CH 4 "I Don't Know, But I'll Find Out!"

In the fall of 1968 I started out on an adventure that would set the course for the remainder of my work life. I answered a newspaper ad and went to work as an agent for the Prudential Insurance Company of America. Early in this experience I met two men who would have profound effect on both my career and my personal life. Paul Hutsey was the District manager responsible for recruiting me into the office he managed for 19 years. Paul was a positive, aggressive, enthusiastic person, never lacking in sales and marketing ideas. He would influence me toward becoming a student of the insurance business. Paul encouraged continuing education when I met him in 1968. The state of Kansas didn’t adopt continuing education laws until 1989. What a head start Paul gave me!

The other key individual to my early progress was Jim Cinotto. Jim was in charge of the staff of agents I was assigned to. He would be in charge of my field training and along with Paul and the other staff managers would direct my in office training. After about a week in the office, Jim Cinotto and I went out to the agency that became my first assignment. The area was a middle class neighborhood in Northwest Wichita. When we met that first day I had great anticipation and more than a little nervousness. (I would learn later it was called “call reluctance”).

I learned many lessons in the three years I worked directly with Jim Cinotto. Two lessons stand out to this day. First, Jim taught me I could sell the product in the proper fashion. The first week we were in the field we had 14 appointments and made 9 sales. When Jim sold a policy he did it right and the client kept and understood his or her purchase. The second lesson was more important. In fact it is one of the more important lessons of life. We were in an interview and the lady we were visiting with asked Jim a question about the product. I can’t even remember the specific question, but I remember the answer as if it were yesterday, “ You know ma’am, I don’t know but I’ll find out and either come back with the answer or send Chuck back with the answer.” Jim had been with Prudential for over 20 years at the time. I thought he knew everything about their products and I’d have to say he did know almost everything. The maturity in his answer so impressed me it is still with me over 32 years later.

We all have such egos that we feel we must be able to answer every question. I believe people respect us more when they realize we want to give accurate information. I have tried to follow Jim’s example in my dealings throughout the years. I have benefited numerous times from the experience of Jim not knowing an answer and admitting he didn’t know. There have been a few times over the years that my ego got in the way. Invariably, I might give an answer I thought to be correct, only to have to return with the correct information. I have found it easier to search for the right answer and return the call than to correct erroneous information.

I believe God puts us into contact with certain people to mold our character. Paul and Jim were and are very important in the formative time in my sales and service career.

"Success is when skill meets opportunity. Failure is when fantasy meets reality." Shoe (Wichita Eagle)

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Joshua 1:8