Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-21

of men of independent means. and this rol
| tl1ey cannot sustain. They are hangers-ol
r$her than honest toilers
Honest, earnest, intelligent, weil-directe
labor is the KEY which opens the door o
success to the life insurance solicitor. LIE
! the work be systematized as far as possible
Let.every hour and every moment durin!
| business hours be utilized. Let ever,
thought III season or out of season be eithe
! as to the best way to get fuller knowledg'
of the system, to the best avenues through
which men can be approached, or as to tht
l most comprehensive manner in which tn,
claims of the family for protection, or those
Of the Office for patronage, can be presented
Let no opportunity pass where respectful
| hearing can be had, and then let great tao
be exercised. If he fails to secure appli
| cants he should not be cast down, but like
| the hero in the story, he should rise madden
| for the next bout of the contest. In this
! way succeeders will be made, and victory
| be often suatched from the Jaws of defeat
The business of soliciting applications for
life insurance policies should never be
! taken up as makeShift 1t Shouid rather
be as profession and with view to make
it life work. A good locality should De
selected. The idea of covering a large field
! should not be cherished This has been
the rock upon which many good solicitors
come .citizen of the principal town and
should be earnest in forwarding all good I'M
dertakings, just in all his dealings, careful
in dress and address, and earnest in his de-
sire to avoid giving any just cause of of
Tense. He should tell the truth at all times
and be honest in his advice to the holders of
policies in rival Offices He should lay out
his work carefully and labor methodically
and earnestly. Dlscouragements will GER
tainly come. But in time business will be
secured, the income of his agency will in
crease, and with it his own income. If he
is self-respecting, in time ne will be re-
spected, and the people viii learn to seek
and heed his advice in all matters relating
to the work in which he is engaged
The heart as well as the head is required
to make a good life insurance agent. The
strongest appeals which the agent can
make is to those sentiments which cling
around the freSide and beautify and dignity
it. The man who will work all day and,
perhaps, far into the night, to protect
those of his own household, cannot fail 20
listen to the appeals of the agent if properly
put. The head is mighty; but, after all,
the heart will beat fullest in response to
the heart. This it is that brings the agent
into that close sympathy with his man
which enables him to secure both his pat
ronage and influence
And thus the agent with head, a heart,
an earnest purpose and desire, coupled with
the ability to work, will not only almost
certainly succeed financially, but he will
have the satisfaction as the years roll on of
knowing that many have been and many
more will be happier and better by reason
of his efforts. United States Review
Various conditions existing in the several
countries and divisions of the Old World
have not been so favorable for the rapid de-
velopment Of. life insurance as the condit-
ions which exist here. In Great Britain,
for example, the life companies are num-
erous, many of them strong and a few of
rather pretentious size. But compared with
the methods of getting business here, the
tactics OF the British companies remind US
OF the retail store, which is open for GUS
till they come So that
where capital is plentiful and even stag
nant, and where it would be naturally eX-
pected that the life insurance customer
could be easily secured, the companies have
made small progress compared with the |
prodlglous strides of many American COM
panies
As we analyze the causes for this differ
snce two seem to be pre-eminent. The first |
S the prevalence of the methods of doing |
business spoken of above. The second NAV |
De found in the fact that in America fort |
ines are not so old and so secure; the struc- |
gle for speculation and ey-getting is |
life. Men are easily brought to realize the |
Insecurity of their estates and the danger
# their families. Life insurance here is a
necessity. A good deal that is carried is /
heap and hardly worthy the name. But
he enterprise of American companies, and |
he good Judgment of American citizens.
lave resulted in mighty growth, gigantic
development for legitimate life insurance.
We are not, therefore, surprised to find that
he giant companies of the United States
re able to compete successfully with COM |
'an1es OF other countries on their own soil;
or the conditions that prevail in Great
britain are also found in some degree in all
Orelgn countries where life insurance COM
'anleS exist In the countries where there |
re no companies, the institutions of this |
ountry have stepped forward to fill the |
reach, and two Of them are now doing |
BUSINESS in most every civilized portion Of
he earth, while third is rapidly extend
ng its business with view to covering a
imilar territory.
Outside OF european countries, the re- |
'ublics OF South America appear to offer
he most fruitful field for American life |
ompanies. Owing to the difference be-
ween the degrees and conditions of civil
alton between many of these republics
nd the United States, it is hardly likely !
nat life insurance will be for some wears |
5 evenly distributed among the masses
mere as it is here. But wealth is increas-
lg there, and its distribution is all the
me going on. For many reasons this
usiness has healthy look, and we shall
spect to see in the future, great prosper
y attending the operations of these three
in foreign countries.
The idea has in some way become preya-
mt that the foreign business of the Ameri-
IN life companies has tended to greatly in
ease the size of the average policy on
leir books. This belief has doubtless !
lined ground because of the fact that
owned hends and noblemen are some
mes among the applicants, and as the pop
ar impression is that such applications |
ust be for large amounts, the average
,llcy is thus enlarged by the acceptance of
lch risks. A little attention to the figures,
,wever, must serve to disabuse the mind |
hich holds this erroneous belief, for it can
silly be shown that the average policy is
1t little larger than the average of the I
hole. In South America the size of the |
'llcies appears to be a trifle above the
'rmal, but in the rest. and in the whole
mbined. the results seem to be compare
7ely uninfuenced by the influx of foreign
lsiness.