I have been working as an insurance agent for about 4 years. I have always been way better at service than sales. I hate sales. So when my current employer offered me a job, I made it VERY clear that I am not motivated by money, I am not good at selling, but I am good at helping people. She needed a service person anyway. As she already had two producers. She told me I do not have to do sales. She specifically hired me for service. All she asked was that I cross sell to current clients that had mono lines. For example, ask someone where their homeowners insurance is if all they have with us is auto. Which I am fine with, because I do that anyway. That is kind of part of servicing.
I am not into cold calling, I am not into asking strangers, while I am out in public, about their insurance and if I can quote them. I am not into asking the tech guy that‘s here fixing our computers if we can quote him. I am not into begging my friends and family if I can quote their insurance. If they want me to, they will let me know. They know I am in insurance.
Well, my co worker (who I guess thinks she can be my boss because our boss is only here about 2-3 days a week) is constantly harassing me to sell. We had a guy in here updating our internet server. She said “he would be a perfect opportunity to sell.” So I asked him about it. He declined. After he left she got on my case wanting to know why I “didn’t try harder to get him? He was the perfect opportunity.” I said “maybe, but he was also busy working.” She said “so are you.” She said it would have been ”good practice.” Good practice for what? I was not hired for sales…
She told me last week to post on my social asking friends and family if I can quote them. I didn’t. My social media is for my PERSONAL use. I use it to share my artwork, pics of gatherings with family and friends, quotes, memes, and vacations my husband and I go on. It is not for work. I like to keep the two separate. Well, she asked me again today “did you post on Facebook last week to get people to let you quote them?” Obviously I lied and told her I did. Then she told me to do it again this week. No thanks.
The thing is, I got out of retail years ago to get away from that stuff. I worked in jewelry and my bosses were constantly harassing me to get on my social media and ask friends and family if I could do a credit card app for them, or to come ”shop with us!” To each their own but I find this stuff cringy, annoying, and desperate. I’m not in retail anymore. I am not hired for sales. You want to bring in new business? YOU’RE the producer! Go sell! Our boss hired me for service.
Just beyond tired of if. She’s not my boss. In fact, I just had my meeting with our boss and she reiterated to me that she wants me focusing on service. And I am sorry, but who made my co-worker in charge of my personal social media anyway? What I do with my Facebook, Instagram, whatever is my choice to do with what I see fit. If I do not want to use it for work, I won’t.