<Begin Segment 22>
SY: And what, like, what was your approach that made you successful you think?
AM: Well, I don't know. When I approach the younger people who are working, I might say something like, let's see if I can remember it, say, "How many automobiles do you think you might buy in your lifetime?" They might say, "Oh, five, ten." Says, "How would you like to be, if I gave you a good idea to be your own banker to finance those cars, would you be interested in listening to what I have to say?" Some of 'em will say, "Sure." So I'd set the time to see them, and then I'd show them how on a cash value policy you could borrow for four and a half percent or whatever and pay it back at your leisure, instead of paying six, seven, eight percent at the bank or the auto dealer. And some of 'em will say, "Hey, I like that idea." That was one approach.
SY: And you would, and so it was all things that you could deliver on. It was never anything that you were making promises that you couldn't...
AM: Yeah, and it's all up here [points to head]. So they told me that if you could sell life insurance you could sell anything in the world, because most things, it's a product, you see the product. You want it, you don't want it. But life insurance, you can't see it. I mean, it's on a piece of paper.
SY: So who did you go to?
AM: I went to my, the insurance man that sold me my second policy after I got married.
SY: Right, but then who were your clients? Who were those clients that you sold to? Who, they, if many of your friends had already bought their life insurance --
AM: They were strangers.
SY: So you were given a list and then you'd have to call them?
AM: No, I had to find my own list. This is where it was so taxing on you, because I was used to getting a paycheck, rain or shine I'd get a paycheck, but now I was on my own. If I didn't produce, no pay.
SY: So you were eager to, I mean, was this, was this stressful for you? Did you like this better than the other kind of work?
AM: In some respects, yes, 'cause I knew that it was harder for somebody to fire me. In other respects, in one respect, I didn't like it, to find a prospect to talk you. And when I kind of ninety-nine percent retired, I realized that that's what I hated. I like talking to people, showing them why this is good for them, but getting to that point -- you should've seen the first case. I couldn't find the address. I went around and around the block, couldn't find, and I let out a, what do you call it, sigh of relief when I went home, I mean to the next call or went home, 'cause I couldn't find that place. [Laughs] But my wife said, I remember when I first got the job she said, "What? You? You sell life insurance? Who're you trying to kid, Arnold?" [Laughs] I didn't get much encouragement.
SY: So was it, were you fairly successful from the beginning, or did it take you a while to...
AM: No. I qualified for almost every first level, what do they call it? We have, they award us, the company awards us with, they take us to nice golf courses for free, everything's free, once you step out of the door everything paid for until you come back. Gosh, I can't even think of that. I've only been in the business since '70, but I've forgotten so much. [Laughs] So today there are much nicer ways to approach, find a prospect to talk to, and nowadays we get a name, like, say your niece had a baby or something, right away I'll pull a pencil out and, "What's her name? What's her address?" And then I go knocking on the door.
SY: Wow. You actually would knock on the door of someone who you hadn't spoken to?
AM: If I had the phone I might try to make an appointment. But it's so easy to drop the phone, so we go knocking on the door. [Laughs]
SY: And were these people that gave you these references, were they people that you knew? No.
AM: We'd find out from a person we knew.
SY: Somebody that they knew. And were these people mainly Japanese Americans?
AM: I would say so.
SY: So you, so you really hit on that particular population. And was it in your, the west side area particularly?
AM: No, all over L.A. County.
SY: And you worked specifically for one insurance company.
AM: Yeah.
SY: At first.
<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.