The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-14
MORE WOMEN N INSURANCE.
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| Insurance Ia reaching astonishing pro-
ppf',ona among tho various nov pfoir-'
rion- that woforn hnv~ tshon ~ In f"crh'
years A few notvy feminine souls vent
ufrd into N ne early ~ hftrrn years ago
b,r II IL only within the last Ave years
shss women have lren going into inanfaho"
90 fss, NJ 10 make n one ~ IN" phenomena
~ the b,,aincs. world There arr probably
not fcwer than .Uo women soliciting In
aurance IN New York and many thousands
throughout tho country
Tho change IA very aisnidoan', ~ u IA
nm Indication Of n new stage of Development
, In the entire body ~ business women "
Ia among b,i-lnoas and professional women
that tho woman insurance agent ohiohv
does biainc-s. and n IL because they hav"
reached the point long ago attained by men
at which they regard insurance m nec-s-
, sary evil. that this army Of women insurance
agents has risen TO supply tho now demand.
Moreover. whereas few year- ago women
rarely used 70 insure even when no young
! "a 70. to-day large numbers Of them are
insuring at IS.
! The change indicates shifting OF mental
attitude. Women formerly regarded them
selves a. birds Of passage In the business
world. but now they arr evidently coming
to look upon themselves a. fixtures.
| At the top of the feminine business world,
financially speaking. stand the fashionable
dressfnakers. Not that there are not women
In other lines who turn over a. much money
In year, but there is no other calling in
which 30 many women are handling large
enterprises Many women run big dress
making establishments In New York with
payrolls ranging from thousand to sew
eral thousand dollars a month.
! Within the last few years these women
| have taken to insuring, and $4,000 is their
customary figure. They find their policy
useful az collateral; security for loans when
sudden emergencies arise.
Some business women insure for this
reason alone. One who had nerve and
confidence in herself got the money to
start her business In this way. Another
! recently saved house from a mort gagged
foreclosure with her insurance policy.
Probably the most profitable field for
women agents at present ia among teachers
and trained nurses. Both classes are in
surfing in great numbers nowadays, gener-
, ally for from 1000 to $1,000. Most Of
! them wan some one Of the various forms
|
Of the distributing period.
| But there is bigger game for the woman
insurance agent If she can gain access
to wealthy women. Many rich wo men have
| ments and require little persuasion when
! orca their attention ia gained.
! The trouble is to get at them. Their
doors open very unwillngly to strangers.
! Each one must be got at personally and by
Individual methods. The woman who
ha urpn Ind Inrc a nIc
| her business can write big policies.
Here is a new scheme Of insurance which
| has proved fascinating to number OF
wealthy women in New York Of late. 1t is
blocks Of $40 600. or multiples of that sum.
woman of 81 pays about 81 200 on 320,-
| O0O At the end Of the frst year her in
surancc decreases to $4,000, and she re-
! ceives 81, OOn bond which Immediately
begins to bears interest at 81 per cent.
! teen years.
Each year the process is repeated. until
at the end of the twenty years she has no
insurance left. At the end OF the twenty
Years the first bond Ia matured and she
gets it's face value Of 81 ,0Oc, while the inter-
| ost on the other continues. This keeps
up for another twenty years, by which
time the woman probably does not need
| any more insurance.
All the newer schemes OF insurance in
tended to attract women tend to eliminate
more and more the protective feature
and emphasize that OF investment. It is
| distinctly distasteful to woman to feel
that she must die to beat the game; and it
greater horror than men OF leaving their old
| age unprovided for.
Women insurance agents have almost
invariably done something else first. and
! they come from all ranks and professions.
Teachers stand far ahead Of all others az
material for successful insurance agents,
for the simple reason that they are trained
in the art of imparting knowledge There
| il no essential difference between explain
ing a problem to class In arithmetic and
| making an insurance scheme clear to lay
mind
| Next in success come women who have
been reduced from affluent circumstances.
Their advantage comes from an entirely
It lies in their acquaintance with people
for whom large policies can be written.
Moreover, social training in making one
self agreeable is valuable asset.
! "A society woman who will work and
has M false pride about declaring herself
said an insurance man; 'but l never knew
one who tried to do it under cover, en-
deavoring to hide the fact that she was
an agent that did not make failure"
But aside from all the requirements
mentioned, the mysterious qualification
which brings success. to the insurance
agent is the power OF impressing her own
personality on that of others; of getting
a hearing, commanding attention, winning
confidence and convincing the mind; In
short, Of creating an impression. A color
less individual, who goes through life like
cat through blind alley, has not much
chance in insurance. 1t takes tact adapt
ability. social qualities. brains, originality,
and great deal Of self-reliance to make
good money in the business.
Furthermore, the business requires no
capital, and no training except the month of
, normal methods which the new agent gets
under the head of her department and in
which she may begin to earn money from
the first.
Nevertheless" said an experienced
woman agent, "a woman has to be pretty
now to endure the entire uncertainty of
the profession with equanimity; that is.
she has to have good deal more poise
and self confidence IN money matters than
the average woman has.
sWomen are a good deal more timid In
business matters than men. They worry
good deal more, owing largely to ignor-
ance and lack of experience. They like to
feel that there is regular salary coming
in. and to know what they have to
| depend on.
4The woman who 10 willing to launch out
for herself. with the possibility, but entire
! ,lncert ainty of good returns, is SO RAE ,