The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-02-10
HEN you have been apr
preached, cornered, and
perhaps talked into doing
business by a life insur-
ance solicitor, or, when

SXFgY business by life insur.
W W ance solicitor, or, when
you have received notice
from 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 lifetime of toll, and
besides, few get there. One may be a
successful general agent, however
before he is forty and with still
greater emoluments awaiting only his
further efforts. Besides, instead OF
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 job as stem
ographer in the Office of the genera
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.
sion 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
es close to his employer as possible
rs the latter's secretary. He will
probably go through two or three in
:ermediate 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
chat of the usual clerk. running from
about So week in the beginning ur
to S12 or SIS, and then up to as high
AS perhaps $25. as secretary to the
agent.
AS soon as your boy becomes stenog
Iapher, 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 it 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.
If no can convince the caller thai
the cotapany 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 employee,
has allowed him the regular 80 pei
cent to 20 per cent commission on
the first years premium. If this was
an ordinary straight life policy, OF
say, $4,000. the young agent might
ind himself richer to the extent OF
$40 to $780, not a bad pickup for a
Toungster.
That one success will in all likeli
hood settle your boys determination
to become 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
etenographers far more easily than
he can good agents.
After proving himself for awhile in
looking after people that come to the
office. your boy will probably be told
to go up and see Mr.. So-and-so, who
has displayed symptoms of desiring a
policy. Then he will be sent to an
other man, and still another, the ex
perienced general agent giving him
the character of assignments best
suited to develop new agent.
Then. one day, the boss will call
your boy into the Office and talk to
him something OF this fashion: John
it's about time you began to get out
of this Office rut and go and do things
for yourself; SO you are fred from
your Job as stenographer-and ap.
pointed agent. You 60 out and write
po1icies!" Then the boss will prom.
Use to look after" your boy fol-
awhile, till. he gets thoroughly into
the run Of things, so that he won't