Field Sales Representative Position - Not for Everyone
Pros
Liberty Mutual has a real good benefits, 401k and pension benefits package. They seem to offer what a lot of large corporations have scaled back on over the years. As a Field Sales Representative, you have the flexibility to 'hit the field' and fish for business or referral sources whenever you'd like. If you are making your numbers, you can pretty much come/go as you please. Liberty Mutual pays for your insurance licensing and training, and they'll send you for at least a week to Florida for sales training.
Cons
During the interview, they will tell you they will provide you with leads. Please know that the majority of your day is spent prospecting/fishing for new business sources. If you are provided with any leads, take them with a grain of salt. Most of the leads provided are garbage. The conversion rate of their stale leads aren't too good. You are on your own, most of the time, which can be good if you're bringing in business, but horrible if you really need guidance and attention. Senior Management talks a good talk but they only support the senior reps and bend over backwards for them. Since insurance is more of a commodity these days, no matter how you're trained, it really all boils down to price for the customer and Liberty Mutual will almost never be the cheapest insurance out there. Management may try to assign you to an existing business account but if a rep hasn't visited there in years, you'll get a cold reception from the company or they'll tell you they now have a relationship with another voluntary benefits provider. This is because these accounts where opened up by reps who are no longer with the company, and when they leave, the business relationship grew cold. Management, in all honesty, appears to just be there collecting a big check and so they really do not focus on the reps individual development. Although it's possible, you probably will not make the high dollar salary that is advertised on the job posting boards your first couple of years.
