Paul Winkler, Inc. Goodlettsville

My start

Like countless others in the financial services industry, I entered the world of finance through insurance and mutual fund sales. I will never forget the first time I walked into an insurance company office in upstate New York. I had just graduated from college with a degree in economics and a minor in business and felt that my education qualified me for whatever leadership role they might have available.

I confidently approached the front desk and told the staff that I was looking for a job in management. My hopes were quickly dashed when the secretary explained that I would have to become a successful salesperson first, and then I might be able to move on to management. A salesperson first? They never tell you that in school.

Desperate for my first real job, I agreed. In the first interview they explained to me the huge income I could make selling insurance and investment products. The thought of making five times my current salary at my computer repair job was all I needed to hear.

The first year on the job was filled with training on how to be a salesman. The classes focused on how the company’s products worked and how to prospect for new business. Occasionally, someone taught me a useful financial planning technique, but most of the advice I received revolved around prospecting and sales strategies. The name of the game was “smile and dial.”