It’s inevitable. You updated your resume on one of those popular job boards (Careerbuilder, Monster) and your e-mail inbox becomes inundated with solicitations from desperate insurance companies and financial services firms. One of the most popular or persistent of the bunch is AFLAC.
AFLAC is an insurance company that markets its indemnity products (Disability, Accident, Hospital Confinement, etc.) to businesses supposedly as an add-on to the Group Benefits (Health Insurance) it already has with its major medical provider.
Sure, AFLAC has been listed as one of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” and has been noted on the merit of hiring diversity candidates, but let’s go beyond the mere marketing of AFLAC and find out what that means to you since you may be considering attending an interview or working toward attaining your Accident/Health License.
If you are at this point in your relationship with AFLAC, I recommend you read this first! Before you take another step!
Compensation
In any discussion with a representative from AFLAC (and that could be from the greenest agent to the most seasoned District Sales Coordinator), talks of salary or benefits are NEVER mentioned until you arrive for the first interview. [The new Agent is merely given a stack of numbers/resumes to call and a script. He is coached on avoiding questions about salaries & benefits. That new Agent who called you, does not have a background in HR, nor does he know that much about Aflac.]
Calling it an interview would be quite an embellishment. It’s simply a group event (about 5-15 people) where one sits with other invitees and a Regional or District Sales manager “markets and sells” the opportunity to work with AFLAC, talking incessantly for an hour. Think of a fisherman casting a big net; hopefully there’s something worth keeping, otherwise it all gets thrown back. You will be attending these meetings with people who barely graduated high school, to fast food/retail people, to blue collar workers, to MBA’s, to new college graduates, to experienced insurance professionals. There’s no consistency here. Very little information was given out prior to the interview. But, that’s the intention.
The reality is you have to be truly be undesirable for AFLAC not to to have some level of interest. They contract anybody and everybody who can pass a background check and get their accident/health license! Why? Because there are no costs attached to bringing you onboard. No compensation for training, no hourly wage, no annual salary, no benefits, and ZERO expenses on their end. Even if you are completely unproductive results-wise during your tenure, there are no training or organizational losses on the AFLAC end — just the time and money you wasted as senior management preyed upon you as an unknowing job-seeker.
What They Don’t Tell You
Licensing — In most states, an accident/health license plus life insurance license will cost you upwards of $250 to $300… or more! You assume full financial responsibility for this expense. In addition, your costs will skyrocket if you are in a state that requires mandatory classroom training prior to being eligible to take the state exam.
Some of this expense includes an online component that AFLAC provides to assist you during the time you are preparing to study for your state exam. Yes! You will be tested! And to be honest, the test is NOT EASY despite what some AFLAC agent has told you. The greater majority of candidates who take the test FAIL their first time. While being a win-win for the company that administers the test and takes more fees each time you take (and fail) the exam, it becomes a challenge to the Aflac rep who recruited you because he has to keep you engaged and motivated to repeat the studying and test process! Remember, that’s his job!
Training — There simply is none. It does not exist. You are working with Aflac’s field staff, not corporate employees. The corporate part of Aflac begins and ends in Columbus, GA. Your team is made up of independent, self-employed, 1099′ers with very minimal oversight.
You will only be trained based on the potential sales activity you create. Why? Because your AFLAC sales coordinator will take a portion of your commission (often 50%) to take you out in the field and demonstrate to you how to close a decision-maker/business owner, how to present AFLAC to his/her employees, and how to enroll each employee. Remember, no appointments means no training! A savvy sales manager will allow you to come to one employee presentation before you are licensed (meaning: since you are not licensed, you will not share any commission for your attendance) to pique your interest, but after that, forget it. If your sales manager has any appointments either on his own or with a member of his team, you will never be asked to attend. It will generally take about 3-4 appointments before you are ready to go out on your own. The sales coordinator makes 50% of the commission of YOUR appointments and nothing when you come to his. So why would he ever train you on his assets? It would be like training you for free!
So again, no appointments, no training! And while AFLAC has online training and there is a lot of literature, 95% of what needs to be learned and is important to you, is done in the field. Because of that, keeping you dependent on them as long as possible is ideal!
The Market — Aflac’s best years are behind them and they know it. While AFLAC continues to spend millions on advertising and recruiting, many business owners are still unsure where we fit into their business. While AFLAC enjoyed somewhat of a monopoly in the business-to-business marketing sector of employee benefits and insurance in the late ’90s and early ’00s, times have changed. They are starting to lose market share.
Many insurance companies that offer property and casualty insurance or primary group medical utilized their existing contacts to enter the space that Aflac operates in. Since they already possessed established, ongoing relationships, they could leverage this to cross-market the same products Aflac does. These are seasoned, respected insurance people with years of competency, experience, and a vast network, not some bumbling, clumsy, new Aflac agent that an organization has no prior relationship with. As an Aflac agent, you will always be the fast-talking salesperson, not a respected career insurance professional. When they have questions, they will call their broker, not you. Their broker will often tell their client to stay clear of Aflac. (For those that may be unclear of what an insurance broker is, he advises and negotiates insurance on behalf of the business for compensation.)
Reputation — Since the retention for Aflac agents is about 2% – 5% in various parts of the country, there is a constant revolving door of people who come in and realize the majority of their job is cold-calling businesses. For some, the idea of cold-calling brings terror into their hearts and minds and will have them running for the hills at the first sight of a phone and calling script. Others will call, but soon grow tired of the rejection and rudeness of receptionists, office managers, HR personnel and even the owner. Why? Because dozens of Aflac people have been calling and showing up at their door for years… and it’s never the same Aflac rep, it’s always a new one like you. And to be honest, businesses are getting tired of the harassment, unprofessionalism, and turnover. Basically, you are walking into a trap and the pickin’s are slim, very slim!
An Aflac agent is not some entrusted strategic business partner in the community working to enhance the benefit packages of small businesses, they are often new agents who know very little about the industry… and by the time a business begins to have questions or claims, that agent has long left Aflac and took another job. So, who gets to manage the account? If the company does not elect to use another carrier, often the account will go to… (see below)
The Aflac District Sales Coordinator
At Aflac, it is more profitable to the District Sales Coordinator that you fail. I repeat it is more profitable to the District Sales Coordinator that you fail. Why? Because the system is set up to pounce on your assets when you fail… and leave. Think about it. Would you rather have a small percentage… or the “whole enchilada”?! Working in the industry is a lot easier when money is handed to you on a silver platter!
The majority of accounts that are personally held by a DSC are often acquired through attrition than by his own efforts. So, that nagging feeling you got when they rush you into calling and setting appointments (with the contacts you walked through the door with -family, friends, people you do business with, etc. — a.k.a. your warm market) , there’s a reason you felt like you were being taken advantage of.
Since you are new, your “warm market” wants you to be successful and this is typically your immediate opportunity when you start prospecting to make fast money. The DSC knows that he will not only get a chunk of your commission in training, but also will acquire your assets (accounts) when you finally realize you are wasting your time and move on to something else. And we’re not talking years, we’re talking a few weeks, sometimes days!! For many agents, it’s not that they didn’t appreciate the opportunity, it’s the lack of income that drives them away!
Ultimately, the real opportunity for the management team is having an efficient process that draws all the value possible from new agents (the general public) as soon as possible since the turnover rate is high and the window of opportunity is short. Once you hit a rough patch though, my, how things change! You have outlived your usefulness and there is a rush to cancel your Aflac contract and convert your accounts over. You will be tagged as an example of someone who “didn’t work hard enough”. Have you ever heard of “churn ‘em and burn ‘em?”
In Closing
Even if you are lucky enough to get an appointment with a business, 90% of them are still very skeptical of working with you… and will want to shelter their employees from you. Employees of these businesses will often treat you very hostile or state they want to “wait” to enroll. Your commission check is generally only about 35% or less (upfront + ongoing residuals) of the total premium. If you are not enrolling large accounts, you will not survive.
When you do sign up a few of the employees, between turnover (meaning employees who left the company — usually about 20% of the staff in most years) and the fickle nature of maintaining added benefits, cancellations are high. Often businesses stop paying their bill for whatever reason and all the policies are null and void.
Since the compensation with Aflac means you are paid in advance (Aflac assumes that the policy will be in force for at least 1 year), you have to pay that money back (chargebacks) from future commission paid to you by Aflac. This is becoming more and more frequent.
Aflac states that “you can retire from this business in 10 years with 6 figure residual income for the rest of your life.” Due to the poor level of service Aflac provides to accounts (since it the emphasis is always sales-driven), turnover, and the constant churning of insurance carriers, this is nearly impossible these days. Many retired Aflac agents were hammered when the recession hit in 2007.
It’s a shame that a company would siphon value out of a soft job market for their own benefit. Don’t you think? Do yourself a favor, politely tell them no… make them accountable for achieving their sales targets on their own, without your help. Your business contacts and associates are precious. Don’t pawn them off to anybody. It’s not worth it.
While the idea of running your own business and being independent of corporate trappings is appealing in theory, in practice the greater majority of new agents will fail. Enrollment opportunities are few and far between. You’ll be poor, hungry, and homeless before you see any real reward for the hard work or sacrifice. That’s if you reap anything at all.
I’m sure you had higher expectations for your career, if you truly give a “quack”, better to “duck” that call or e-mail!
Tell us about your experience with Aflac in the comments section below!
38 Comments
Sorry, I don’t believe any of what you wrote. I’m a 12 year veteran, received excellent training, and have no problem achieving my goals. I work EXTREMELY hard, and it shows. How long did you spend with Aflac?
Sounds like you rubbed people the wrong way, and gave up far too soon. Oh well; such is life. More accounts for me.
Mary,
First of all, thank you for your comment.
Just the very fact that you found my article online, felt the need to respond, and impulsively stated ” I don’t believe anything you wrote”, speaks volumes of the current situation of Aflac, it’s increasingly poor reputation in the job market, and the type of “culture” that exists there.
The reality is… is that you don’t speak on behalf of Aflac, you speak for yourself as a self-employed, 1099 contractor of Aflac, not a direct employee.
To imply that Aflac is the only place where people work hard is hysterical. And the fact that you wish to discredit what I wrote, tells me either you are either frustrated in your recruiting efforts or are very much “out of sync” with what is happening in the country and in the insurance industry.
I valued my time (1 year) with Aflac. I owned/ran my own office (yes, as a CIT) and was “Rookie of the Year in New Accounts” for the region.
It was a great experience. I learned a lot and it prepared me for the 6-figure position I have now as VP of Human Resources.
This may shock you, but I work twice as hard now as during my time with Aflac… with so much more to show for it!
Thanks again for your comment!
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Mary, u obviously are a sucker that don’t have
Any self-worth and respect for yourself. You are
In denial with that worthless job in Aflac. I hope
They’ll refound you all the money you spend in gas
While meeting with “clients”, and make sure you get
Get back all the time you wasted making phone calls,
and doing presentations. Good luck with ur commissions
And enjoy it while u can, b/c someday you’ll have to pay
All that money back to Aflac, then, u’ll probably realize
You are a sucker working and wasting ur life for free!! Loll
I purchased Aflac through an agent in North Dakota. I purchased a short term disability policy, five months into my policy I was hurt at work. I submitted my claim and it was rejected. I told them what the agent had promised they said it wasnt true, they were not part of the process but determined
that could’nt have happened. I spoke with the the agents manager and was again blown off and was told if I had purchased a rider It would have been covered. I was paying something like $140 a month.
I could have had that rider for a couple dollars more If I had been given the correct information I would have purchased the rider I did’nt realize I was being mislead. This big company got my premium and they stung me. If your going to sell it please know the product and don’t mislead people for a commision. Aflac blew me off really shocking for a company that claims to stand by policy holders. Now Im going through the State Insurance Commissioner and most likely a law suit to get what I was promised and paid for. Anyone who has an Aflac policy make sure what they have sold you. And If you sell it keep your word.
Thanks for the blog, I’ve been receiving the same email from AFLAC several times on job opportunities in Seattle and felt they were trying to pull me into the position. The job seemed too ‘guaranteed’. Its unfortunate that the company is being ran this way. But as my assumption was before I’m looking elsewhere.
P.S. Sorry to be neurotic here but you misspelled ‘Welcome’ in the ‘About Me’ section of this blog above
4 year Ex-Aflac agent, Top 20 in the state…not bragging just showing I’m not lazy. This article is completely true and unbiased. Yes, a lot of people fail Aflac because they do not work hard enough or they expect to get paid just to show up. These people make forums dedicated to how big of a scam it is. Aflac is not a scam. You can make decent money in a year or two (most likely starving your first year unless you have some big connections). You can make even more money working your way up the ladder (a lot of it going to the “incentive fund,” which I’m surprised the writer didn’t mention). With that said, there are so many other ways to work hard and get paid double, tripple, or even more. Aflac agents are the bottom of the barrel in terms of insurance and I fear Aflac is a sinking ship. It is a huge cult of people talking about how much money you COULD make. I like Aflac for getting me into insurance and commission sales but there are so many other better paid, better opportunities out there.
Brad,
There is no doubt that the “potential” to make money with Aflac is there. I was Rookie of the Year in New Accounts… one of the top recruiters in my area… had my own office… and am far from lazy…
There are hundreds of thousands of people across the country who attend Aflac recruiting events each year, yet only a very small segment of them (less than 1%) will truly make a career out of Aflac — as a full-time, active agent.
In closing, the number of licensed agents who make $o during their tenure with Aflac far outweighs the the number who draw even the most minimal commission.
Thanks for your comment.
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Long time Aflac vet here…a lot of what you write is true…but some of it isn’t. Not all DSC’s take 50% from new agents…when I was a manager, I gave my associates 100% of what they brought in on their own..and I often cannabilized my own accounts to give them spending money.
Also..when you write “there is no training.” while that may be true in some areas of the country, I know that in my Region, there are a lot of veterans who are always willing to help out a newbie. I’m one of them. You can ride with me any time, any day, and I”ll come along and help you close a group at the drop of a hat (yes, I want a percentage, but not 50%.) Why would I do this? Hmmm. Lots of reasons: I believe in “paying it forward,” I like to help people, and you never know who is going to land a big MLA and you hope they will remember your kindness.
Now, all that being said, I agree with a LOT of the things you’ve said. If Aflac doesn’t change their method of sales and marketing, if they don’t stop throwing their veterans under the bus, and if they don’t clean up their indiviual state operations and cut out all the nepotism and fluff, I think they’re going to find themselves far from the #1 spot they know occupy. At the moment, they still are the largest supplemental insurer in the U.S., and they’ve got a huge market share in Japan (that’s another story.) But they won’t stay there long if they don’t adapt and change. The fact that there are companies that post “No soliticiting…that means especially AFLAC!” signs on their door speaks volumes.
I’m lucky…I joined Aflac at just the right time (last 90′s) and made my 10 years in. I do a good job for my clients, and have thousands of satisfied policyholders…but, sadly, my “type” is fading fast.
I’m sure you understand the reason why AFLAC is so strong in Japan?
In Japan, the incentive of those companies to offer AFLAC is due to the broker percentage they receive… meaning they will continue to receive a percentage of the insurance commission of each employee with each active policy. As an Agent, you would NEVER be entitled to 100%… commission… it would always be split!
In the United States, we merely tell employees them that “these are voluntary benefits your employees will pay, many (not STD or Life) being on a pre-tax basis…and those pre-tax benefits will flow back to you as an employer by saving you money on elements of your payroll tax burden.” So, sure, you get your 100% of the available commission… but company involvement for participation is MUCH lower, policies will not stay on the books long, and chargebacks are the norm.
Big difference in incentive though, isn’t it?
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As I go to my first actual appointment with AFLAC tommrow based off my call back from the first session, I have those fears of stepping into the industry which isn’t paying. Im not looking to make 6 figures just be out of retail working 80 hours a week and dealing with 23 year old cry babies.
As the person who recruited me was a regular customer of mine, she makes the job sound great. But is this for persoanl reasons?
Having been a military recruiter selling war to moms and dads Im sure I can sell AFLAC.
The only singular draw back is making that money to get by in the beggining. I have to pay the bills.
What advise is there to someone wanting so bad to be able to have those weekends off and a regualr career out there if AFLAC is a drawning ship. I’d like for it to work and 3000 a month to get by shouldnt be that hard. I know I can pass the test, and put in the long day’s in that doesn’t bother me. Cash out of pocket for gas, monthly bills coming in and no coverage to pay such…. scarry as hell.
I have 2 other job offers but it keeps me in retail which will make options with AFLAC impossible.
Searching for advise. The Negative blogs of AFLAC are worrying me.
Tim,
There is nothing outside of being an actual Aflac agent… that could prepare you for being one.
Although, targeting individuals who may have sales (sales, as real B2B sales, not retail…sorry), marketing, customer service, or insurance experience is ideal for Aflac recruiters, this hardly provides as a guaranteed precursor to a new agent’s success.
What I can guarantee you is that you will NOT consistently make $3000 or anything even close in your first few months.
Instead of wasting your time being manipulated and “hyped up” by your Aflac team, seek other opportunities.
Perhaps, you should enlist some professional assistance with your resume to aid you in transitioning out of retail.
Whatever you choose to do, let it not be Aflac.
Thank you for your comment. And please provide us a future update on what happened!
Thanks!
-Source Blogger
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I actually made an appointment with a regional sales manager for next week. I’m so happy I read your blog. I think I may just cancel the appointment. The last thing I need is to dwindle away my savings while I waste the time I could be using to secure real emolyment by chasing the AFLAC fantasay.
Thanks a million!
Hello Source,
I want to thank you for taking the time to write this. I was contacted by Aflac a week ago and went in for an interview and was surprised to see 15 people in an “interview” It was like am Amway sales pitch monologue where I could not ask any questions.
I had my 2nd interview and was prepared when I went in thanks to you. As I was going out I saw the new crop of 15 people coming in it was kind of sad actually. All poor people that had lost their job due to the Bush economy of trickle down economics. You are right he asked for my warm contacts very hard. I wanted to know how I can market and get leads in a bad economic. I mean if im going into a business why should I have to get my friends and family involved. Shouldn’t it make it on its own? Stand on its own? I like the insurance industry but want to get into a reputable business.
please do you know anything about world Financial Group. recently joined then, though i was told i can still keep my job why i work this as a secound job until i’m really strong in the market, do you think it’s worth doing?
I received 100 percent of my commissions. I sold six policies, 4 to myself and 2 to individuals. I landed 15 appointments in 6 months and did not land any of them. I since left because I was spending money to work there. I just received a call from Aflac collections telling me I owe them 1000 dollars from charge backs. Can I get a lawyer involved?
I believe every word! I have to ask if anyone has every successfully been able to get AFLAC to stop calling? Even though I did not fill out an application, they keep calling non-stop often several times a day. My calls started in January 2011 and continue to this day.
Last week I called Corporate in Marietta GA and asked for the calls to stop. I was transferred to someone’s voice mail who was allegedly in charge of the rather verbally abusive, and unprofessional agents I have encountered here in NJ. When I decline to interview and asked to be placed on a Do Not Call list, I have been told I am incompetent, that I could never hold down a job, that it is my fault they keep calling because I have published work and profiles on various websites, and that I should make my profile “less approachable” by appearing argumentative to potential recruiters of legitimate organizations by stating AFLAC DO NOT CALL on the top of my resume and/or profile.
I spoke to my state Department of Insurance and they are not happy with AFLAC or the predatory and harassing recruiting practices because people complain. I sent a formal complaint, but I am afraid since I am not a policy holder and not experiencing an issue of non-payment there is little they can do.
Being that AFLAC uses the bait/switch to sell insurance licensing and education, wouldn’t they be required to maintain a Do Not Call list? I am calling the FCC to clarify the laws in the morning.
I know another company that does offer commission jobs to anyone and it costs them no money to be part of it. No training fees, licensing fees, website fees, or any other expenses. They are really up front about it. When I interviewed with them, they have strict guidelines where agents are also not allowed to “cold call” or farm resumes because they consider it telemarketing. Agents are encouraged to offer job opportunities via social media sites and through the people they connect with at networking events, and other “in person” contacts. People have tried the cold call method and were terminated for violating terms of employment to protect against people who may prey on others and do exactly what AFLAC is doing. This is why I question the legality of the incessant calling and refusal for 2 years now to stop calling.
I have had AFLAC reps email to “confirm my interview” when I never agreed to an interview or spoke with the rep. More recently, AFLAC reps are using private emails, and even emails through job-sites and do not mention they represent AFLAC to try to trick you into the “presentation”.
What I think has me most riled up is not just the fact these same people keep calling over not recalling conversations which evidences they do not use any type of contact management system to take notes on the people they talk to.
Every business contact in my Contacts has notes on where I met them, what our last exchange was, and other information. When they contact me in the future… I can use the system to job my memory which is why I have such detailed accounts of the ongoing harassment from AFLAC agents.
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There is not really any conclusive proof against the company. It would be quite unfair to point fingers at the organization when nothing has been established as yet.
The truth is, most people simply do not have what it takes to be self-employed. Most people need to have someone looking over their shoulders in order to stay productive. If you have self discipline and a little ambition, then Aflac could absolutely be a great career for you. If you do this full time, then I don’t see how it’s possible NOT to make at least $5,000 per month. My 1st 12 months with Aflac, i made $70,000 with ZERO warm leads, and ZERO industry experience. I’ve just completed my 5th year and have made $100,000+ each of the last 3 years. People who don’t make AT LEAST $50,000 per year doing Aflac, are simply lazy, or just don’t have the required people skills.
Just a follow up on my research into Aflac’s hiring practices.
Working with Consumer Affairs, although the fees paid by the new recruit do not go directly to AFLAC, recruiting agents are receiving a kickback for each person they get licensed and signed with the company. This categorizes the calls as telemarketing under the FCC. If someone requests to be placed on the DNC list, Aflac is obligated to do so. Also, the robo-callers AFLAC agents used when I was receiving calls is now prohibited by the FCC.
The one aspect that all consumer agencies are most concerned with is the fact that the AFLAC role is a “Business Opportunity” disguised as a “Job Offer”. I do not understand why AFLAC and the existing agents who claim to be in a position of power are not on board with this because is ultimately damages the corporate brand. The subterfuge to entice people into a business presentation may get the numbers up for their sales pitch; but how many people leave disgusted and irritated thinking they were interviewing for a job and not walking into the cattle call.
I know many business owners and work with them on a consulting basis and I have discussed their unbiased opinion not only of AFLAC, but other financial services companies in the marketplace that use similar recruiting techniques. Business owners have indicated they would not introduce AFLAC voluntary benefits because there is talk (within professional organizations) that claims are not paid and agents are not there to truly service the clients.
I have been told that very few AFLAC agents are insurance professionals that understand the terms and conditions of the policies they sell. Much like one of the folks responding to this forum, had they known about the additional rider… they would have paid.
As far as corporate headquarters, I never received a response. The lack of response to a formal complaint about agents speaking abusively and making inappropriate comments to unsolicited offers of a business opportunity.
I joined another forum of existing AFLAC reps to get an understanding of the corporate culture and try to gain insight as to why they can not take ‘NO” for an answer. What I have found is that there are two camps. The first camp is the “die hard” supporter that sees no fault in anything they do. Anyone who chooses another career path is an incompetent or labeled an idiot.
The other school is people who have lost money and not given a realistic view of what it takes to succeed. It may be lack of training, which I think is highly probable given the exorbitant number of consumer complaints of agents misrepresenting the policies they sell, or it may be they are not cut out to run their own business, or it could be they are not financially prepared to launch their own operation and approaching the business from a point of desperation.
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I wish I would have found your website a little sooner. I have completed my licensing test, passed my tests, and sales school. everything that you’ve mentioned in your blog is so true. you made a good point about training. why don’t the DSC take new trainees on their appointments. and as far as splitting the Commission with the new trainees 50 percent, I have observed occasions where the new trainees didn’t get anything. even after the new person calling and being hung up on and cursed out, they did not get anything from there appointment. I have even observed my DSC eagerly wanting to taking over my appointments. I would like to gain experience working appointments even if I do horrible, it would be great to have the experience. is it possible to be successful at aflac. believe it or not I actually do like the products of the services. I can see how it would be a benefit to clients.
No loss with completing the licensing. You can become a Customer Service Rep for an insurance carrier or traditional brokerage. Salaries for these administrative roles start in the low 50′s.
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I was wondering what was going on. I started to put my resume out in March of 2012. Since then, I have gotten 48 calls from different recruiters and recruiters agency offering me a job with Aflac. I was specifically looking for a job in IT not sales and yet, they called me anyways.
True story for you all. In one day I put my “IT” resume on to Monster.com, I had Dave, Brian, Jeff, and George call me all on the same day about every 3 hours asking if I want to work for Aflac. They described it as a great opportunity. On one call with Jeff, I told him that Dave, Brian, George called earlier. Then I get a little chuckle and Jeff on the line told me that those three are sitting across from him right now. I had to laugh too. It was funny to me from a help desk point of view and Murphy’s Law ( What can go wrong. Did go wrong!!! lol). Anyways, I of course politely declined the opportunity for an IT position. Okay, if it was IT sales, sure I will be more than happy to sign up for it. But not insurance.
Finally, I came to read this article and found out whats going on. Most companies that I know of will only call once and that’s it. But 48 times, soon it will be 100+ when I start adding my resume to other sites. I will be sure to decline this job.
Thanks Source Blogger.
Brent
Where would we be if the world runs an honest business? The world wonders?
Great article. Your description of the “training” is so true. Went out with my trainer and he wanted 100% of my first appointment. While out on calls I could tell that businesses were fed up with AFLAC rookies calling all the time. This is no way to make a living or bounce back from losing your job. Nothing is free and AFLAC promises fail to be realistic for most people.
I just started, along with my b/f, with Aflac. I obtained my license and what not but so far, in a market they say is not as penetrated, you STILL come across many businesses that have stated that 3 or 4 agents have been by there previously. It’s still too early to tell but with this time of year and not being financially stable, it makes things very difficult. I’m even considering a part time job. If this doesn’t pan out with as much work we put into it, I’ll be among those who find the “financial” rewards Aflac seems to offer for enrollments a big fat lie.
The jury is still out.
never worked with Aflac but it seems that lazy people that are looking for a job need not sign up. Same people that complain about not getting a “raise” or “bonus” or “paid enough” are not satisfied with a career with Aflac. Sales is suppose to be hard and uncomfortable and there is no “get rich quick” model that is sustainable. Sucks if the managers are lying to you but you should probably read a book or 2 about insurance and sales and realize what industry you are entering. If you believe a complete a “manager” stranger without doing research you are the sucker.
None,
Laziness is never rewarded in any industry, but the issue is not performance, it’s being drawn into a “system” that rewards top managers and makes the rest very expendable whose only worth is their immediate “warm market”.
How fortunate for Aflac that they have people like you who question the “individual” as opposed to their organization. Some of these new agents previously had very successful careers in finance, teaching, sales, and management, etc. and were “sold” into the idea in lieu of a very lengthy unemployment period.
I agree that people should do their research and hopefully this article will stand out in search results and encourage people to be skeptical when they get the call from Aflac (UNUM, Colonial, Allstate-American Heritage) and ask their recruiter the right questions.
Thank you for your comment and being a part of the Source Blogger community.
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I’ve actually applied at a job quite similar to this. It’s called Vector Marketing, a third party business that sells Cutco knives. Just a heads up to anyone who thinks about applying for this job as well. I agree with what I see; I was a contractor and telemarketer for many businesses and I’m very pleased that this was posted. However, note that it isn’t the knives that are bad, they are actually very nice but the problem with Vector is that people come n’ go due to the fact they run it as a “Pyramid Scheme”. Fair warning.
On the off – chance that this is a false argument, I’m not too worried about it because again, I’ve been in this position enough to know that it isn’t. If that makes any sense at all. Always check Google about the job, for there ARE people who have fallen for it before. Only thinking that it was a job to get on their feet. I will not be applying anymore, thank you again for posting this.
For those thinking about that Aflac opportunity I would encourage you to try
it out. I invested $50 in online prep for my exam and $70 for my
State exam. I passed the exam after 10 days of study and my Regional
Coordinator paid for my license which was only $120. No big expenses here.
I have a few years in retail sales management and associate level.
I liked it but selling ‘stuff’ can get old after a while even if you
are good and make $65k like I did.
Aflac has 50 million policy holders who pay premiums to
share risk evenly. That way any one individual can get paid easily
when they have a health event that qualifies.
To get clients I simply call business owners and tell them
I want 10 min if their time to show them how to give better
Support to ‘Mary’ or ‘Joe’ who works for them and could
use my help!! I get a lot of positive responses from business
owners and have made over $15k in my first three months AFTER
splitting some commissions with my District Coordinator who
has taught me the little details I have needed to be accurate
and professional.
I like Aflac and see myself continuing to progress. I am now
starting to build my own team if personal recruits. I am going
to work hard to help them work smart and earn good money
by helping people.
I am now licensed in three states and Aflac gives me excellent
weekly training and support!! My recommendation us to try to
have some savings or a little help from friends or family
when you begin training and studying so you can be fairly
focused and calm at the beginning and not stressing over every
Dollar you are spending to get your career off the ground.
I wish you all the best and I look forward to a long
run with Aflac, they are treating me great and I have very few
Complaints!
Gino,
You are definitely a guy I would love to talk to.
This is all very interesting.
A few comments…first I am just preparing to take the Insurance License exam required to sell insurance in my state. And I will be beginning with Aflac as soon as I receive the license.
I have been in professional sales all my life and have been in several straight commission sales positions.
Real Estate is similar in many ways to the Aflac program..Real Estate agents are self employed, they pay for their own training, licensing, and every other business expense. They like many, many Insurance agents, are self employed, in business for themselves.
The vast vast majority of Real Estate agents make little or no money. I can not speak to self employed Insurance agents but I intend to find out.
I did find your article interesting if not a bit filled with anger and one sided. It is typical of someone going into this type of sales. As with Real Estate agents, there is little or no direction, you pay for most everything yourself and for those who are not clear of this fact it can be daunting.
These straight commission, self employed jobs have three very seductive positive aspects:
1. You are your own boss.
2. You can come and go as you please.
3. No one tells you what to do.
I have thought hard and have come up with the three worst aspect of these jobs:
1. You are your own boss.
2. You can come and go as you please.
3. No one tells you what to do.
The challenge is to know, you are your own boss, your own motivator and your own business owner. I suspect that most of what I am reading here is from folks who did not have this expectation.
Thus far my support has been quite good. Access to information is strong and I am told there will be extensive product training.
So…if acceptable, I will chronicle my story here, if there is interest. If not let me know and it will all be my little secret.
I will be open and honest and while I am very hopeful, I do have something of a head start over green non sales types. I will even be happy to respond to questions.
That’s my story and I am sticking to it.
David
David
I am so glad I came across this blog, it really help to make my decision to meet with Aflac Sales Coordinator next week. And yes Aflac did contact me by email because they found my resume online and sent me a corporate video about there company, and it looked good and they wanted to offer me a sales manager position…But I don’t have any sales experience, I just thought that was just odd. Only maybe what they seen on my resume was probably I received Merit, Customer satifaction and achievement awards that was listed from my previous employment..But anyways thank you so much for posting this about aflac…
Just have to say…And just have to ask…
I am a past Aflac agent of two years. Nutshell story is that it was very hard work. I did well. Landed about 20 groups. Hit Fast track and a few other benchmarks. I was number one in the state three times and was the top appointment setter in our office. I had worked with a great team of people (yes, competition was fierce, our team didn’t share any names of the businesses we were working on with other teams as someone would go after it, and then your hard work goes up in smoke). In 2008 the bottom fell out of my book of business. Two thirds of my accounts either closed their doors or downsized their staff. Landing new accounts was virtually impossible because of the whole economic instability factor. Employers weren’t stable and supplemental insurance was not a priority for them. My income became non-existant in a matter of months and what i was earning, Aflac was taking back 25% for policies that had cancelled. I wasn’t able to pay for my continuing ed classes or my license renewal. Unfortunately, my license expired. During this time frame I was flooded with letters in my mailbox with companies who hadn’t paid their premiums and employees whose policies were cancelled due to non-payment. I got to the point I didn’t even open them anymore. I was saddened that I could no longer afford to do the job I really enjoyed. It’s been nearly 5 years since I left Aflac. I am currently working full time at a low paying position. I have a difficult schedule to take on a second job where I have to punch a clock. Therefore, I decided to bring myself out of financial hardship by working part time with a flexible schedule, and the best way to do it is get back into the insurance industry. I spent the last 2 months searching for a set of books to retake my test (needed updated versions). I found the study guides, bought them, studied and successfully passed the state exam, again. I am getting ready to re-apply for my license and go back with Aflac. However, my plan is to diversify this time and not be captive, once I can go full time as an insurance agent. Then I found a new potential glitch. Vector. This is the first I have heard of it. I don’t know if I have any outstanding debt left with Aflac, but more than likely I do. Does anyone know if they will re-appoint an agent who owes them money? I would hope so. After all, they could immediatley start withholding a portion of the commissons to pay themselves. After what I have been through, I would NEVER take commissions upfront again. I tried to contact my regional office, it was no longer in existance. I tried to contact the state office, also no longer, or moved location. I also tried to call HQ, after being passed to five people with no answers, I hung up. Are there any companies that will appoint someone if they are in debt to another company? I hate to think I can’t move forward after all I did to get re-licensed. If your comment is ‘pay it’, that is not a cash option for me. I do have to say one thing about chargebacks, it is frustrating when you get paid up front and then something goes wrong and you have to pay it back. But what is worse? You have to pay taxes on that loan you received because it was reported as income. Thanks for any replies.
Well it’s about a month later. I have gotten licensed and I am appointed by Aflac. No complaints thus far. I got my first sale my first day. That was Friday…three days ago. Beginners luck perhaps but the process looks pretty straight forward.
Cold calling is intimidating to some and downright frightening to others. It’s not new to me so no big deal. Would I do it if I weren’t being paid. Of course not.
I sympathize with the agent above. I doubt that Aflac folded up its tent and left your state. It probably would not be too challenging to find them.
Right after the Hurricane Sandy episode, my company laid me off because the storm wrecked havoc with all their accounts. So there are lots of stories and pain to go around with the economic turn down, hurricanes, earthquakes and floods.
My training has been intensive and superb. At least my experience seems to show a keen interest in my and my training school classmate’s success. I will admit that many of them are new to sales and may find the straight commission aspect of Aflac sales a challenge.
So no boogie men yet. No shady deals. We even have a list that prevents interference from other agents once substantive negotiations are underway.
At this point in the process, all I see is clear sailing but I will continue to chronicle my experience.
David
Mr. Tundra,
Are you in Alaska?
Here in my state of North Carolina, the license never expires or needs to be renewed but indeed every two years, we must complete 24 hours of Continuing Education to keep the license active. There are no continuing fees that have to be paid annually.
David
I just went back to review some of the items our kind blog host has mentioned. I thought I would comment on the situation in my state of NC. I do not know where his or her state is so perhaps the costs are higher.
The statement was made that it could cost $200-$300 to get licensed and the comment was made that your costs would “skyrocket” if there was a mandatory class room training in your state. We are such a state.
It was made completely clear what the cost would be and with everything, it’s around $350 but that is essentially what it cost to set up my own business. I am the boss of my own insurance agency. Everything else aside from cell phone and a few items like biz cards and Thank You notes is supplied at no cost.
That’s not too bad. So on balance….I am thrilled so far !
David
Well I am little over half way through my first real week as a fully licensed, street legal Aflac duck man. I have encountered some minor internal politics. That’s to be expected in any business where there is more than one person. All were handled by my Regional Coordinator quickly and efficiently.
The early months of a new Insurance Agent are spent prospecting for people with a need for the product and I am no different. This is the part that some people find most difficult. I visited 30 businesses seeking appointments with biz owners. I made 2 appointments through those visits and made 2 others through personal contacts and acquaintances.
I will need to spend the bulk of my time daily seeking these appointments to present our products. My goal is about 8 a week to make my goal of $80,000 a year in my first year.
Will this be challenging? You bet but then, there are not many jobs paying that kind of money in the first year that are easy.
The first milestone I need is the first real client. I have 4 good opportunities and expect that first real success in the next few days.
Hopefully I will have hit paydirt by my next post!
David Rodwell
North Carolina
David,
This is Frozen Tundra. Thanks for the reply. No, I am not in Alaska, I am in Minnesota…just as cold though. I have found a number of other regional Aflac offices in the state. At one time, we had a northern state office and a southern state office (don’t know why we needed two). Our northern office covered 2/3 of the state, and it has been completely eliminated. My regional office is now vacant and the regional manager is somewhere is Colorado, still working for Aflac. My district sales coordinator is now in Texas, also still working with Aflac, and I have no idea where the rest of the 30 reps & DSC’s went.
My license expired because I couldn’t afford to do the contiuning ed or pay the $80 renewal fee. Unfortunately, my state nickels and dimes everything.
Congratulations on a great start with Aflac! You sound like you are well on your way to hitting Fast Start.
David,
This is Frozen Tundra. Thanks for the reply. No, I am not in Alaska, I am in Minnesota…just as cold though. I have found a number of other regional Aflac offices in the state. At one time, we had a northern state office and a southern state office (don’t know why we needed two). Our northern office covered 2/3 of the state, and it has been completely eliminated. My regional office is now vacant and the regional manager is somewhere is Colorado, still working for Aflac. My district sales coordinator is now in Texas, also still working with Aflac, and I have no idea where the rest of the 30 reps & DSC’s went.
My license expired because I couldn’t afford to do the continuing ed or pay the $80 renewal fee. Unfortunately, my state nickels and dimes everything.
Congratulations on a great start with Aflac! You sound like you are well on your way to hitting Fast Start.