One Thousand Ways to Make a Living; or, An Encyclopædia of Plans to Make Money

by Harold Morse Dunphy

Handicaps

In the following classification certain types of diseases and injuries are grouped according as they are regarded as being wholly, partially, or not in any degree disqualifying for the profession of life insurance salesmanship.

1. Prohibitive.—Disqualifying for successful field salesmanship.
	(a)	Diseases:
		Advanced tuberculosis.
		Loss of voice and similar bronchial affections.
		Heart diseases not permitting ordinary activity.
		Contagious or infectious diseases, chronic or acute.
		Epilepsy.
		Nervous affections preventing mental concentration or seriously affecting locomotion or speech.
		Nervous affections causing involuntary grotesque muscular movement of face, hands or body.
		Insanity.
		Complete loss of sight or hearing.
	(b)	Wounds:
		Unsightly and repelling facial or head wounds.
		Loss of both arms.
		Loss of both legs and one arm.
		Preventing distinct or audible speech.
		Any wound rendering soldier an object of extreme pity.
2. Partially handicapping.—Each case requiring individual judgment; many such men mightbe able to devote part time if not all to salesmanship.
	(a)	Diseases:
		Mild tuberculosis of the lungs or throat.
		Recurrent rheumatism of severe type.
		Heart diseases interfering with usual activity.
		Nervous affections causing involuntary marked movements of the face.
		Serious varicose veins forbidding reasonable activities.
		Indistinct hearing or sight.
	(b)	Wounds:
		Loss of both legs but not arms.
		Injury to arms or limbs compelling extremely awkward attitudes to be assumed.
		Entire loss of one hand and noticeably unsightly dismemberment of the other.
		Unsightly face or head wounds that can not be covered by hair, beard, or glasses.
3. Not handicapping atall—
	(a)	Diseases:
		Chronic diseases not preventing ordinary activity and not easily noticed by others. This includes chest and headdiseases, rheumatism, deafness in one ear, Bright’s disease, shell-shock, etc.
		Temporary diseases from which recovery may be slow but certain.
	(b)	Wounds:
		Loss of one leg if artificial limb can be worn.
		Loss of one arm or hand with or without artificial arm.
		Wounds to arms or legs not requiring amputation.
		Moderate disfigurements that can be covered by hair, beard, garments, or glasses of usual type.
		Scars on face or hands that are not repellent.
		Loss of teeth—if plate can be worn.
		Hernia—if truss can be worn.

PLAN No. 1096. NUMBER OF POSITIONS OPEN

The companies selling ordinary life insurance can absorb rapidly 10,000 candidates for sales positions, reasonably evenly distributed between the two classes of partly handicapped and not handicapped. If the latter class predominates, even a larger number could be used.

These men can be assigned profitable and suitable new business locations either of their own or of the insurance companies’ selection, as they prefer, or they can be used at their former place of residence no matter in what sections of the country this may be.

The industrial companies, about 25 in number, can absorb about 4,000 candidates presenting disabilities of a nature that would not preclude the physical activity required, since the nature of the business demands that the routes assigned be fully covered each week.

Financial Returns for Life Insurance Salesman

The average earnings of all life insurance men, whether devoting all or but part of their time to it, and including the unsuccessful and the beginners but a few months in the production field, on the sales of 1917 was $1,000 per capita. The average of those giving it their entire time is nearer $2,000 per agent. An additional yearly income for a number of years is paid on first-year sales through the annual renewal commissions on such business as renews, which in 1917 yielded an additional $1,000 per agent. By reason of renewals accruing in future years, the annual income of a life insurance man maintaining a uniform production will increase steadily yearly.

While the rate of compensation is based upon the commission plan under which the income closely follows actual earnings and is in ratio to the salesman’s efficiency and the intelligent effort he puts forth, the methods of compensation are varied according to individual preference. Such methods include straight commission, commission plus salary, straight salary, drawing accounts against contingent commissions and guarantees, and combinations of these methods as may be arranged.

The items of interest are that incomes are without limit as to maximum and that earnings can begin even during the period of preparation and study. The commission plan is thus not a difficulty, since the candidate will be assisted by his Government allowance until he is prepared to undertake work under a compensation plan which guarantees pay exactly according to earnings.

To those qualifying for executive positions correspondingly larger salaries and opportunities are open, and men having the capacity to direct the activities of others are in constant demand. For this work Army and Navy men, as a class, have had fundamental training.

Earnings op Industrial Insurance Men

Salaries varying from $10 to $25 per week are paid to the field men of industrial insurance companies, depending upon the size of the district covered. Such agents are expected to make the weekly collections assigned to them and to maintain the volume and number of such collections.

In addition to this salary, the right and opportunity is given to earn liberal commissions on new business secured, which in turn may operate to increase the compensation for collecting future premiums.

Opportunities for promotions to positions as superintendents and district managers are frequent, and the tendency is toward the retention and development of efficient employees indefinitely.

PLAN No. 1097. OFFICE MANAGEMENT

This position is one that is usually filled by promotion and one to which any man who qualifies for business by taking a complete commercial training may reasonably aspire. Men who have executive ability; knowledge of men and ability to handle them; the ability to organize the work of an office on an efficiency basis; and a good general knowledge of business are needed for office managers.