Series: The All-Rounder Employee Becomes a Legend
Chapter: 42
Title: Disposable People
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The branch manager waited for the new employee's answer.
Taeseok didn't have to think twice.
He trusted Kim Minseong, the senior who had mentored him for a month.
So he answered.
“I…”
But someone cut in.
“Branch Manager?”
Team Leader Park Jong-min.
The leader of Team 2, who was said to have the best performance, called out to the branch manager.
“Oh. Team Leader Park, what is it?”
“Could I train him?”
“Huh? I think we should ask him! New guy! What do you think? Want to go under Team Leader Park?”
Hearing the branch manager, Taeseok gave the answer he had originally planned.
“I'd like to work with Team Leader Kim Minseong.”
At that, the branch manager looked at Taeseok with a regretful expression.
“Ah… well, can't be helped then. He says no. Team Leader Kim Minseong, train him well.”
“Yes.”
But Team Leader Park Jong-min tried to persuade Taeseok once more.
“Taeseok! This is a great opportunity. Are you sure you want to pass it up?”
At his words, Taeseok looked at the other members of Team 2.
Two people who looked to be about his age.
But their expressions were sour.
They all looked full of some kind of dissatisfaction.
Taeseok trusted his gut.
“Yes. I already know Team Leader Kim Minseong a bit. I'd like to work with him.”
At that, Team Leader Kim Minseong grabbed Taeseok's hand and spoke to the branch manager.
“I'll do my best with Taeseok. Please trust me, Branch Manager.”
“Alright. Team Leader Kim, let's see you soar again like in your glory days.”
“Yes.”
Then, the branch manager's critiques and instructions for Teams 4 and 5, and the CS Team, continued.
After the morning meeting ended, Taeseok was led outside by his senior, Kim Minseong.
“Taeseok.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“You made the right choice. Choosing me, that was a really good call.”
“Yes.”
“If you'd gone over there, you would've been sucked dry. Your friends, your family, everyone around you.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
“That side is all about acquaintance sales. The kind of sales where you throw away friends and people just to make money. They would've hounded you to set up meetings, I bet. All insurance peddlers are the same.”
“But you work in insurance too, sir.”
“Haha, hey! I'm a bit different, you Punk! First, go get your week of training. And don't worry too much about what they teach you there. It's not that important.”
“Training?”
“Yeah. They do training for new recruits at the Yeouido branch. Go there first, and we'll talk after. Even if you're only working here for two months, you still need the basic knowledge, right?”
“Yes, that's true. When should I go?”
“There's probably a course starting this afternoon. They run one every two weeks. And here, only team leaders and above are regular employees. Everyone else is either a contract worker or an independent agent, so don't let on that you're a regular employee. Got it?”
“Yes. I understand.”
That afternoon, Taeseok traveled from Yeongdeungpo to Yeouido.
El Sung Life Insurance Headquarters, Insurance Business Division, Training Team.
A female instructor in her mid-thirties held out the attendance sheet and nodded a greeting to the trainees who were there for the first time.
Seeing Taeseok enter, she spoke first.
“Hello. Where are you from?”
“I'm from the Yeongdeungpo branch.”
“Ah, Kim Taeseok? Huh?”
“Yes. I'm Kim Taeseok.”
“Huh? You look different. Someone with that name came two months ago… Is the list wrong?”
“We probably just have the same name.”
“Ah, I see. What's he up to now?”
“He quit the life insurance side. I heard he went into shipping, but I don't know the details.”
“Phew~ He was a regular employee? Wow. I see.”
She clicked her tongue, prompting Taeseok to ask why.
“Did something happen?”
She hesitated for a moment before explaining.
“He was on his phone during the last training session. To be honest, I was a bit annoyed when I saw the name Kim Taeseok. But I'm sorry, since you're a different person. Please, come in.”
“Yes. I'll do my best in the training, ma'am.”
Comparisons between the two Taeseoks followed him everywhere.
Kim Taeseok nodded to himself.
That guy really needs to reflect on his actions. He's older than me, but why doesn't he realize he acts so childish and self-centered?
The training began with receiving the textbooks.
The woman he had just spoken to began her introduction.
“Hello, everyone!”
『Hello!』
“My name is Yoon Mi-rae, and I'll be your instructor for El Sung Life's Basic Life Insurance Theory course. It's a pleasure to be here.”
『It's a pleasure.』
“Most of you are probably here because you saw our El Sung Life FP recruitment notice and applied on the website, or you were recommended by an acquaintance. A very small number might be here after becoming regular employees. Raise your hand if that's not you!”
No one raised their hand.
“I started as an FP here at the Yeouido branch when I was 34, three years ago. That year, I was trained by my predecessor, Instructor Choi Mi-yeon, who is now the deputy branch manager in Cheongdam, and that's how I came to be in this position.”
She looked out at the audience and shared her story.
“You're all here because you want to earn 5 million won a month! Or even over 100 million won a year, right?”
At her words, everyone answered, their eyes sparkling.
『Yes!』
“The reason I'm telling you this is because I earned 70 million won in commissions my first year. And in my second year, I earned 130 million won.”
A murmur went through the training room.
Taeseok smiled, observing her skillful speech.
“And this year, I've already hit 150 million won in commissions. It's only September, so there are still four months left until December, right? My goal is to earn another 50 million by then and hit 200 million. How about that? Has everyone set a goal for themselves now?”
Everyone nodded and replied to her words.
『Yes!』
The ages varied, from men in their late twenties to women in their early fifties.
The younger crowd was mostly men, while the middle-aged group was predominantly women.
“We don't require experience. That's why anyone can do this, and anyone can succeed. However, not that many people actually do succeed. The average monthly income in this industry is about 2.76 million won. And you can assume that about 70% of people quit within a year.”
“…”
“So why! Why 70 percent! There are passive people, right? People who have never spoken properly in front of a crowd? Those people will have to think of this as a chance to change their personality and make an effort. Now, I'll hand out the materials. It's the Basic Life Insurance Theory booklet and training materials on the knowledge, attitude, skills, and habits of an FP. Please take a look at these for now. We'll take a short 20-minute break and then resume the training.”
Break time.
Taeseok focused on the booklet he'd received.
Activating the New Employee's Eyes, the important information once again stood out clearly.
Taeseok underlined the key parts as he read.
But someone next to him struck up a conversation.
“You just came today, right?”
“Pardon?”
“We saw each other this morning. I'm Oh Jinwoo from Team 2 at the Yeongdeungpo branch. Nice to meet you.”
“Ah, yes. Hello.”
Oh Jinwoo smiled and sat down next to Taeseok.
Then he started talking about himself.
“What made you decide to apply here?”
Taeseok was about to answer Jinwoo when he remembered his senior's words.
‘Don't tell them you're a regular employee.’
So he replied.
“Ah… I just ended up here.”
“I see. Well, you made a good choice. I just started last month, and I've already made 800.”
“800? You mean 8 million won?”
“Yes. 8 million in one month. A lot, right?”
“Yes. That's amazing.”
“Let's talk more after the instructor's training is over. Our Team Leader is very eager to meet you, Taeseok.”
“He is?”
“No, let's talk later. After class.”
“Okay.”
* * *
The class continued.
The instructor passionately shared her know-how.
The first step was to start with acquaintance sales.
To rake in as much commission as possible right from the get-go.
“Everyone! Insurance is something to be proud of. When your family members get sick, what can you realistically do for them? The death benefit becomes a source of strength for your family in difficult times.”
Taeseok thought. Sell out your friends? To protect your family?
He wanted to shout.
‘Insurance? Death benefits? Tell them to cut the crap!’
When his own father died in an accident, the insurance company had made all sorts of excuses and ultimately refused to pay.
They claimed it was an accident caused by his own negligence and that the policy didn't cover such cases. Of course, that was a company from a different group, but he still had no faith in his current company, El Sung Life.
And then there was the booklet they'd handed out.
The part about the insurance products.
But now, he could also see red letters.
[Cancer treatment costs paid only for direct treatment/200,000 won daily limit]
Was it because of his ability? The flaws in every single product they explained were laid bare before him.
As soon as he walked in, Taeseok had a thought.
This wasn't something he could do.
He couldn't bring himself to do it.
But he also saw some decent products.
Auto insurance, actual expense insurance, and tax-deductible pension plans.
‘Maybe because the competition is so fierce, most of them are structured to favor the consumer. The premiums are reasonable, too. Is that why? They're weak. The commissions are set really low.’
But then, for the CI (Critical Illness) insurance, he saw a lot of red text.
Analyzing that part more closely, he could clearly see the drawbacks.
‘Does it only cover critical illnesses? The payout conditions are incredibly strict. No wonder so many people get screwed over. Just when the customer thinks they're covered, the fine print in those terms and conditions can deny the payout.’
And then there was the variable universal life insurance.
‘The operating costs on this one are way too high. And it's not really insurance; it's practically an investment product. A bait-and-switch investment product disguised with the word 'insurance.' With massive fees….’
Almost all of them were products designed to fleece customers of their money.
So, during a break, Taeseok called his mentor. He felt like the man would understand if he opened up about what he was really thinking.
“…Sir.”
- How’s the training going?
“I... I don't know what to make of any of this. I don't think this is the right fit for me.”
- Why? Because it feels like you're scamming people?
“Did you think that too, sir?”
- Of course. But there are decent products, too. Not all insurance is bad. And depending on the client's situation, a bad product can sometimes work out for the best, or it can be truly terrible. It's case by case. For now, just finish the training, and we'll talk separately afterward.
“Yes, sir.”
After hanging up, Taeseok sighed.
‘This kind of work really isn't for me.’
Meanwhile, Oh Jinwoo, who had joined at the same time, was on the phone with someone.
“Jeong-jun! Heard you got a job! Congratulations.”
- Thanks, man. Appreciate it. How've you been?
“Me? I'm doing great. I've hit the jackpot lately.”
- The jackpot? With what?
“Ah, this financial planner I know has been teaching me a lot about investing. You want to get some financial advice, too?”
- Is it insurance? I knew it. I heard you've been going around trying to sell insurance to your friends!
“Well, there's insurance, but there are also a lot of great investment products.”
- I'm good. Let's hang up. Don't call me again.
“Jeong-jun! Jo Jeong-jun! Jo Jeong-jun!”
When the person on the other end hung up, he spat on the floor and muttered to himself.
“Son of a bitch! Acting like a total piece of trash. Ah, fuck, who spread those rumors?”
When he noticed Taeseok looking at him, he spoke with an awkward expression.
“Looks like things aren't going so well.”
“It's always like this.”
“Right. Try to look on the bright side.”
“Ah! Taeseok!”
“Yes?”
“Want to partner up with me? You can meet my Team Leader and we can work together. If you just bring in your friends, we'll do the selling. I'll give you 30% of the commission. All you have to do is bring people you know. What do you say?”
He seemed desperate.
It was as if he only saw people as money.
So Taeseok shook his head and said.
“Jinwoo.”
“Yes?”
“I'm sorry. I don't make a habit of selling out my friends. And besides, I don't have any friends like that.”
“Selling them out?”
“Well, it just makes everyone feel bad, doesn't it? It's not like my friends are asking to sign up in the first place.”
“Heh, Taeseok.”
“Yes?”
“With that kind of attitude, you'll end up just like your Team Leader. It's a mistake to think he's still something special just because he was good at cold-calling back in the day. Look at him now. He's a total fool who's completely washed up.”
“Ah, Jinwoo! Let's just stop. I don't want to talk about this.”
“……”
Taeseok turned away.
And he thought.
He had made the right choice in his Team Leader.
A week later.
When the training course ended, Taeseok graduated with the highest scores among the twenty or so trainees.
And he was able to confirm once again that his judgment had been correct.
Team Leader Kim Minseong visited the Yeouido branch, holding a small bouquet of flowers.
“Taeseok! You worked hard.”
“Ah, Team Leader, what's with the bouquet between men?”
“Still, you've taken your first step. You got your certification, right?”
“Yes.”
At the same time, Oh Jinwoo was on the phone with his own Team Leader.
- Hey! You son of a bitch. You got any more friends? Bring them in! Don't you have anyone else's contact info?
“I'm sorry. My friends aren't picking up.”
- Is that all you're capable of? Call a close friend, then his friends, then his friends' friends! I'm telling you to drag them all in!
“I'm sorry, Team Leader. I'll try making more calls.”
Watching him endlessly making calls even on the last day of training, Team Leader Kim Minseong said.
“Taeseok.”
“Yes.”
“They all end up like that. If you stupidly rely on selling to acquaintances, you get used and thrown away by your superiors. Got it?”
“Ah. Yes.”
“Just trust me.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
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