFLAC from mortgage brokerage. Told him my story; contractor with 25 years in IT, currently unemployed, looking for change. DSC: " when can you start license class". Me: "Monday". DSC: "Here's my card. Call my cell when you get enrolled". Me: "Is this a job offer?" DSC: "We are looking to bring on a few good people. You have business to business experience and are presentable. Would like to have you on my team". Me: "Can you put that in writing?" DSC: "No". The red flags are flying by now, but I ask some questions about leads. AFLAC can provide leads, but they are not pre-screened for existing AFLAC accounts. This is presented as an opportunity - "The agent may not have contacted the account for 3 years - you can go in and revive it, get new policy holders". I ask to see the phone pit. 15x 20 room with phones and dividers. All phones in use by agents. One guy sees us and asks "When do I get my $5 for coming in today?". Everybody laughs. DSC: "We like to joke around". I will continue to look at this, but will be very careful.

I have been appointed with AFLAC for 9 weeks. I have hit all my marks and I am on track to make 75k or more this year as a new agent...What is my secret... PROSPECTING in person and on the phone (I prefer phone) If you put in the effort M-F 8-4 and you follow what your DSC and RSC teach you, you will succeed. If you go to work expecting someone else to make it happen for you then this is NOT the career for you

wow, get away from this dsc. listen, aflac is a great career, but lets face it, if you don't have support from your coordinators you will not make it. i am an rsc and i never tell my new agents to work the phones. my dsc's take the new associate out in the field and TRAIN them! we SHOW them how to make contacts and prospect new accounts. and guess what?? my guys take $0 from the sales. i WILL NOT send a new agent in the field until they are trained, confident, and comfortable. that's why my region has 80+% retention for new associates. i hope that you find a coordinator that will work with you to help you and your family enjoy the success that mine has.

God bless,

russ

contact me if you have any questions.

papawhogan in monroe, Louisiana said: wow, get away from this dsc. listen, aflac is a great career, but lets face it, if you don't have support from your coordinators you will not make it. i am an rsc and i never tell my new agents to work the phones. my dsc's take the new associate out in the field and TRAIN them! we SHOW them how to make contacts and prospect new accounts. and guess what?? my guys take $0 from the sales. i WILL NOT send a new agent in the field until they are trained, confident, and comfortable. that's why my region has 80+% retention for new associates. i hope that you find a coordinator that will work with you to help you and your family enjoy the success that mine has.

God bless,

russ

contact me if you have any questions.

Hi Russ,

I am seriously considering going the AFLAC route and am scheduled for a second interview this week. I am a career operations manager without any sales experience and have a young (two-income of which I am the primary) family to support. I believe the potential for income based on personal effort. I am sincerely concerned, however, about my income at the outset and providing insurance for my kids. Also, I have yet to get a clear answer about prospecting for leads and how to do business without stumbling into the other reps on my team.

Any insight as an insider you can provide me would be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,
Andy

I have witnessed firsthand that if noone takes the time to properly train you, you will have a really hard time. I have been selling Mercedes and BMW vehicles for 10 years and its no walk in the park. I sold Aflac for roughly 6 months and I was given attentive training for about 1 week. After that noone had time for me. So I basically went to sales 101 techniques,(Features and Bensfits). Its a little more than that with intangibles. I had a DSC that had so much of her own business, that she literally did not have time for her new trainees, and the RSC had not been there 1 month and he was reaping the benefits of the veteran DSC's. After a frustrating 6 months I returned to Highline Autos. I've spoken with numerous former Reps of Aflac and I keep hearing the same story. DSC's need to be trained on how to train properly before they are assigned districts. If you have too much on your plate as a rep, you can't possibly be an effective DSC.

AFLAC will promote anybody that can fog a mirror to a DSC role. Keep that in mind when dealing with these people. If you are not getting the attention or assistance, then seek out somebody in your region that is professional and ethical. Most of the time these veteran agents are very willing to help newbies. They enjoy what they do and are not under the gun to recruit and train.

Andy W in Kalamazoo, Michigan said: Hi Russ,

I am seriously considering going the AFLAC route and am scheduled for a second interview this week. I am a career operations manager without any sales experience and have a young (two-income of which I am the primary) family to support. I believe the potential for income based on personal effort. I am sincerely concerned, however, about my income at the outset and providing insurance for my kids. Also, I have yet to get a clear answer about prospecting for leads and how to do business without stumbling into the other reps on my team.

Any insight as an insider you can provide me would be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,
Andy

good morning andy,

i apologize for this coming back to you so late. there are a certain set of basic guidlines that each state, region, and district are asked to follow, but because of the differences in demographics, each region must adapt to there area. what i can tell you is that my new associates "time to $$" is 2 weeks on average. just like any other career you may start in the w-2 world. what i want to stress to you is that i train my people in the feild. that is what will give you the tools needed for success in this business. now, whether you put those tools to use is completely up to you!

take care,

russ

Laurie in Portland, Oregon said: I am guessing you have never been an independent representative before or owned your own business because everything you said that was negative to you, like you don't get paid when you don't work...is exactly how it is when you own your own business and AFLAC is really your own business. You can make as much or as little as you want. Employers want their employees to have the best benefits available and employees want to get back their copays and to get money when they are in need..money that THEY decide what to do with, not that goes to the dr or anyone but the needing person..food, gas, rent, mortgage..diapers formula...chemo, medicine.

I do agree that 7 hours of a presentation would be really long..that is not how it is done here nor in any other states where I have many people in my team.

The product is really awesome! and the financial opportunity is second to none!..The personal stories will make you cry when you learn how many people, and I am betting,even some people you know, have been helped by receiving money from AFLAC.

I think that you made the right decision for you when you left because it seems like you would not be happy working the hours that YOU chose, making the kind of money YOU chose with no limits and providing a product that truely changes peoples lives!

Let me know if you have an specific questions I can answer about working for AFLAC and the products they offer.

Good luck in you career search!

I am also interested in joining AFLAC. I have been in the IT business for over 10 years and would like to try something different. I figure that commission based sales would offer me the opportunity to make as much money as I put in to it. There are a lot of comments in this forum about how bad AFLAC is, but yet they continue to be listed in Fortune 100 best companies to work for. I live in Austin, Texas and have an interview next Wednesday. Just want to get some honest insigh.

To all contributors,

As a 25 year sales executive I am looking at all options.

Many of the comments are common to commission sales companies with too many layers of people making money.

Overall however, this is a well balanced forum.

Thanks,

Michael

Not unlike the animated lizard with the Down-Under accent, I find it difficult to support the marketing of fictitious animals, a web-footed creature notwithstanding, in order to increase the cash-flow of individuals higher-up on the ladder.

I just finished my first interview at AFLAC. I too am quite concerned about several things:
1) Will I see sales right away or is this a saturated market?
2) Is there truly the dedicated support I need to get me through the learning curve?
3) what exactly is the learning curve? I know it's not in the week of online training... that's just to pass the licensing.

In spite of a lot of negativism in this blog and some of the others, I see the positive reviews of AFLAC as a company - Fortune Magazine's top companies to work for and the high BBB ratings. There must be something there that's reputable for their employees.

But if your the bread winner in your family, will I be able to make my mortgage and literally be able to set up a "franchise" business? Every business endeavor has a risk. Is the risk here worth the future gain considering the work load?

Any 3-5 year people out there?

Hello everyone and thank you for sharing your thoughts and time.

First of all sales people and small business owners have been hit pretty darn hard by this economy which at one point was in depression.

I've known my District Sales Coordinator for 40 years.

While working as a health care rep I figured out very quickly that if we don't get health care right a lot of society's other problems won't matter.

Take the government plan if it suits you.

Bread winners that purchase supplemental policies to cover their family most likely won't be the ones filing for bankruptcy over medical bills.

MDP

johndeleon in Austin, Texas said: I am also interested in joining AFLAC. I have been in the IT business for over 10 years and would like to try something different. I figure that commission based sales would offer me the opportunity to make as much money as I put in to it. There are a lot of comments in this forum about how bad AFLAC is, but yet they continue to be listed in Fortune 100 best companies to work for. I live in Austin, Texas and have an interview next Wednesday. Just want to get some honest insigh.

The point you made is correct. AFLAC was listed as a 100 best to work for but you don't work for AFLAC. You work with AFLAC as an independent contractor. In that role you have to deal with other independent contractors who have your livelyhood at their whim. I would caution anybody against working with this company. I would suggest any other insurance company on the planet but AFLAC.....

maxinejessie in Toms River, New Jersey said: I think they are the same. You are an independent agent because you get a license and you receive commission on your sales. But you could also be called a benefits coordinator or consultant and that is probably commission only too. I was listed as a Benefit consultant.

You must have a special license to be a consultant

maxinejessie in Toms River, New Jersey said: I think they are the same. You are an independent agent because you get a license and you receive commission on your sales. But you could also be called a benefits coordinator or consultant and that is probably commission only too. I was listed as a Benefit consultant.

You must have a special license to be a consultant

Laurie in Portland, Oregon said: I am guessing you have never been an independent representative before or owned your own business because everything you said that was negative to you, like you don't get paid when you don't work...is exactly how it is when you own your own business and AFLAC is really your own business. You can make as much or as little as you want. Employers want their employees to have the best benefits available and employees want to get back their copays and to get money when they are in need..money that THEY decide what to do with, not that goes to the dr or anyone but the needing person..food, gas, rent, mortgage..diapers formula...chemo, medicine.

I do agree that 7 hours of a presentation would be really long..that is not how it is done here nor in any other states where I have many people in my team.

The product is really awesome! and the financial opportunity is second to none!..The personal stories will make you cry when you learn how many people, and I am betting,even some people you know, have been helped by receiving money from AFLAC.

I think that you made the right decision for you when you left because it seems like you would not be happy working the hours that YOU chose, making the kind of money YOU chose with no limits and providing a product that truely changes peoples lives!

Let me know if you have an specific questions I can answer about working for AFLAC and the products they offer.

Good luck in you career search!

Can you provide me any details on the type of benifits Aflac provides for thier sales executives????

I'll say this and I mean every word.

I've walked the plank, it's great feeling to go it alone.

Am I a top producer at Aflac; not yet.

But in the last ten days 3 of my colleagues have gone out of their way in an incredibly timely fashion to help me.

There are many businesses where that just doesn't happen.

Mike Page

suze in Northville, Michigan said: I am also interviewing at Bankers Life and Casualty and there are not comments about them. Does anyone know anything and how they compare to AFAC?

I just got interviewed for AFLAC Regional Office in Virginia Beach and was surprised when the interviewer asked how much money would I need to live off of. I was surprised that benefits which was discussed later was not the start of the interview. I have been orientated at Bankers and the licening fees are less expensive. The support groups seems larger and more realistic as the company works mostly with seniors and does not micro profit from each type of insurance premium AFLAC however placed higher in rating then Bankers because Bankers does not advertise. I am thinking about becoming an agent and is reading the comments to get a general idea of what choice to make.

I have previously worked work a telephony devices manufacturer. The company distributed its product through a network of *independent representatives* worldwide. If the representative didn't sell sufficient volume of my company's products in their territory say the country of Spain, they wouldn't get paid or paid as much. This is a standard practice in the world of business.

Aflac is using the same model. Its marketing its products through a wide network of independent agents, including myself. The agents get paid a certain commission (which is the same for every agent, so there is not trickery here) on each sale he/she closes. There are additional bonuses that Aflac pays to exceptional producers, which is a great incentive and a bonus.

As far as recruitment goes, its very simple. If I refer a friend to work with Aflac, s/he still gets paid according to the same commission schedule like every single other agent in the company gets paid. The bonus to me, as the person who did the referral, is a small percentage of everything that person produces for *1st year only*! This bonus that I'd receive, wouldn't impact the amount my friend would receive for his/her sales.

As its been said before. There is NO such thing as easy money - it doesn't grow on trees. You have to work for it. It all about the opportunity that Aflac provides. Its not for everyone. Some people make a lot of money driving a truck route and selling cookies to convenience stores - not everyone needs to work w/Aflac.

makeyoumoney in Wentzville, Missouri said: In my professional opinion yes. You could do Aflac Part time if you did it smart. You must have a game plan and a marketing plan in place. You won't be able to afford to just sit around all day telemarketing or banging on doors. The other issue that i see is, you will need training. The first 3 months is just that. With your sales background you should be fine.

Snort!

Sorry but I have to disagree. You can't do AFLAC part time and be successful.

Its one thing to be an intern. Its another thing to do this part time. Part timers don't make it.

Sure there are exceptions to the rule, but in general, it doesnt end well.

Michael Page in Burlington, Vermont said: I'll say this and I mean every word.

I've walked the plank, it's great feeling to go it alone.

Am I a top producer at Aflac; not yet.

But in the last ten days 3 of my colleagues have gone out of their way in an incredibly timely fashion to help me.

There are many businesses where that just doesn't happen.

Mike Page

Mike,

It takes time to hit your stride.

If you go out thinking you can hit a home run and close a 1000 man group on day one, I'd say you're being unrealistic.
Its better to learn lease, memorize it, and start closing smaller groups. Then as you get more comfortable with the sales process and improve your product knowledge, start closing bigger groups.

One of the secrets of AFLAC is that it really is a team sport. Good Associates and DSCs will go out of their way to help others on their team. When you close your 100-300 man group, you can't write it all on your own. So you're going to bring in those whom you can trust. Likewise for them.

The first time you have to hand deliver a large check to a policy holder, you'll get it. You'll understand the value of the product.

Its also the same when you go down to the Aflac Children's Cancer Research Center.

The other secret to AFLAC is that its not a sprint, but a marathon. ;-)

Good Luck!

im_gumby in Chicago, Illinois said: Snort!

Sorry but I have to disagree. You can't do AFLAC part time and be successful.

Its one thing to be an intern. Its another thing to do this part time. Part timers don't make it.

Sure there are exceptions to the rule, but in general, it doesnt end well.

My Wife has been selling Aflac for 4 years and I wanted her to do it part time. She quit a 35k a year to sell this crap. 4 years ago I had no debt and we were living quite comfortable. Now 40k in debt, cards maxed out. She only made 5k this year and has a 6k no pay. She made more money in one year at her old job than 4 years combined with aflac. Her favorite color if aflac blue and she refuses to quit. Aflac is ok for a bored housewife, but not if you need a job.

im_gumby in Chicago, Illinois said: Mike,

It takes time to hit your stride.

If you go out thinking you can hit a home run and close a 1000 man group on day one, I'd say you're being unrealistic.
Its better to learn lease, memorize it, and start closing smaller groups. Then as you get more comfortable with the sales process and improve your product knowledge, start closing bigger groups.

One of the secrets of AFLAC is that it really is a team sport. Good Associates and DSCs will go out of their way to help others on their team. When you close your 100-300 man group, you can't write it all on your own. So you're going to bring in those whom you can trust. Likewise for them.

The first time you have to hand deliver a large check to a policy holder, you'll get it. You'll understand the value of the product.

Its also the same when you go down to the Aflac Children's Cancer Research Center.

The other secret to AFLAC is that its not a sprint, but a marathon. ;-)

Good Luck!

Thanks,

I'm accustomed to to taking the high road.

Your comments have served me well and those that I serve.

Sincerely,

Michael

I am an independent insurance broker, and have been very successful at it. I didn't get wealthy overnight (in fact, I'm not wealthy at all, just solidly middle class.) I've sold products for many companies, including Aflac.

I'd like to respond to the commnents you have made here, Justine.

First off, this is not a 'job.' You don't get a paycheck, or even benefits. You come to Aflac as a licenses, independent producer, and you sign a contract to sell their products.

It is very hard work. Anyone who tells you that you are going to get rich or that this is easy is lying to you. The Regional Manager in my territory is astonishly honest with people he interviews. The first year will be very difficult, but like anything else, persistence pays off. Insurance, especially supplemental insurance, takes time to learn about. Aflac provides wonderful training to anyone who wants it, and it's free.

You say you "guarantee" that so-and-so is getting paid to write things. This is completely untrue. This is a multi-billion dollar international company traded on the NYSE. They could care less what is being written on one of the thousands of anonynous internet chat rooms.

Finally, I flagged your comment as abusive and hope it gets removed. Shame on you for insulting Americans and for using obscene language. You are judged by others by the words you have used. I don't need to say any more.

Okay, ONE more line: it doesn't sound like you or your boyfriend is cut out for commission only sales. Most people aren't; which is why those who do persevere past the difficulties and objections will find a very satisfying career. It takes a lot of time, patientce, and self-motivation to be a career insurance agent. It's an entrepreneurial job and most people simply aren't cut out to be risk-takers.

smmyth3bu11 in Alpharetta, Georgia said: My Wife has been selling Aflac for 4 years and I wanted her to do it part time. She quit a 35k a year to sell this crap. 4 years ago I had no debt and we were living quite comfortable. Now 40k in debt, cards maxed out. She only made 5k this year and has a 6k no pay. She made more money in one year at her old job than 4 years combined with aflac. Her favorite color if aflac blue and she refuses to quit. Aflac is ok for a bored housewife, but not if you need a job.

Your right. This is not a job. This is your own business and she(and you) need to treat it this way. If she is not successful after 4 years she needs re-evaluate her business model. If someone wants a job then they need to find someone to tell them what they are worth and work for them.

Another way to increase the success rate is to partner with other companies as well. The Aflac agents that have partnered with me add 10-15k to their income in year one...just by asking a few questions and offering a product or two. And their Aflac business is stronger because the client feels that the agent has really done his homework and is thinking of what is best for the client. Most agents are INDEPENDANT contractors. Build your business with the bricks you want! Good Luck everyone!

Tralyn in Central, Minnesota said: As an Aflac agent I thought it was your choice if you go business to business (with that in mind you can choose what businesses you go to). I thought you also had the option of doing individual sales? Am I wrong?

MichaelinAtlanta - how long did you work for them and how much time did you put in during an average week?

You aren't allowed to go business to business anymore. They tell you that they give you leads, but that is a crock! They give you a list of 100 places to go. They pull the list off of salesgenie.com. These aren't leads, and it is a total lie when they tell you that there will be no coldcalling! That is all that you do. Just giving someone a list doesn't mean they are "warm" leads.

dccircuitboy in Columbus, Ohio said: You aren't allowed to go business to business anymore. They tell you that they give you leads, but that is a crock! They give you a list of 100 places to go. They pull the list off of salesgenie.com. These aren't leads, and it is a total lie when they tell you that there will be no coldcalling! That is all that you do. Just giving someone a list doesn't mean they are "warm" leads.

What in the WORLD are you talking about? Your first sentence is a flat-out LIE. I opened 2 new business groups last week...business to business is the life-blood of Aflac.

I'm outta here...this board is full of so many lies, inaccuraices, falsehoods and just plain NONSENSE that I no longer feel it is worth the 15 minutes of my time that I give it every month or so.

Good luck to anyone starting out with Aflac; and remember: don't listen to ANYONE unless they're more successful than you.

Well the fact of the matter is that in any business that you control your environment and your hours in, you only get paid when you work. As a cashier I worked for several years, and since they never put me as full time I did not get paid vacations or sick time. And AFLAC is pretty much the same, BUT the difference there is, after two years of hard work I can take a week off here and there and still have income based on my renewal commissions. AFLAC does NOT sell you the materials you need in the field, they are readily available on the website and shipped directly to your home at NO cost to you. The only out of pocket expenses I have had were my pre-licensing class, my exam, licensing fee, and background check. They are all required by the state...not AFLAC. I have paid exactly $0.00 to AFLAC and exactly $330.00 to the state to start my career and in my first month I have made exactly $1,329.87. So it seems to me I have made my money back and then some. Not to mention that this amount was made part time so when I start working hard full time just imagine my numbers. =) Sales is not for everyone, but you can not put that on the company. AFLAC is by far the best company I have ever worked for in this field. They provide you, free of charge, with exquisite training and materials. =)

Andy W in Kalamazoo, Michigan said: Hi Russ,

I am seriously considering going the AFLAC route and am scheduled for a second interview this week. I am a career operations manager without any sales experience and have a young (two-income of which I am the primary) family to support. I believe the potential for income based on personal effort. I am sincerely concerned, however, about my income at the outset and providing insurance for my kids. Also, I have yet to get a clear answer about prospecting for leads and how to do business without stumbling into the other reps on my team.

Any insight as an insider you can provide me would be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,
Andy

Hey Andy! I hope your second interview went well! I had the same reservations when I was contemplating leaving a career to work for AFLAC. What I did was study the four point and the closing, look over the brochures, and then fall back on my personal experiences with AFLAC. (I had made a claim in the past.) I also researched AFLAC stock and in the end I decided it was the right move for me. To subsidize my income while I was getting started I kept a part time job until I was able to get a couple of accounts. Then my confidence in what I was doing was so high that I gave my notice and set out as a full time AFLAC agent. =) It can be difficult, but it is a wonderful career choice! =) As for not bumping into the other agents accounts, you can check which businesses in your area have a contract with AFLAC on the website after you get started! =)

im_gumby in Chicago, Illinois said: Mike,

It takes time to hit your stride.

If you go out thinking you can hit a home run and close a 1000 man group on day one, I'd say you're being unrealistic.
Its better to learn lease, memorize it, and start closing smaller groups. Then as you get more comfortable with the sales process and improve your product knowledge, start closing bigger groups.

One of the secrets of AFLAC is that it really is a team sport. Good Associates and DSCs will go out of their way to help others on their team. When you close your 100-300 man group, you can't write it all on your own. So you're going to bring in those whom you can trust. Likewise for them.

The first time you have to hand deliver a large check to a policy holder, you'll get it. You'll understand the value of the product.

Its also the same when you go down to the Aflac Children's Cancer Research Center.

The other secret to AFLAC is that its not a sprint, but a marathon. ;-)

Good Luck!

I absolutely love this post! I love my position with AFLAC and wouldn't trade it for anything. It is very hard work, but it is also very rewarding! =)

makeyoumoney in Wentzville, Missouri said: what aflac policy pays someone for delivering a baby?

AFLAC pays based on the policy that you sign. Any covered incident will be payed out based on what is in your policy. If you have lost your policy you should contact your agent and ask any contract specific questions. =)

Laurie in Portland, Oregon said: I am guessing you have never been an independent representative before or owned your own business because everything you said that was negative to you, like you don't get paid when you don't work...is exactly how it is when you own your own business and AFLAC is really your own business. You can make as much or as little as you want. Employers want their employees to have the best benefits available and employees want to get back their copays and to get money when they are in need..money that THEY decide what to do with, not that goes to the dr or anyone but the needing person..food, gas, rent, mortgage..diapers formula...chemo, medicine.

I do agree that 7 hours of a presentation would be really long..that is not how it is done here nor in any other states where I have many people in my team.

The product is really awesome! and the financial opportunity is second to none!..The personal stories will make you cry when you learn how many people, and I am betting,even some people you know, have been helped by receiving money from AFLAC.

I think that you made the right decision for you when you left because it seems like you would not be happy working the hours that YOU chose, making the kind of money YOU chose with no limits and providing a product that truely changes peoples lives!

Let me know if you have an specific questions I can answer about working for AFLAC and the products they offer.

Good luck in you career search!

Hello Laurie! I am a new agent and I am very excited about my career choice. I am fully licensed already and have been through the Smart7 business school training. I am still in Smart7 weekly classes and I am working in the field with my district sales coordinator, as well as my regional coordinator, and some other agents. I have done some calls on my own too. I was wondering if you have any specific advise for a new agent. =)
Jennifer

me in Richardson, Texas said: I HAVE been to one of these "independent" workers/leaders, whatever. I got a lecture about the importance of saving money and how we need to convice more Americans to do the same. I am just getting by as it is- providing for my family and paying my bills in full- to keep my credit intact. They gave ME a lecture about saving $$ and how we all need to invest. I understand the logic, but when you have to buy diapers, groceries, pay your electric bill and rent, well- saving is a dream. With that in mind, I am not going to "sucker" some poor family into doing something that I cannot.

My point: I understand that other people have their own stories and are doing their best. Not everyone wants to rob a bank. There are honest people out there. Sales is about sales. Period. Not about ethics, or helping one another.

AFLAC isn't a savings company. We sell supplemental insurance, basically we insure the income of our clients. If our client has a covered accident we pay them directly so that they can use the money to pay their bills or however they so choose to spend it. We actually touch on the unlikeliness to be able to pull from savings or borrow from family in today's economy in our presentation to the client. We never banter on setting up savings or saving money. However, as both an agent and someone that has filed a claim with AFLAC in the past, I am quick to ask the question, "If you get hurt today and can't work for a week or more, will you be able to get by?" I ask this because when I filed my claim with AFLAC I was not an agent and I would not have made it financially without the money they paid out to me. Yes saving is important, but in today's economy it is not realistic for many people. AFLAC simply steps in and helps to fill the financial gap in the case of a covered incident. =)

me in Richardson, Texas said: You must have been brainwashed. It is a pyramid. Period. That is why they are always recruting and there is high turn-over. If everyone was successful after working their butts off, who would leave?? If it is so successful, how come when they call you and you question them on the phone: "you received my resume and want to offer a position- what sort of position?" and they say "you have to come in to find out". If they didn't have anything to hide, then why would they?????

A pyramid is designed so that the majority of your income comes from other workers. With AFLAC you are not working a pyramid. You work for yourself and you get ALL of the commissions from your sales UNLESS you voluntarily pull someone else in to work that account with you. If they work that account with you, then you split the commissions, usually a 70-30 or 60-40 split with you getting the higher number. The reason for that is simple: If they do part of the work they should get paid too. If you do happen to bring someone into the company you get the 5% incentive, which Laurie spoke of. That is to insure that you are vested in the success of the person that you bring in. Simply put, if you bring someone to a career and you see that they are having difficulty it is very easy to say "Oh well I'm not sinking." BUT if you are vested in that person's success, let's just say with a 5% deal, then you are more likely to help them when they stumble. However, that 5% is paid by AFLAC completely...NOT from the person you bring on so it does not qualify as a pyramid. =)

Now AFLAC has been on Ethisphere magazine's list of most ethical companies for 9 consecutive years and on Fortune magazine's top fortune 500 companies list 10 consecutive years! I truly love working for a company that is wanted and needed by employees and employers! Also, if anyone is watching the news now, with the tsunami, earthquake, aftershock, and nuclear power plant issue in Japan AFLAC has donated 100,000.00 yen (1 million US dollars) already to the relief fund with more to come AND we have pledged to pay out every life claim that comes from the tsunami. What's the big deal? Well, life insurance always requires a body to pay out a claim, AFLAC is waiving that requirement for their policy holders effected by the Tsunami and paying out anyways. How many other companies do you know that are willing to do that? ETHICS! Another valid point...we fired Gilbert Gottfried (he was the voice of the duck) for making unethical jokes about the tsunami victims. Hhmm...food for thought when you are seeking an ethical company to represent! =)

Courtney in Van Buren, Arkansas said: SCAM!!! RUN!!!

I worked for AFLAC for three months. At the interview I was told I would be reimburst for my licensure and classes. (That never happened). I watched several other agents go out and make money while I was waiting on my writing number... The whole time I was there I made something like 250. Now, nearly a year later I get a letter in the mail saying I have a "debit balance" of 155. I have 10 days to pay this or they are turning my account over to AFLAC's attorney.

Aflac never offers to reimburse for your license fees or classes. It is your responsibility because they do not require you to be a captive agent. You are free to represent as many other companies as you choose with your license, that is why working for Aflac as an associate is a 1099 career and you are considered self contractors. If you worked for Aflac for three months and only made $250 you only sold maybe 2 policies. If you have a debit it is from ordering items such as business cards or gift items and using your writing number to pay for them. Aflac pays for all of your brochures and selling items...even the shipping. I have been with Aflac for just over one month and have made $345 in commissions. Mind you, this is with very few calls as I spent two weeks sick with pneumonia (but my sickness indemnity policy paid me while I was sick) and I have a debit on my writing number of $30 for business cards and pens. That will be debited from my commission that I am expecting on Monday for an additional $270. With Aflac you make money according to the time and effort that you are willing to put into it. Bottom line, with Aflac just like with life...nothing is given to you..go out and get it! I paid for my pre-license class, my exam, and my license myself and my commission has already more than paid that back.