American Income Life Tales of Sales video contest is underway!

Have you submitted your entry yet?

You will have the chance to record your funniest moment in sales presentations at Convention in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, May 22-25. A video camera will be available at the registration desk for anyone who wishes to participate. The Marketing staff will be on hand to assist you – be sure to take advantage of this convenient way to film your funniest moment in sales presentations!

You have until June 30 to upload your funniest moment in sales video on American Income Life Facebook page. Winners will be announced July 2, 2012.

Don’t forget, the American Income Life Representatives who get the most votes for their video entries will win:

Go to www.facebook.com/AIL.NILICO and click on the ‘LOL!’ tab for more details, to upload your video, and to vote for your favorite entry.

Be sure to read the contest rules, terms, and conditions before submitting your entry.

How creative can you get?
Let’s see YOUR entry on our Facebook page!

In April we had our Spring SGA meeting in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Attending were all of the American Income Life SGA’s, American Income Life Executives, Torchmark Executives and support staff. It was extremely rewarding being around so many tenured professionals. One of the most resounding sentiments this week for me was how much everyone wanted to help each other. What makes this unique is that typically with so many “A” type personalities especially competitive and territorial by nature, you find people being guarded of their secrets to success, so much that they do not want to share with others. At our meeting it was the complete opposite of this. In contrast, everyone to a fault shared best practices, experiences, successes and importantly- areas of their business that can be improved.

American Income Life Regional Director of Sales Martin Groves

The word that stood out for me this week was the word TRUST. Scott Smith said it best when he said that “with more trust, the Leap of Faith isn’t so blind”. If people trust you they will have a completely different perspective on our opportunity. I thought about the word TRUST and wanted to elaborate on what it means to me.

TRUST

“With more TRUST, the Leap of Faith isn’t so blind”. Scott Smith, American Income Life President and Chief Marketing Officer

T. Teach. First and foremost we must remember that it is our role to “teach” the business to others. As a leader you are doing one of two things. 1: Teaching a new agent the 4 basic principles: Industry knowledge, Product knowledge, Sales and Marketing and being in business for yourself or 2: You are teaching the role of leadership. Both are equally important and we cannot assume at any time that the new recruits know everything to be successful. That also goes for leadership. We have many young leaders in our organization that may not have the life experiences to deal with the complexity of relationships that we need to motivate, encourage, mentor and coach others. It is our job to TEACH and train the many facets of our business.

R. Reward. Having goals and being rewarded for achieving these goals are a key driver in any sales organization like American Income Life. Remember to reward activity. This can be for setting appointments, achieving recruiting goals, ALP goals or a combination of any or all of these. Also set short term goals and short term rewards. I like to do this in 60-90 increments. It could be a promotion to the first level of Supervising Agent, or a push up to a General Agent or a Master General Agent. With that period of time you can sustain excitement and quickly get someone to the next level. You also keep people around longer and help them stay long enough to experience the earnings potential.

U. Unity. It is my belief that with unity, teamwork and collective responsibility you can get regular people doing extraordinary things. Being on the “same page” is so important in an agency. If one leader has a different message or runs a different schedule it can cause confusion and TRUST breaks down. Great things can be produced in an agency when everyone supports each other during the tough times and celebrate together when you have the successes. Work hard to support each other with a unified and consistent message.

S. Serve. Working with independent contractors you have to get people to want to work “WITH” you rather than “FOR” you. You have to establish a culture of “I am here to serve you” with your agents and also to your leaders. They need to know that you CARE about their success and that you will do whatever it takes to help them be successful. Humility is one of the most important traits of any leader in my opinion and by serving all of your agents and leaders sincerely, you are showing them that you do care about their future career with American Income Life.

T. Thanks. Projecting a sentiment of thanks and congratulations to all you work with can never be underestimated for a job well done. We all want to be appreciated for the work we do and saying “thank you” or “congratulations” to someone for a great week either recruiting or selling can make a huge impression on how they feel going into the next week. It you fail to thank someone who has done a great job, it can also be demoralizing, so be considerate of everyone’s performance.

In closing, there are many famous quotes regarding the word TRUST. One I like in particular is:-
“How can people trust the harvest, unless they see it sown?”
Mary Renault

When I graduated from the University of Texas, I was a jewelry salesperson. Somehow, some way, a friend of mine introduced me to the insurance business. I did not think very much of it until someone explained it to me that if you are an insurance salesperson, there is such a thing as renewals. I, of course, did not know what they were talking about, but when they explained it to me I thought, “My goodness, here’s a chance for me to get rich without investing anything,” which
was a good thing, because there wasn’t anything to invest.

I did a good job at selling insurance, especially after I learned about this thing called renewals. That is what excited me — to continually be paid for an original effort. The excitement was so great that I became the leading salesperson in the company.

I sold three or four policies, when I noticed I received a check for the renewals. It had to be only around fifteen or twenty dollars, but I could not believe it! I was being paid for an effort that I had made to help families be protected. Well, the renewals came in month after month, and that made a believer out of me.

I wanted to build a company because what individual can say “no” to the future with a company that pays renewals? To be honest with you, this was the beginning of American Income Life. That is why I founded the company. To this day, as I look over agency counts and see the income from renewals, I am just as excited today as I was 50 years ago when I discovered the miracle of renewals.

To be paid continually for the original effort that you put forth to make a sale is almost unbelievable, but for those who have a contract with American Income Life; it is true, true!

1. “Great Man” Theories:
Great man theories assume that the capacity for leadership is inherent – that great leaders are born, not made. These theories often portray great leaders as heroic, mythic and destined to rise to leadership when needed. The term “Great Man” was used because, at the time, leadership was thought of primarily as a male quality, especially in terms of military leadership. Learn more about the great man theory of leadership.

2. Trait Theories:
Similar in some ways to “Great Man” theories, trait theories assume that people inherit certain qualities and traits that make them better suited to leadership. Trait theories often identify particular personality or behavioral characteristics shared by leaders. If particular traits are key features of leadership, then how do we explain people who possess those qualities but are not leaders? This question is one of the difficulties in using trait theories to explain leadership.

American Income Life Regional Sales Director Steve Kafkis

3. Contingency Theories:
Contingency theories of leadership focus on particular variables related to the environment that might determine which particular style of leadership is best suited for the situation. According to this theory, no leadership style is best in all situations. Success depends upon a number of variables, including the leadership style, qualities of the followers and aspects of the situation.

4. Situational Theories:
Situational theories propose that leaders choose the best course of action based upon situational variables. Different styles of leadership may be more appropriate for certain types of decision-making.

5. Behavioral Theories:
Behavioral theories of leadership are based upon the belief that great leaders are made, not born. Rooted in behaviorism, this leadership theory focuses on the actions of leaders not on mental qualities or internal states. According to this theory, people can learn to become leaders through teaching and observation.

6. Participative Theories:
Participative leadership theories suggest that the ideal leadership style is one that takes the input of others into account. These leaders encourage participation and contributions from group members and help group members feel more relevant and committed to the decision-making process. In participative theories, however, the leader retains the right to allow the input of others.

7. Management Theories:
Management theories, also known as transactional theories, focus on the role of supervision, organization and group performance. These theories base leadership on a system of rewards and punishments. Managerial theories are often used in business; when employees are successful, they are rewarded; when they fail, they are reprimanded or punished. Learn more about theories of transactional leadership.

8. Relationship Theories:
Relationship theories, also known as transformational theories, focus upon the connections formed between leaders and followers. Transformational leaders motivate and inspire people by helping group members see the importance and higher good of the task. These leaders are focused on the performance of group members, but also want each person to fulfill his or her potential. Leaders with this style often have high ethical and moral standards.

As you are leading your American Income Life agencies now and in the future, determine what theory best suits your style and if it’s not working, look to change as no one theory is best… they all work as no one man is alike….

What is THE ESSENCE of leadership?

To me, the most important essence of leadership is actually wanting to lead. If you are in a leadership role today, is it your true desire to lead? It must be for you to be effective. Assuming you want to lead here are some other key components to what I believe the essence of leadership is.

Fostering a Service Oriented Attitude. A heart and passion for serving others is the real lifeblood of American Income Life. Call it the “heart muscle” as everything flows from it and is nourished by it. And by the way, Customer Service is not a department – it is an attitude!

Simply LOVE What You Do! There is an old saying that goes something like, “many things will catch your eye but very few will catch your heart. Pursue those…” It is only work if you don’t love what you do.

Focus On the Big Stuff. Even the greatest leaders have a limited amount of emotional and physical energy. We must strive to identify and focus on the significant few issues rather than on the insignificant many. Majoring in minors and analysis paralysis are two habits to shy away from. While a lot is important, not everything is urgent.

Larry Strong - American Income Life VP Agency Leadership Development

Understand the Soft Stuff. Mary Kay Ash said, “There are two things more powerful than money and sex…recognition and praise.” Employee benefit consultants spent millions of dollars researching the minds of employees. What they have found out is that the most important factor for an employee (applies to independent contractors too) is feeling valued and appreciated. We dare not take this one for granted and just how simple and easy is it to do? Not to mention there is no cost involved.

Embrace Humor and Optimism. Laughing is healthy. Not taking ourselves too seriously is as well. We use less facial muscles to smile than frown. In the end it all works out well. If it is not working out well right now then you are not at the end. Helen Keller said, “optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.”

Commit to Excellence. As a brand new head coach of the Packers, Vince Lombardi told his team that they were going to “passionately pursue perfection” knowing full well that while they would never achieve perfection they would have a shot at excellence. And, boy did they. And remember, excellence is not an act. It’s a habit. Think excellence. Be excellent!

And last, Earn Trust. Trusting relationships are central to what we do. We must commit to building relationships on trust, earning trust, fostering and protecting that trust. In this day and age, TRUST seems to be getting more uncommon and I sincerely believe people are starving for it. I see it in the faces of people we interview every week at American Income Life. Let’s have a storehouse of what people are starving for.

Stay Strong! Lead On!

Roger Smith, CEO of AIL & NILICO

In his comment in Spotlight, Roger Smith describes some essential qualities of leaders. As American Income Life and National Income Life Insurance Company Representatives, do you strive for these qualities every day?

“Great leaders hire people and commit to bringing out their hidden potential. They genuinely care about their people, and their people know it. They don’t expect anyone to do anything they haven’t done themselves. They aren’t afraid to get dirt under their nails and mud on their shoes. Whatever field they are in, the chances are excellent they have done it at some point with their own hands, learning it from the ground up.”

Source: Spotlight, March 2012, Vol. 45, No. 3

President Scott Smith calls American Income Life’s SGA of the Year, Simon Arias, “Cannonball,” not because of his trademark shiny dome, but because “you need to get out of the way of a cannonball, or you will get seriously hurt. A cannonball cannot be denied, and Simon will not be denied either.”

Simon grew up on the rough side of Youngstown, Ohio, and credits the influence of his mom and grandmother for helping him stay (mostly) on the right path. He came to American Income Life straight out of Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania, where he played football. Simon was enticed to join AIL by his first Company mentor in Ohio, Marcus Smith (Surace-Smith Agencies). “Marcus was so successful, professional, and caring at such a young age I wanted to be just like him,” recalls Simon.

Simon also loved the financial and advancement opportunities offered at American Income Life, which allowed him to build a $1 million home for himself at age 27 and buy his mother a car and a fully furnished home in Florida. “Financial independence and absolutely loving what I do,” says Simon, “make me feel like I don’t work a day in my life. I genuinely love what I do and the people I have the privilege to lead and work with.”

And they feel the same way about him. American Income Life CEO Roger Smith says, “I’ve never experienced anything quite as heartwarming and emotional as the reaction of Simon’s people when I announced that he was SGA of the Year. They were cheering, some were crying. They were so proud and happy to be a part of his success. That’s what it’s all about. That’s how you spot a great leader.”

You won’t find a more humble, down-to-earth, good natured – yet intense – individual than Simon Arias. “Want to motivate Simon? Tell him he can’t do something,” says Scott Smith. Roger Smith agrees, adding, “Within 5 minutes of meeting him, you know exactly what he stands for: God, family, loyalty, integrity, helping people. It’s who he is.”

Simon is on a mission “to show others how to take advantage of this opportunity. Show others it’s possible to overcome adversity. Show others you can be cool, don’t have to be perfect, to still follow God. To stay humble and never forget those who helped me get to where I am or where I came from. This isn’t just about me; my agency deserves the credit, my leaders.”

Simon holds American Income Life  Company records for being the fastest to reach $100,000 a week in sales and for being the youngest State General Agent in Company history at age 24. He has been an Executive Council member three years in a row, and his team won AIL’s March Madness production competition for two consecutive years.

Here is what Simon says:

• “Thoughts become words become actions. Proverbs 29:18 says, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’ Think small, you get small. Expand your thinking – dream so big, people think you’re crazy.”
• “It’s not about your title or your (level of) contract. It’s about influence. We all have the power to influence people.”
• “I am blessed to have the opportunity to give the Opportunity, and it’s all because I took the leap of faith.”
• “When I was getting started, I knew I didn’t want to take the lumps, so I kind of forced myself to be mentored. I started hanging out with mentors like Jim Surace, Marcus Smith, Scott Smith, Eric Giglione. I really didn’t give them a choice; I basically bothered them into helping me. I listened and ran with their advice. I learned from their experience, what they had already done.”
• “My core team has been together for long enough now and everything meshed – came together – for us in 2011. But if I had to attribute last year’s success to just one thing, it would be recruiting. Personal recruiting is key: 70% of my MGAs are personal recruits that have been with me since the beginning.”

What other American Income Life State General Agents & the President say about Simon’s success:

“Congratulations, Simon, on an incredible year! You’ve set the bar high. It’s hard to believe what you’ve accomplished in such a short period of time. I know you have not scratched the surface of what you will achieve in the years to come. Congratulations again, and thanks for showing us all what can happen if you work hard and dream big!”

Fred Hadayia, American Income Life, Philadelphia (PA)

“Simon, you are obsessed with success and have the drive to execute your vision. I am so proud of the success you have achieved with your leadership team for yourselves and your agency. I’m excited to work beside you and you’ve always been there for me, so thank you. I love you, brother, and together with the entire Pappas agency, I salute and congratulate the great achievements in 2011, and there is more to come. Congratulations!”

Theo Pappas, National Income Life, New York

“There are not many in the world like Simon, that can walk in and lead with a plethora of enthusiasm, passion, intelligence, goodness, maximum effort, wisdom & spirituality, tenaciousness, intensity – uh, bears saying twice on this one – INTENSITY… all at the same time. An American Income Life super hero he is. Congrats, Simon. I am very proud of the man, leader and example you have become.”

Jim Surace, American Income Life, Ohio

“There couldn’t be a more worthy and deserving  SGA to be recognized among his peers as our Company’s MVP. Humble, honest, driven, competitive, winner, heart of a lion, eye of the tiger, God-fearing and God-serving are just a few words that come in mind when thinking of Simon. You are the complete package in every facet. To the SGA of the Year and to my best friend: I love you and I am so proud of you. Thank you for being the perfect example of what true leadership is.”

Marcus Smith, American Income Life, Ohio

“While Simon possesses a ton of talent, he has worked very hard for what he has achieved. As an SGA, he has totally rewritten the record book. His attributes include being humble, a high sense of loyalty, a commitment to personal improvement and a fiercely competitive drive. Most of all, those on his team understand that he truly cares for their success.”

Scott Smith, President and Chief Marketing Officer of American Income Life

Lights, camera, action!

Want a chance to win a prize for your creativity? American Income LIfe Representatives who ‘like’ our Facebook page can upload their video creation portraying their funniest moment in sales. Those who get the most votes will win:

1st Place: iPad
2nd Place: GPS
3rd Place: $100 Gas Card

The contest will run May 1 to June 30, 2012. Winners will be announced July 2, 2012.

Go to www.facebook.com/AIL.NILICO and like the page so that after May 1st you would be able to upload your video and vote for your favorite entry!

Be sure to read the contest rules and regulations before submitting your entry: http://bit.ly/AILContestRules

Who will submit the funniest video?

And so are the obstacles we encounter in growing our business. But each one of these obstacles must be viewed as an opportunity to strategize, execute better and move forward.

The main obstacle that a powerboat has to overcome is the water against the propeller, yet if it was not for this same resistance, the boat would not move at all.

The same law – that obstacles are conditions of success – holds true in our business at American Income Life. Obstacles wake us up and lead us to use our abilities. Pressure gives us new power. So, out of our difficulties, new strength is born.

A bad economy is an opportunity to recruit more potential agents and managers and, at the same time sell more of the American Income Life products, since big companies are laying off and, at the same time people are losing their benefits.

American Income Life VP of Field Operations Domenico Bertini

A natural disaster is an opportunity to remind ourselves how fragile we are and therefore we need to plan to protect our families through life insurance.

The crash of a bank or a bad stock market is an opportunity to remind our clients that no investment is safer than life insurance, because of its “safety of principle”.

Every day obstacles become our allies because they make our brains work to be better at what we do in our business and in our personal life. It does not matter how big an obstacle is, what it matters is what are we going to do to overcome that obstacle.

Miracles can happen only if we put our minds at work. As a matter of fact, Oscar Pistorius is a demonstration that an age of miracles is back, human miracles. I was watching this kid running on a track in a stadium with two prosthetic devices instead of legs. Oscar was born without fibulae. Before each race, his father attaches the carbon-graphite prosthetics to his knees. When you look at him you know that something new is in the works in this world. The human desire and the possibilities that come with it to overcome obstacles. It is said that “when there’s a will there’s a way”.

Do you have the will to build the agency you’ve always dreamed of, in order to achieve the lifestyle you’ve always desired? If you do, know this: it will not come without obstacles, internal or external to your dream. But also know this: there’s no obstacle that is insurmountable, if you only put your mind into it.

A life free of all obstacles and difficulties would reduce all possibilities and powers to zero.

Everyone likes to feel valued.

It’s almost universally-appealing, the idea that you as an individual mean something to someone. We as humans thrive on the idea, and as an insurance representative for American Income Life, you should continually thrive on making your customers feel just that – valued, appreciated, and cared for. The result can only be a strengthened relationship with the customer, which in turn brings nothing but positivity for the company and for you. Here are four ways to go above-and-beyond and, in doing so, ensure a productive working relationship with your customer going forward.

1) Remember Something About Them

While talking with your customer, take note (literally, write down) of interesting tidbits throughout the conversation. Did your customer mention their child plays baseball? Did they mention a film they recently saw, or maybe one they’re interested in seeing soon? Listen closely for topics that excite your customer, and be cognizant of family photographs or décor that may indicate family interests. A quick jot of “son plays baseball” or “two German Shepherds” in your notebook could go a long way in establishing an engaging business relationship. Of course, simply bringing up the tidbit at a later date would be nice, but what an Agent should really use that information for is to …

2) Do Something Unexpected

This may only take a moment, but the effects – increased camaraderie with your customer – will last far longer. A simple but effective way to catch your customer off-guard with an unexpected “Hello, thinking of you!” is to forward a relevant news story, article, or even comic strip to your customer. The contents of the message may concern their business, their insurance needs, or just their general life interests. In addition to sending along “sweet nothings” like news articles, be sure to take note of your customer’s birthdays and wedding anniversaries. People have come to expect birthday cards from family and friends – the same isn’t true for their American Income Life insurance Agents, whose well-wishes should be a nice surprise for your customer. Don’t simply try your luck with remembering birthdays — keep an ever-expanding list of your customer’s birthdays, along with a stack of cards.

3) Return calls and e-mails immediately

It’s important for customers to know that whenever they may want to speak to you, you’re available, be it in person, phone, or by e-mail. Technology affords us a tremendous opportunity to be proactive in our communication, and Agents should take advantage of that luxury every day. A well-wishing birthday card will mean nothing if an Agent is unable to keep a customer feeling taken care of year-round. Be immediate with your customers, and never make them feel, even if for only a moment, that their American Income Life Agent is out of reach.

4) Respect their Time

There are only so many hours in a workday, so the less of them we take up from our customer, the better. If there is anything a customer appreciates as much as being valued, it’s efficiency. Getting in, having a productive and fruitful interaction, and then getting out is the key to not only respecting the time of your customer, but increasing your own efficiency along the way. Spend only as much time with each customer as you have to, and then, it’s on to the next one.

Like any other aspect of business, honing your customer service techniques takes time and practice. However, once an Agent is able to apply all of these tips into their everyday sales practices, two things are likely to happen: customers are going to be pleased with the choice they made and the services we provide, and as for the Agent themselves – those premiums are going to keep rolling in.

Are you routinely going above-and-beyond to ensure that your customer feels valued, appreciated, and taken care of? Comment below and share your favorite way to engage a customer.