Primerica Employee Speaks Out! vague promises rah rah mind control leeching off funds from friends family rip-off *UPDATE ..done with the inflated promises of Primerica, Ex employee sees the light
I read these reports with interest. I have been in training with Primerica for the last few months, studying to take my insurance test, been on several appts with my rvp/trainer. All was going pretty well until I heard a new line about how to get a promotion. Like there is only a few days until the first half I worked for is null and void, that is, of course until I recruit 3 more people.
Feels like arm twisting to me. And pulling the rug out from under me. I have experienced that in my life, and I am starting to smell rat. I have done everything that has been told to me. This includes a conference in another state that cost me $400. I was told, "If you do everything we tell you, you will succeed at this business"
It is not as if I haven't been trying to recruit acquaintances these last few months, I have. I bring them to the opportunity nites. I talk to them. I have even had a few friends buy their term and refinan. I have really tried to be the good new recruit. Now I am seeing something else.
I am glad for the deflation of vision I am experiencing, because this is causing me to ask questions of those who know me, my temperment and something about sales. This is causing me to read these reports and for the most part, the poorly written rebuttals in favor of Primerica's recruitment tactics.
If this business is supposed to be about people, and 'pushing up people', I have not been convinced by what I have seen in response to the effort I have put in, all for no pay as of yet.
No less than a week ago, I was congratulated for the minimum of premium I generated for my trainer, now I hear, 'can't rest there, if you don't recruit three people in the next two weeks, you lose the points for the premium.'
I truly am at an impasse. Shall I bust my buns and work over three unsuspecting people to get at a larger earning level to make sense of the time I spend in this business? Shall I back out? I have earned only half of my original investment. Shall I wait and see what else I can see and analyze so I can ask more intelligent questions?
I have wondered why I have had the following thoughts upon leaving the weekly opportunity meetings these last eight consecutive weeks, meetings that are the same illustrations and video week after week so repetitive I could memorize it. I have thought:"Intelligent, deeper thinking people would never go for this" or "the ones who will be interested will be somewhat desperate and will be willling to pay the 199 for a dream that is vague and may really not fit them." or "I wouldn't want to get my best friend hooked into this, or my children or my neighbors" or "this kind of hammering over and over, with little concern about the real lives of these people involved, could really change one's personality in a way one may really regret".
At this point I am really disillusioned...my bubble has popped, the honeymoon is over. I do think it hypocritical that we tout Citigroup/bank when they make their money through usury the same as the others. I do think it sad when I read C's account (Midwest, Ill) about the loan offered him/her that was no savings. I am sad when I think about my close friends that signed for such a loan.
I think it is a good criticism to say from one report that we try to do too much and have too little real training in financial analysis to really be good at it.
The emphasis is always the same, "Recruit, recruit...get your clients signed up for term.. etc, etc. " I do think we lead people on to imagine a life without their spouse or child and imagine we will never want to work again, or can't or something so we try to replace a lifetime of salary, whew! Do most people just quit earning after a spouse's death?
Here I am, not even licensed and dissing my company...here I am confused and disillusioned. I have heard that the business world is a cutthroat world. Is this an example, I wonder?
I am glad for some of what I learned. I don't want to move foward now, I want to consider other options.
Disillusioned now,
BC
Portland, Oregon
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4 Updates & Rebuttals
to 'I was had as well'.....so good to relate
#50
Thu, September 12, 2002
I love these posts, they are like travelogues in the guidebook to the land of Primerica...this is a problem, avoid this custom (of misusing your friends), etc. Each person's entry is different yet complementary to each other. There is a certain hum of agreement.
I can really relate to the picture you paint:fired up, hooked, and unfortunately, gullible. I gotta say, if I didn't feel so strapped financially, I would probably have been more skeptical. I especially agree with the concept of 'recharge'. Ya know, I haven't been recharged for a while and I don't miss it. I used to walk away from those opp nites and think, 'don't people get tired of this week after week saying the same things and expecting people to part with a sizeable chuck of money in nary a heartbeat?'
I also felt rather stupid after weeks of the same 'training' and felt I was never really learning anything much except how to evade questions or handle objections. All the pat answers. Recruiting a first priority???what happened to focusing on your clients? It looked to me that like what we were doing was taking their money, hooking it up to auto pymt(hard to lapse or disrupt) and running onto the next one! Some kindof client care!
Realizing that I could not do this to friends much less strangers was what woke me up, I believe. If I am going to 'sell' something, I gotta believe it really is good for someone. I also felt friends distancing and they must've been somewhat aware of the glazed look that was in my eye when the subject of money came up....and I was bragging about my future savings and great loans, blah blah....I did not really know of what I was saying.
My friends and family are truly relieved to have their old friend back and am I glad I did not quit my job. I can't believe your upline told you to call in sick for some lousy rah rah. I am so unimpressed. Where is the integrity?
I did neglect my work for a while, but thank God I still have my job. It feels good to get paid for each day and hour of the attention I put into my work.
At least if we were 'had' for a while in our lives, we can now 'have' information that can help us look at things differently, ya know, with experience. I am glad for much of what I saw as it taught me to be a more cautious consumer and fed my interest in managing my financial affairs better and to help my family with theirs. I appreciated your post. Glad to see you are sound, in your right mind and back in the clear.
J
Eastern,Kansas,
I was had as well.
#5UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, September 09, 2002
I guess my whole vision of Primerica changed over a long period of time. I went to the first meeting and got fired up. They hooked me. I guess I'm gullable. I went to a few more meetings and every time I got "recharged". But after awhile I realized that I was saying things in my mind before the speaker actually said it, you know fininshing sentences for them.
I realized that I wasn't learning anything after 4-5 weeks, but memorizing a table top presentation. When I heard one of the speakers in a separate "training session" say that recruiting needs to be your first priority, I about flipped.
Of course I had friends at the Opp. meeting. My upline tried to push an FNA on them, they refused. Before long that upline had me pushing an FNA on them. I realized that after awhile my friends were avoiding me. All I did was talk Primerica and spew the rule of 72, mutual funds blah.blah.blah. I've quit Primerica because I didn't have time to go anymore, I had to fix my friendships.
I'd rather die broke than to die without my friends. Oh and for the PFS agent who replies to this calling us lazy and bad names, and says that Primerica isn't for everyone, especially the lazy.
Let me just say, that my upline told me to call in sick to my regular job so I could see some speakers on a Monday afternoon. Great business practice! They really want me to work hard. I have a relative that works for Citibank, he cringed when I told him I was working for Primerica. Huh...
Kim
Gilbert,Arizona,
thanks for the tips BC
#5Consumer Suggestion
Fri, September 06, 2002
You wrote a very clear, concise report of how Primerica works. I'm sorry you had the unfortunate circumstance of finding out the hard way. I hope anyone who considers working for these guys finds this website.
These guys called me too, a few years ago. I got the same song and dance everyone else did. The recruiter was aggressive and he made saying no very difficult but I talked to my friend who works for John Hancock and he warned me about these people. He almost got suckered in as well.
I'm glad I said no.
Primerica Northwest/ Ex employee sees the light
#50
Thu, September 05, 2002
I can say with relief and finality, I am done with the inflated promises of Primerica. They tell you what you want to hear and then evade your direct questions. Especially when you start critically thinking.
My family is so relieved too. They said they would rather have more of me than more money, especially if it is earned by scamming folks. We have all learned a lot.
NOw I am sad for the others on the team that are still sacrificing relationships, needed downtime from their jobs and meaningful satisfying work that pays by the hour or salary. I see them showing up week after week, with zeros by their name. I see their willingness to sit through training that is really nothing by hyping methods to sell and recruit.
I will trust that their eyes will be open enough to see and I am willing to help turn on the light if their is an open door.
Thanks to all the posts of deeper thinking folks.
BC in the NW