After the last message, a friend called and said he didn’t like my tone, and I wasn’t helping agents. But I believe I am. I believe that sounding the alarm is waking us up to preserve the business.

Look, this is the best time ever to be a life insurance agent - and it’s the very worst time ever to lose the business.

So, here are 5 more reasons why this is the last generation of life insurance agents unless something is done:

1. Legacy companies only want to “harvest production from producers” – this is an actual quote from a senior executive. Oh sure, they still spend a fortune on feting advisors but nothing on getting advisors - and growing them.
2. The Willie Sutton Problem – you know, the bank robber: We keep going after big cases because that’s where the money is but not where the people are. So, stop laughing at MDRT producers who do hundreds of cases each year – it happens! Those agents keep advisors relevant.
3. The “Do as Little as Possible to Make as Much Money as Possible Movement” is quietly destroying agent productivity by encouraging corner cutting. Agency and indeed any business isn’t built on a foundation of sand. It needs to be on hard work. And, buying leads doesn’t develop advisors, it emasculates them.
4. Advisor self focus, not client focus, eliminates the evangelical zeal to change the world one client at a time. I’m sorry to say this but it’s not about YOU. And it never has been. Remember what John Savage said: “Take care of your clients first, last, and always and they will always take care of you.”
5.  The fallacy of CE Credits making for better advisors. Sure, they may help you sound right when you get a chance but not sell right, so you never will get a chance.

I have a question for you. Will you help turn this around - while there is still time?

You can be part of the solution.

Jim Ruta