New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-27
Life Insurance Holds
Opportunities for
Large Financial
Re60ard.
BY c. W. Jennings
BY c. W. Jennings
CHAPTER XIV.


xUTHEN YOU have been approached
M cOrnered. and perhaps talked in
w TO doing business by a life i'm
surance solicitor. or. when YOU have
received notice from life insurance COM
pany that a premium payment on your
policy is about due. have you ever thought
OF your own boy as a life insurance man
an agent?
For energy expended. the financial re-
turns are probably greater for the life In
surdnce agent than he could get in any
other business. There are many general
agents. for example. who earn over $780,
Gee a year In most occupations Of large
financial returns such a reward usually
comes only after almost lifetime Of toll.
and, besides. few get there. One may be
a successful general agent. however, be-
fore lie is forty and with stiu greater
emOluments awaiting his further efforts.
Besides, instead Of working night and day
10 get 10 the top, or even 20 hold his JOB.
the life insurance agent who works five
hours out Of the twenty-four is quite a
hustler and this work is not drudgery
in any sense.
There are two methods that might be
suggested for your boy 20 make his start
in this line. one is 20 begin as Office boy
10 a general agent Of an insurance COM
pany; the other Is to learn steuOgraphy
and get job as stenographer in the Office
CT the general agent. with the determina-
ton 10 become that agents secretary.
Let Us say that your boy prefers 70 be-
gin at the very bottom. as office boy He
should be fifteen or so. and have as much
schooling as the boy OF that age generally
has acquired. His pay will be- only about
s. a week. and his work will do nothing
further for him than 20 famiuarize him
with the run OF the once and let him
absorb such insurance conversation and
arguments as he happens 10 overhear.
During this formative period he should
be keeping his eyes and ears open 10 re-
ceive every bit Of information he possibly
can about the business, and. either in
night school or az home. he should be
studying stenography SO as 20 get as
close 20 his employer as possible as the
latter's secretary. He will probably 20
through two or three intermediate clerk
ships before reaching this position. bur
they will be the usual run Of clerical
work. making entries in books. keeping
track of policies. payment or premiums.
etc. and sending out notices and adver-
Using literature. His pay will be that OF
the usual clerk. running from about s. a
week in the beginning up 10 So or SIS.
and then up 20 as high as perhaps SIS
as secretary 10 the agent
As soon as your boy becomes steno-
ETapher. however. ne will be thrown into
direct contact with the inner methods OF
getting and keeping business and become
familiar with all the details OF the solicit
ing end. After a while he will occasionally
BE- told 20 take care OF callers that come
into the ONCE 70 inquire about policies.
and then IL IS up 10 him 10 demonstrate
that he has been an once student and
an observer. and can put into practice
what he has learned
II he can convince the caller that the
company has Just the policy that he
should take. and az the same time do IN
without misrepresentation. as an over-en-
thusiast might be tempted 20 do. vou-
boy has made 5000. and MAJ and thar his
gratihea employer has allowed him the
regular 30 per cent 90 40 per cent com
mission on the FIST years premium -
this Vas an ordinary straight life poIicv
OF say $1,000 the young agent might
nnd himself richer 20 the extent OF sac ar
$50. not a bad pickup for youngster.
That one success will IN all likelihood
settle your boys determination 90 hecor,e
a sure enough agent az the earliest possible
moment He Wtll he assisted I'm This am
hilton hy h.s employer. Tor the latfer.s
earnings and standing IN the tnsurance
Wofid depend upon the amount OF business
MS once se's-and he can ind clerks and