An insurance agent shared how he goes about impressing his clients by renting branded cars like BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar; and pretending it’s his, trying to prove to them that he’s rich and get them to buy his insurance plans.
Here is what he said
I have been in the insurance industry for a little over a year, and one thing that I’ve learned is that appearance matters a whole lot in the insurance industry.
People look at us insurance agents and see a financially stable industry, thinking that us insurance agents are well off and making very good money.
That perception is far from the truth, and the truth is most insurance agents are barely scraping by.
But I have to live a lie to sell insurance, and one way that I do that is by renting branded cars like BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar.
I alternate between the BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar, and depending on what clients I meet and the type of insurance plans I sell.
If I’m meeting someone with a high net worth and I am trying to sell him/her an expensive investment plan, of course I rent the Jaguar, instead of the BMW or Mercedes because I want them to think that I walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
I had a sceptical client who was reluctant to sign with me, until i offered to send her to work in my rented BMW that I pretended was mine.
She was impressed when I told her that I had 3 cars, the BMW, a Mercedes and a Jaguar. And eventually I managed to convince her that I knew what I was doing and she signed with me.
But over time, the expense of these rentals add up. I find myself spending way too much on the car rentals to maintain my “image”.
Forget the BMW, or the Mercedes, or the Jaguar – I’m thinking of getting a 2nd hand Audi so that I can save more money in the long term.