Hi my name is Bill Dorman and I sell insurance.
I know, “Ewwwww,” right? Don’t make eye contact or he will think you are a prospect. Make sure you keep your hands in your pocket too, or he will try to slip you a business card.
Insurance ‘guys’ get a bad rap at times and especially those of us in sales. However, like any industry, you have good ones and bad ones; I like to think I am one of the ‘good’ ones.
I am very serious about my profession. Not only do I have a risk management & insurance degree from FSU (one of the top risk management programs in the US), but also have my Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) designation which is essentially a masters in insurance.
But it is still just sales
Even though you are not purchasing a tangible product, in time of need you definitely want to get your hands on it and not only hope you have plenty of it but the ‘right’ kind too.
At first glance, sales may seem simple and like no one is putting in a lot of effort. I can say that sales can be a lot of fun; however, you can also face tough challenges, so it’s best to stay balanced. Definitely enjoy your wins, but don’t dwell on your losses for too long.
What do you sell?
My ‘specialty’ is commercial insurance, insurance that a business will buy. If you are a prudent business person you will buy insurance, so you might as well buy it from me, right?
Actually, it is not that simple and even in the commercial arena there are different variations and specialties within that. The key is to have certain parameters of what your ideal customer is, and be the best you can be in that arena.
But I am social too
About a year ago, I fully committed to social media and became a regular on Twitter and its communities. Many might be surprised to learn that I actually have a day job and am not just the social media expert I seem to be on TV. Still, we all know how addictive it can get, and even though it sometimes feels overwhelming, it is very appealing.
Because I am social by nature, this was like cutting a kid loose in the candy store. It was amazing how many people I could connect to and actually have ongoing conversations with, and how diverse the community was as well.
So why do you blog?
The one thing I was most surprised with was the number of people trying to monetize their social existence. I assumed all you had to do was be ‘social’ and no work would be required.
Once I discovered the blogs, it appeared maybe this was the way everybody was making money; I jumped right in and started writing away. There is a certain dynamic with blogging and engagement to make it work for you, but I quickly discovered engagement does not equal dollars. Newsflash – 99% of the people blogging are not making a sustainable income on their blogging efforts alone.
Well, that kind of sucks, doesn’t it? If that’s the case then why are there still so many bloggers.
For me, it is not much different from attending a networking event; I will meet many but do business with very few. However, who’s to say there is not some value I can bring to the relationship that might benefit us both down the road? My belief is that you have to give to get, only so you can give some more.
How much money have you made?
The same as the other 99% of us in here; but it has given me a platform to grow as a communicator and writer. By opening myself up, it allows people to see who I am and what I stand for. It has carried over to my real life experiences with a renewed confidence and more of a willingness to learn and adapt. It has created speaking opportunities and it still amazes me when people tell me they read my blog but because they don’t comment, I had no idea.
Who wants to read about insurance?
Nobody…… I am being facetious, but it would be a much smaller neighborhood than I am accustomed to.
Even though I ‘sell’ insurance; that is only a small piece of the puzzle. As we like to say in ‘social’, it is only one of the tools available. My platform is Enterprise risk management (ERM), which typically involves identifying particular events or circumstances relevant to the organization’s objectives, assessing them in terms of likelihood and magnitude of impact, determining a response strategy, and monitoring progress.
See, even that will put you to sleep so let’s just say we look for ways to keep you safe and efficient and improve your bottom line.
So, how does social fit in?
Relationships make the world go ’round. Some seem to think they can prosper without the human investment, but no man is an island.
Regardless of what your end game with social is, you have to find a sustainable level. For those who get in and realize there is no easy money to be had, there is still so much to be learned and we really are only at the tip of the iceberg.
Social allows me to ‘meet’ more people than I ever could regardless of how many networking events I attend; and it helps me establish my personal brand of who I am and what I stand for. Pretty cool stuff, huh?
It is working for me, how about you?