Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-02-10

VAR0tW perhaps Cdlheu luJO uOluS
NASN8y business by a life insur-
W W ance solicitor, or, when
you have received notice
from a life insurance company that a
premium payment on your policy is
about due, have you ever thought of
your own boy as life insurance man
an agent?
For energy expended, the financial
returns are probably greater for the
life insurance agent than he could get
In any other business. There are
many general agents, for example,
who earn over $4,000 year-a
greater salary than the president of
the United States receives. In most
occupations of large financial returns
such a reward usually comes only
after almost a lifetime of toll, and,
besides, few get there. One may be
successful general agent, however.
before he is forty, and with still
greater emoluments awaiting only his
further efforts. Besides, instead or
working night and day to get TO the
top, even to hold his job, the life in
surance agent that works five hours
out OF the twenty-four is quite a
hustler and this work is not drudg-
cry in any sense.
There are two methods that might
be suggested for your boy to make his
start. One is to begin as office boy
to a general agent Of an insurance
company; the other is to learn
stenography and get a job as stem
ographer in the Office of the general
agent, with the determination to be-
come that agents secretary.
We shall say that your boy prefers
to begin 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 five dollars a
week and his work will do nothing
further for him than to familiarize
him with the run of the office and let
him absorb such insurance converse
ton and argument as he .-appens to
overhear.
During this formative period he
should be keeping his eyes and ears
open to receive everything he possibly
can about the business, and, either in
night school or at home, he should
be studying stenography so as to get
as close to his employer as possible
as the latter's secretary. He Will
probably go through two or three In
termediate clerkships before reaching
| this position, but they will be the
usual run of clerical work, making
entries in books, keeping track Of
policies. payment of premiums, ETC.,
| and sending out notices and adver-
Using literature. His pay will be
that of the usual clerk, running from
about So a week in the beginning up
to $12 or SIS, and then up to as high
as perhaps $25 as secretary to the
agent.
AS soon as your boy becomes stenog-
rapher, however, he will be thrown
into direct contact with the inner
methods of getting and keeping bust
ness and become familiar with all
details of the soliciting end After
awhile he will occasionally be told
to take care of callers that come into
the Office to inquire about policies,
| and then 1t is up to him to demon
strate that he has been an Office stu
dent and an observer and can put into
practise what he has learned.
II he can convince the caller that
the company has just the policy that
he should take, and at the same time
do it without Misrepresentation, as
an overenthusiast might be tempted
to do. your boy has made good. and
may find that his gratified employer
has allowed him the regular 30 per
cent to 40 per cent commission on
the first years premium. II this was
an ordinary straight life policy, of
say, $4,000, the young agent might
| ind himself richer to the extent OF
| $40 to $50. not a bad pickup for a
! youngster.
That one success will in all likeli-
hood settle your boys determination
TO become a sure-enough agent at the
| earliest possible moment. He will be
assisted in this ambition by his en-
ployer, for the latter's earnings and
| standings in the Insurance world de-
pend upon the amount Of business his
office gets-and he can find clerks and
stenographers far more easily than
be can good agents.
After proving himself for awhile in
cooking after people that come to the
office. your boy will probably be told
% go up and see Mr.. So-and-so, who
ras displayed symptoms OF desiring g
| policy. Then he Will be sent to an