How to be a SUCCESS with AFLAC

I have read most of the discussions and replies about AFLAC. I have found that the negative comments were short-term agents. I have recently hit my year mark, and have never been happier! EVERYTHING I have been told during the first year is true, from the hard work required to the enormous amount of money you can make. All I had to do was give it a year. I gave my last job 12 years, and am now making twice as much money. If anyone ever has a question about AFLAC, just ask. I am on my way to a State Trainer Position!

I am studying for the licensing exam right now and based on what I was told, what family members in the industry accomplished, and my background, I am excited to get started. Can you give me any important points that you think were not covered in the beginning. Is there anything you learned that maybe wasn't covered in training. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hello!
Good luck on your licensing exam, it really is not as terrible as made out to be. Once you are licensed, you should have extensive and thorough training with AFLAC. Take advantage of it. Be sure to use the AFLAC University training and KNOW YOUR POLICIES. AFLAC is very easy to sell. It is a fabulous product and you can be very cofident in it. Once you get up and going, keep tabs on your accounts and make sure they are paying invoices on time. They appreciate the service and it prevents you losing any commission.

Be sure to attend any and all training offered. Be prepared to work your tail off setting appointments for awhile, it does take a good month to get money rolling. When you go to sales school, learn your scripts and practice them daily. Use L.E.A.S.E. You will find out what that is in sales school.

The best tip I have is do not get discouraged. As with any business (and AFLAC is your own business) it takes the first year to really get going. You will have good days, lucky days, and days when you are reasy to give up (sounds like any other job, huh?) You will easily double what you make the first year in your second. I am two months into my second year and have already made what I did in the first, and I have received several trips and bonuses, not to mention stock.

Oh, and never get in the mindset the market is saturated or you need to find large companies. My money has been made in small businesses. They are easy to close and most of the time, have no benefits. You can easily write more in a few small businesses than you can in one large company.

I hope you do well, and maybe I will see you at a National Convention or Trip!

Thanks much! You've been very helpful. I appreciate it. Good luck, it sounds like you are doing great! I'm off to study!

I am also studying for my test and will start with Aflac next week. What has you expereince been in Connecticut so far with Aflac? There's an awlful lot of nagativity on these boards about Aflac. I'm not sure it is justified.

The Northeast is fertile ground for Aflac. You are correct, there IS a lot of negativity on the boards here. That's because successful agents usually don't spend time posting on job boards. They're too busy making money! Look, let's be honest and up front. This is a hard job. All commission only sales is tough. You have to be a certain kind of person to do this and be good at it. If you are not sure, just try it for a month. If you absolutely hate it, you aren't cut out for sales. It doesn't mean the company is bad, or Aflac is a scam, or you can't make money. Lots and lot of people make excellent money at Aflac. I have, and I didn't have relatives or a lot of business contacts. I'm just cut-out for sales. It's not rocket science. The people who post "run, don't walk" and "this is a pyramid scheme" are just angry and hurt because they failed. Aflac is well respected in the investment and insurance community. It's just not for everyone...in fact, it't not even right for the majority of people. But if you are strange enough to belong in the kill-or-be-killed cut throat world of sales, it's a great ride. Good luck.

Thanks for your reply. Makes sense.

I'm scheduled for an interview and was wondering if it is something that can be done part time to start with? I have a job from 2-10. The one plus side is that I do have a license already, the call center that I work at made us get one. I really don't know a whole lot about the insurance business. AFlAC is a reputable com. and I saw an ad so I decided to apply.

I just got a job with AFLAC and start training soon. I have read sooo many negative comments and it's making me a little nervous. I am a great people person and people tend to draw towards me and like me being around.. I am just not a good "bugger" I use to sell credit cards to ppl and I would always feel like I was annoying. Should I not take the job then?

It is a great asset to have ANY kind of sales experience under your belt. Your business will primarily be employers/business owners and not individuals, so it is not quite the same as credit cards. Your training will be a great tool that will help you gain confidence in your sales approach, and also confidence and knowledge in Aflac products. Always remember that you will be HELPING people protect themselves against the financial burden that comes with illness. You will be providing a great service, and unlike a credit card that takes money from a person, Aflac will provide cash benefits when they need it most!

You will not be annoying people. Be confident and know that your time is valuable. As with any sales, you will get 20 more NOs than Yes, but you have to be willing to embrace the NOs and keep on going. The one YES will be worth the effort, both to you and your account.

You have to remember that the time you put into a job determines the money you get out of it. In the first 13 weeks you will have a lot of training to complete. It will not be easy to complete part-time. I am not saying it cannot be done, but it will be hard to make much money. If you are working 8 hours in another job, it will be hard to have the motivation and energy to get out there and get your business going with Aflac.

When you interview, ask them about part-time. They may be open to it and have great advice. Most will tell you that the trainers will not devote as much time and effort into helping you because they are full-time and do not want to do the work for you.

Nikki C C in Little Rock,
I will be interviewing in Conway next week, how is the Conway office?
I have been in Air Traffic for 23 yeears and have retired and am moving to Conway. I am licensed in Real Estate, but feel RE is too soft to go straight commission.
i know this blog hass a lot of negative comments, but i am looking for something to supplement a retirement and pay forr the extras in life. Is Aflac a good mix for someone an early retirement?

Well, if you will be in the Conway office, you will be working with me. Of course that is fantastic! You will interview with the RSC Lindsey, and she will tell you everything you want to know about Aflac. Jill should be the DSC you work with, and she is also my DSC. We have a very close knit group, and work very well as a team. I look forward to meeting you!

Aflac is a great way to supplement retirement. I am almost to my third year, so I can definitely say the first year was the most difficult. The first year you will be building your business. After that, you will continue to build your business, but you will also begin receiving stock and renewals. We always have a contest running, and take fabulous trips. Our upcoming trip is a cruise. We have agents that work hard and make at least 150K a year, and we have agents that work hard and make 60K a year. Since you have been in real estate before, you will have valuable experience. You understand what it will take for you to earn a consistent income. I equate it to a real estate agent selling a house. Just because you sold that one house and made a great commission does not mean that you can take off and not work for awhile. I have seen many agents with that mentality not make it with Aflac.

I cannot wait for you to join our team. I think you will really enjoy the environment and the opportunities. See you soon!

Hi Nicki, thanks so much for your input. Wondering if you had some suggestions for me.

I have an initial interview with Aflac tomorrow. I'm a single mom of 3 out of TX and have been unemployed for a few months, so I dont have any capital to purchase leads, invest, etc.

I will have to do the sales part time until the commission starts rolling in.

What are your thoughts on the current economic crisis and how has it affected your business? And how much money do you think I will need initially to be successful with Aflac?

Thanks,
Brandy

Brandy, if you do not have any money in savings you should not take a full commission job. There are start up cost such as license fees and appointment fees. After you get started it usually takes a couple of weeks before you make any money.

Well, I've had my insurance (Life and Health) license for over 2 years now...I know that I wont be able to Aflac sales full time initially...are you suggesting that I put Aflac on the back burner and get a full time job and save up some capital? Or can I do it part time, honestly?

-Brandy

Jon in New Orleans, Louisiana said: Brandy, if you do not have any money in savings you should not take a full commission job. There are start up cost such as license fees and appointment fees. After you get started it usually takes a couple of weeks before you make any money.

I have been considering pursuing a possible opportunity with Aflac but am glad that I just read your posting. I have read so many negative comments so I wasn't sure about the route that I should take but now I know for sure. Thanks!

I have more than 15 years experience selling to exactly the kinds of businesses that AFLAC is targeting. For the majority of those years, I was a commission only rep. I'm used to setting my own schedule, developing referral sources, prospecting, etc. I have worked from a home office since 1998. I don't see a down side to going after this opportunity with AFLAC. Am I missing something? Anything?

Hi Patrick3462, thanks for your reply.

My question for established and successul commission only AFLAC reps is how much capital do you think is necessary to help me stay afloat until commissions start rolling in.

Thanks!

Today I started my first online class to study for my Mass. license, and I plan to start grad school. The next round of product training starts in 1.5 weeks so I've got work to do. After reading the grousing in this forum, I have to say the people I've interviewed with have not made any rosy promises. They keep saying this is an entrepreneurial business opportunity. I'm not expecting to learn a formula that allows robots to make money. It'll cost me $400 for my license (half of that paid to Commonwealth of Taxachusetts) with no promises for reimbursement. I can borrow a laptop to get started; when it's time for my own, I'll get $3 for each policy I submit electronically which pretty much pays for it. When I mentioned Aflac to my ex-wife, she said she's had a few claims (>$1000) which were paid right away with no aggravation. I had gotten interested after the Aflac rep came to the office where I worked and there was no BS, just calm Q&A followed by half of my colleagues buying policies. If anyone is interested in my ramp-up experience, I'll report back in.

DuckNewbie in S. Weymouth, Massachusetts said: Today I started my first online class to study for my Mass. license, and I plan to start grad school. The next round of product training starts in 1.5 weeks so I've got work to do. After reading the grousing in this forum, I have to say the people I've interviewed with have not made any rosy promises. They keep saying this is an entrepreneurial business opportunity. I'm not expecting to learn a formula that allows robots to make money. It'll cost me $400 for my license (half of that paid to Commonwealth of Taxachusetts) with no promises for reimbursement. I can borrow a laptop to get started; when it's time for my own, I'll get $3 for each policy I submit electronically which pretty much pays for it. When I mentioned Aflac to my ex-wife, she said she's had a few claims (>$1000) which were paid right away with no aggravation. I had gotten interested after the Aflac rep came to the office where I worked and there was no BS, just calm Q&A followed by half of my colleagues buying policies. If anyone is interested in my ramp-up experience, I'll report back in.

Please tell me how your experience has been so far????

Aligirl in Granby, Massachusetts said: Please tell me how your experience has been so far????

It's been great so far. We had 1 day of product training with my Regional coordinator then a few days in RI for "state sales school". No "greed is good, you can be a millionaire in 5 years" speeches. Most people want the policies, the trick is to get approval from the business leader to stand in front of the employees. We had school for 1.5 days then 2 days in the field knocking on doors then 1 day in school. Despite being new and nervous, most of the 14 students got at least 2 appts to meet with the decision maker. As far as I can tell, we all think the program works. We were cautioned that most failures are because people fall in love with the idea of being their own boss and become slackers. My District coordinator said it's all about effort. I'll do another update in a week or so, after I really get rolling.

I am currently looking into selling aflac. does aflac offer a website to sales agents to look up local companies to see if they already have aflac. It seems that would bbe a big help so you dont waste time contacting companies that already have coverage.

I asked that question, actually repeatedly, and did not get a straight answer.

Aligirl in Granby, Massachusetts said: I asked that question, actually repeatedly, and did not get a straight answer.

We have a subscription to SalesGenie, which is an online database of companies that are potential customers. It does not cost me anything because my District and Region pay for it. The database has a check box to eliminate all Aflac customers, however there is obviously a delay in updating such a huge nationwide database of businesses so you contact a customer. Remember, it's a lot easier and faster to apologize to a current customer than to spend your time searching records for every single business you plan to contact; it's a volume game and you won't make many appts.

How many calls have you made so far and how many appointments have you scheduled?

Aligirl in Granby, Massachusetts said: How many calls have you made so far and how many appointments have you scheduled?

The Mass. DOI cashed my license check on Nov 5 and I was told this morning, 19-Nov-08, that I might not my license for 2 or 3 more weeks. They are now processing license apps from October 20, so they are a month behind. All I can do is study, practice and play assistant until I'm licensed. I passed my Life exam yesterday and can add that line of authority after I get my license.

CONGRADULATIONS. I know I was a nervous wreck when I took my test 3 hours long..so draining. I failed it the 1st time and passed it the 2nd time.

You can't badmouth Aflac for it's sales model. I believe it is a solid company. Their sales model is not unreasonable. It's just that it has to be right for you. Many companies operate on straight commission sales, and Aflac's commissions are handsome. It just means that you have to be the type of person who enjoys pounding on doors and interacting with people. You have to be success driven and money driven. You need to be the type of person who loves competition and winning awards and trips and cruises. Many people enjoy this line of work and do well at it. Others are not suited for it. So it's more about YOU than Aflac. Their products have helped many people, but if your not cut out for straight commission sales, now's the time for some soul searching.

Tachette in Albuquerque, New Mexico said: You can't badmouth Aflac for it's sales model. I believe it is a solid company. Their sales model is not unreasonable. It's just that it has to be right for you. Many companies operate on straight commission sales, and Aflac's commissions are handsome. It just means that you have to be the type of person who enjoys pounding on doors and interacting with people. You have to be success driven and money driven. You need to be the type of person who loves competition and winning awards and trips and cruises. Many people enjoy this line of work and do well at it. Others are not suited for it. So it's more about YOU than Aflac. Their products have helped many people, but if your not cut out for straight commission sales, now's the time for some soul searching.

Tachette, I'm a little puzzled by your post. No one is badmouthing the sales model, we're just discussing the experience of the first days/weeks. Can you please clarify the point you are trying to make?

When I responded, I had this comment in mind: "I have read so many negative comments so I wasn't sure about the route that I should take but now I know for sure."

Studying for the test right now, I'm really glad I found this forum, gave me a lot of insight to the good, bad and ugly situations people have had as well as a model for what I might expect and try out in the first months of working for the Duck. I had my interview about two weeks ago and now I'm studying for the Oregon Life and Health exam (figured I'd just get them both out of the way). Can anybody tell me what I should be reading and studying in particular that will help me pass? I've never had very effective study habits and am getting a little nervous about passing.
Also, if anyone is willing to share their opinion/experience, I am 21 years old and basically living paycheck to paycheck right now, working a 9-5 job in Salem. How should I start to ween myself off of my full time job so I can start working on my career at Aflac?

Update: I'm dropping the Aflac agent gig. I Fast Started with a former client who wanted policies again, then sold zero in 2+ months after that. I had a lot of people interested but they fizzled out, citing layoffs, plummeting sales and general turmoil in their businesses. I had one prospect with dozen of employees in 2 states, very hot for the programs, but it's still "maybe next month, we are still restructuring, I don't know what's going to happen around here". And "We have to postpone the enrollment, we're having more layoffs. I have your biz card, bye." Our "now more than ever" argument doesn't click with people who are in a cold sweat. New agents who have a "warm network" of people they can call are having some initial success but cold knocking/cold phoning is not working. Firms with at least several employees have already been contacted (sometimes repeatedly) and don't want to hear it again; those with only 3-5 will sometimes listen but they're not buying either. I run sales reports and it's dismal for the team.

Hiring is non-stop in my office. Agents come in, sell to the prospects where they have an "in", then fade away. This seems to conflict with an explicit conversation I had with the hiring manager on this topic before I joined. That's my only gripe. My direct manager is honest, very helpful, energetic etc. No rah-rah nonsense.

You are quitting after two months? Goodbye. This is a career, not a job, and it takes 1-2 years to make any serious money. I've been at it 10 years and just made $3000 in three days. You have to have guts to stay in this business. Good times, bad time, doesn't matter 'cause real sales people alwasy sell. All you give are excuses; you're focusing on the negative, expecting the negative, and guess what? Negative sales!

In a way, I'm almost grateful for this short term poor economy (I don't think it's going to drag on as long as everyone believes. ) because in these hard times, you only make money in sales if you are in the top % of earners--a true salesperson--a natural born killer.

This was simply a report of my experiences with a variety of businesses that I had gotten interested in the programs - they're scared and delaying any action. I was in touch with my DSC regularly, telling him of my approach to these prospects and asking how he thought I should proceed. He had a few minor suggestions but overall he thought I was on track.

I do feel that it's a hard time for new agents to break in. One member of my team was going to do an enrollment at the company his father in law owns but it was pushed off due to the unprecedented rapid decline in his company's sales. Agents with an existing "book of business" should be able to ride it out reasonably well.

I never said Aflac was bad news, it's just not for me. I did say my only gripe is the high number of rookie agents coming through the door which differs from what I was told before I signed up.

Good luck.

Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. You have to realize that in sales, there will always be a reason that a client doesn't want to talk to you. Bad weather, bad economy, bad time of year, the holidays, an audit, etc, etc, etc. These are called 'objections' and a good, well trained salesperson knows how to adjust and overcome them. Is it tougher out there because of all the unemployment? Yes. But is it still possible to make an excellent living selling Aflac? You betcha.

Over 90% of America is still going to work every day. And most of them are living paycheck to paycheck....one medical misfortune away from bankruptcy. If offered a policy that costs an average of $8/week that will save them from losing their homes should illness strike, a lot of smart employees will choose to give up their weekly stop at the coffee shop and buy an Aflac policy instead. It's all in how it's presented. You have to be top notch at this to make it. And it shouldn't be done part-time. Who wants a part-time agent? I don't. Anyone I sign up with needs to live, eat and breathe their job, so that if I have a claim, they're right there in a nanosecond to help me with it. THAT's the kind of agent that makes money in this economy. Best of luck to you.

Nikki_C C in Little Rock, Arkansas said: I have read most of the discussions and replies about AFLAC. I have found that the negative comments were short-term agents. I have recently hit my year mark, and have never been happier! EVERYTHING I have been told during the first year is true, from the hard work required to the enormous amount of money you can make. All I had to do was give it a year. I gave my last job 12 years, and am now making twice as much money. If anyone ever has a question about AFLAC, just ask. I am on my way to a State Trainer Position!

Nikki,

I hope you're still doing well. I'm new with Aflac and am loving it.

Nikki_C C in Little Rock, Arkansas said: I have read most of the discussions and replies about AFLAC. I have found that the negative comments were short-term agents. I have recently hit my year mark, and have never been happier! EVERYTHING I have been told during the first year is true, from the hard work required to the enormous amount of money you can make. All I had to do was give it a year. I gave my last job 12 years, and am now making twice as much money. If anyone ever has a question about AFLAC, just ask. I am on my way to a State Trainer Position!

I think that's wonderful! I'm a new aflac rep, learning for the certification, and wanted to know if you knew any ways I could possibly jumpstart my sales. I need commission soon (else I'm gonna be evicted), so...
thanks.

I have an interview tomorrow with AFLAC. I live in CT. My biggest concern is the saturation of Agents in the CT area. Can anyone comment on over satuaration? I am not afraid to cold call or present to a group but if I call 100+ businesses and they have been approached repeatedly by AFLAC agents it will make a more difficult sell. Thanks

I have read most of the posts about AFLAC (as most other people have) and I, too, have an interview with AFLAC coming up. I am not worried about the hard work, dedication, or being rejected. My question is, can a young mother with no income afford to borrow the money to do this? I want to work for this company, but I also want to know if it is a realistic decision for my family?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.