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Georges Simple Plan

Written by: Donald F. Pooley

Article Overview: George Anderson asked me about new year's resolutions, so I told him they didn't work for me. He asked me what did. I said to decide on what's really important to achieve in the coming year, then devise a simple plan to get me to where I want to be.

Georges Simple Plan

George Anderson asked me about new year's resolutions, so I told him they didn't work for me. He asked me what did. I said to decide on what's really important to achieve in the coming year, then devise a simple plan to get me to where I want to be.
He asked, "For instance?"
I said, "Well what's really important for you to achieve in the coming year?"
George said, "Well I want more money!"
I asked "How much more?" He answered, "Twice what I get now."
George now makes about $100,000 a year selling life insurance so I asked him, "Do you think you could increase your sales commissions by 15% in 2006?"
Getting serious, he said, "15%? Yeah. That's only 15 grand. I should be able to do that with a bit of extra effort. Why?"
"Because, if you can increase your income by 15% every year, in 5 years you'll be earning over $200,000 a year."
He said, "Good. That's what I want. What's next?"
I asked "What would you have to do, George, to increase your income by 15% a year?"
"Guess I'd have to sell more policies, or larger policies."
"Which is easier?"
"Well, I don't have the time it'd take to sell that many more policies, so I'd have to sell larger ones."
"And how would you do that?" I ask.
"I doubt that my present clientele will start buying bigger policies," says George, "so I'll have to acquire prospects that have a need for them."
"So you're looking for wealthier prospects. Is that it?"
"Yeah."
"But you said you don't have the time to sell more policies, so where would you find the time to find, and approach these wealthier prospects?"
"I guess I'll have to trim my present list of clients."
"And how would you do that?"
"Well, some are time-wasters who want to talk, who bought a policy from me years ago, and haven't bought since. I can eliminate those easily by not contacting them."
"What else?"
"Well, at the other end of the spectrum, I have a client who, though he's bought large policies from me, is a real pain in the butt. He's a bully, who wants to be treated better than anyone else, and wastes too much of my time demanding special service, and my immediate attention to his demands."
"And?"
"And the truth is, I can't really afford him. He's too high maintenance, and doesn't offer a good return on the time and effort I've been investing in him. And he's never given me a referral in all the years I've worked with him."
"So?
"So I'll give him to another agent who needs the business enough to put up with him."
"He never gave you a referral. Are referrals that important?"
"Yep. In fact, I should make that one of the factors in my new prospect profile."
"I'd like to hear more about that, George, but right now I have to work on my own simple plan for 2006!"

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