Life Insurance Agents: Do They Know Ben Feldman?

Ben Feldman, the world's greatest life insurance salesman, is a legend among his colleagues. During his 50-year career, he sold life insurance policies worth about $1.5 billion, with most of his sales in the small town of East Liverpool, Ohio. Feldman held the world record for the most products sold by value by a salesman in a career, in a year, and in a single day. His sales totals were only matched by entire sales forces of other insurance companies. Feldman's success can be attributed to his belief that his work as an insurance agent was not just about selling policies but also about building relationships and educating his clients. He tailored his sales approach to each client, using creative and passionate ways of talking about life insurance that inspired generations of agents. His techniques, including his famous power phrases, have become industry standards, and his books and training materials continue to be sought after by aspiring and experienced agents alike.

Ben Feldman's sales techniques

Ben Feldman is widely regarded as one of the most prolific salespeople in history. During his 50-year career, he sold life insurance policies with a total face value of about $1.5 billion for New York Life Insurance Company. Feldman held the world record for the most products sold by value by a salesman in a career, in a year ($100 million), and in a single day ($20 million).

Feldman's sales techniques were underpinned by his belief that a life insurance agent's role was not only profitable but also virtuous, and that they needed to act as educators and missionaries. He was adamant about studying every aspect of life insurance, including selling methods, persuasion skills, financial planning, and marketing. Feldman also educated himself on a variety of other subjects to make himself more knowledgeable and better prepared to serve his clients.

• Selling solutions, not insurance: Feldman emphasised the problem-solving aspect of insurance. He understood that people don't want to buy insurance, but they want to solve problems. By framing insurance as a solution, he made it more relatable and appealing to potential customers.
• Simplifying the presentation: Feldman believed that sales concepts needed to be simple and easy to understand for both himself and the prospect. He spent a significant amount of time preparing and simplifying his pitches, ensuring that his message was clear and concise.
• Tailoring the approach: Feldman was known for his ability to customise a life insurance plan for each client. He would scout small companies, study their business, and then approach the owner by pointing out the potential issues their heirs might face after their death. He would also offer policies to business partners, ensuring that the company could stay intact in the event of a partner's death.
• Focus on cash value: Feldman believed in the importance of cash value life insurance, arguing that most people don't save the difference when they opt for term insurance. He saw cash value life insurance as a system that helped people save systematically and accumulate cash over time.
• Making calls and building momentum: Feldman understood that the key to making sales is simply making calls. He emphasised the importance of consistency and not getting discouraged by rejections. By continuing to make calls, he built momentum and eventually closed deals.
• Power phrases and disturbing questions: Feldman became known for his "power phrases" and "disturbing questions," which have become industry standards. These were carefully crafted statements and inquiries that captured the benefits of life insurance and made prospects think about their own mortality and the need for financial security.
• Persistence and overcoming objections: Feldman was known for his relentless persistence in the face of rejection. When a prospect said "no," he interpreted it as a lack of understanding rather than a definitive rejection. He would come back repeatedly, refining his pitch and trying to overcome any objections.

Ben Feldman's impact on the insurance industry

Ben Feldman is widely regarded as one of the most prolific salespeople in history. By 1979, Feldman had sold more life insurance than anyone in history, and his total sales by the end of his career were only matched by the entire sales forces of other insurance companies. Across his 50-year career, Feldman sold life insurance policies with a total value of $1.5 billion for New York Life Insurance Company.

Feldman's impact on the insurance industry was immense. He is credited with creating a series of techniques for selling life insurance that have since become industry standards. Feldman's approach to selling was based on the idea that insurance agents should act as educators and missionaries, helping people to protect their assets and plan for the future. He believed that insurance agents should focus on building relationships with their clients and understanding their needs, rather than simply selling policies.

Feldman was known for his ability to tailor his sales pitch to each individual client. He developed a number of "power phrases" and "disturbing questions" that were designed to highlight the benefits of life insurance and appeal to the client's emotions. For example, he would tell clients, "When you walk out, the money walks in"–referring to the insurance money that would be paid out upon their death. Feldman also used visual aids, such as a "tax book" that contained the financial histories of people who had died without enough life insurance to pay estate taxes.

In addition to his innovative sales techniques, Feldman also had a strong work ethic. He worked 12-hour days, six or seven days a week, and was constantly setting and achieving ambitious sales targets. Despite facing challenges such as a speech impediment and various illnesses, Feldman remained dedicated to his work and was driven by the desire to be the best.

Feldman's success and impact extended beyond the insurance industry. He wrote several books and created training materials that inspired and educated salespeople in a range of industries. His story serves as a testament to the power of hard work, creativity, and passion in achieving success.

Ben Feldman's personal life

Ben Feldman, born on the 27th of May, 1980, is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in television series such as Mad Men, Silicon Valley, and Superstore. Feldman was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in a Jewish family. He attended Winston Churchill High School and later received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from Ithaca College in New York.

Feldman began his career in acting at a young age, participating in acting camps and school theater. After graduating from college, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in theater and eventually transitioned to film and television acting in Los Angeles. In addition to his acting career, Feldman is also a co-owner of a wine label, Angelica Cellars.

In his personal life, Feldman married Michelle Mulitz in 2013, and they have two children together. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his family. While Feldman has achieved success in the entertainment industry, he prefers to keep his personal life private, and not much else is known about his relationships or hobbies outside of his career.

It is worth noting that there is another Ben Feldman, born in 1912, who was a renowned insurance salesman. This Ben Feldman was known as one of the most prolific salespeople in history, selling life insurance policies worth about $1.5 billion during his career. However, this Ben Feldman passed away in 1993, and the focus of your query seems to be on the actor Ben Feldman.

Ben Feldman's books

Ben Feldman was an American businessman and one of the most prolific salespeople in history. He is the author of several books, including:

• The Feldman Method (1976)
• The Incomparable Salesman
• The Supersalesman
• The Supersalesman and Creative Selling
• Creative Selling for the 1990s (1987, 1989, 2015)
• Creative Selling: The World's Greatest Life Insurance Salesman Answers Your Questions (1987, 1982)
• Demand the Impossible: Essays in History as Activism
• Selling Your Way to a Million Dollars (1982)
• Creative Selling for the Seventies the World's Greatest Life Insurance Salesman Answers Your Questions (1974)

Feldman's books focus on his career in sales and offer insights into his hard work, preparation, and positive attitude as the cornerstones of his success. He is known for his capacity to tailor a life insurance plan for each client and for his inspirational "power phrases" and "disturbing questions," which became industry standards. Feldman's approach to sales was based on the idea that a good salesman must educate and act as a missionary, studying every aspect of the product they are selling, as well as developing persuasion skills, financial planning, and marketing techniques.

Ben Feldman's quotes

Ben Feldman, one of the most prolific salespeople in history, perfected a series of techniques for selling life insurance. Feldman believed that his vocation as an insurance agent was not only profitable but also virtuous and that life insurance salesmen needed to act as educators and missionaries. Here are some of his famous quotes:

> "I do not sell life insurance. I sell money. I sell dollars for pennies apiece. My dollars cost 3 cents per dollar per year."

Feldman emphasised the value of his product by framing it in terms of the money it could make for his clients. He also understood the importance of tailoring his pitch to each individual client.

> "Don't sell life insurance. Sell what life insurance can do."

Feldman recognised that life insurance was an intangible product, and so he focused on selling the benefits it could bring. He believed that if people truly understood the value of life insurance, they would be knocking down the doors of insurance companies to buy it.

> "Life insurance is time. The time a man might not have. If he needs time, he needs life insurance."

Feldman understood that life insurance was not just about money, but also about providing security and peace of mind. By framing life insurance as a way to buy time, he emphasised its value in a way that resonated with his clients.

> "Goals aren't enough. You need goals plus deadlines: goals big enough to get excited about and deadlines to make you run. One isn't much good without the other, but together they can be tremendous."

Feldman was a strong advocate for setting clear and ambitious goals, recognising that they are essential for success in any endeavour. He also understood the importance of creating a sense of urgency to drive action.

> "The basic purpose of life insurance is to create cash... nothing more or nothing less. Everything else confuses and complicates."

Feldman had a laser focus on the core purpose of life insurance, which was to provide financial security for his clients and their loved ones. He believed that keeping things simple was key to effective selling.

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