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Newsroom Faith and Hard Work Equal Success by Ronald F. Spindel
Hard work, persistence, and other MDRT members believing in him brought 20-year MDRT member Donald J. Benedetti of Yardville, New Jersey, more success in the insurance industry than even he anticipated. In 1960, Benedetti enrolled in Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, at his father's urging, to be an engineer. After two years, however, he realized that engineering wasn't for him and dropped out of school. He chose to go into banking because he wanted an office job. Benedetti worked for 10 years at the Trenton Trust Company bank, in Trenton, New Jersey, where he rose to assistant branch manager. In 1971 he left the bank when the late William P. Watson, CLU, of Pennington, New Jersey, offered him a job at Farm Family Life Insurance. "There's a lot of prestige in bank jobs, but not a lot of money," said Benedetti, who took the job selling life insurance because he liked the idea of the unlimited income potential in that field. "I stumbled into life insurance just like I did banking," he said. Watson became both Benedetti's agency manager and his mentor. Watson "was an MDRT member and a very nice man who must have thought he saw something in me that would make a good life insurance salesman," said Benedetti. "It was a struggle in the beginning," admitted Benedetti. He went to visit a prospect with Watson. The prospect was Benedetti's friend, and he anticipated that he would be able to close the deal because he was offering an inexpensive combination policy with some whole life and some decreasing term insurance. When he couldn't close the sale, Benedetti thought that selling life insurance might not be for him. Watson didn't see it that way. Instead he handed Benedetti a completed life application and asked him to sign it. "He was giving me business to boost my spirit," Benedetti said. That act of faith saved his career. "When he gave me that case it made me feel responsible and feel a commitment to pay him back," he said. Together, Watson and Benedetti would work long hours that, in the end, would pay off for both of them. "He really taught me how to work hard," Benedetti said. That year, in November 1973, he made top rookie of the year for New Jersey and had the third highest sales total in the company. Benedetti's success has continued. He has led Farm Family in life insurance sales seven times, including this past year. President and Chief Executive Officer of Farm Family, Philip P. Weber, said, "Don's production is one obvious reason why he is a leader among his fellow agents, both in Farm Family and within the industry." The MDRT years Benedetti went to his first MDRT Annual Meeting in 1981 in New York, New York, which he almost didn't attend. The Annual Meeting was close to where he lived, but he he was busy painting his new house. At the last minute, Benedetti decided to go to the meeting. Benedetti said after going to the Annual Meeting and hearing legends such as the late Ben Feldman, CLU, of East Liverpool, Ohio, speak, he was hooked. "When you go to Annual Meetings you get to see old friends, to rub elbows with people who are successful. The Annual Meeting really motivates you to keep on qualifying for MDRT. The friends you make through the Annual Meeting expect to see you at the next meeting, and so you have to qualify to go," he said. This was especially true in 1991. That year Benedetti was invited by the Program General Arrangements Committee to be the director of the Supermarket (now the Power Center) Task Force at the Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was honored, but he was behind target for qualifying for MDRT that year. Benedetti sent a letter to MDRT explaining that he couldn't do it. MDRT sent a letter back congratulating him on becoming director. His fellow MDRT members had faith that he would qualify. He worked harder than ever to qualify for MDRT that year and made it. Giving back Benedetti has participated in the MDRT Foundation's Phonathon for 10 years, and he was the 1998 Phonathon Chair. He currently serves on the Foundation's Board of Trustees. "I'm fortunate to have been successful, so it's important to give something back," he said. Benedetti's other charity work includes fundraising for his church, including using his beachfront condominium in Sanibel Island, Florida, and money for travel expenses as a raffle prize. He bought the condo in 1985 and goes there three to four times a year, from one week to one month at a time. While there, he and his wife, Barbara, spend time relaxing on the beach, bike riding, walking and enjoying great seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. Each November, he invites a group of fellow agents to the condo where they take part in a study group, as well as a vacation. Looking ahead As part of Farm Family, Benedetti sells life and property and casualty insurance. Farm Family never offered variable products, so this area was not open to Farm Family agents. That will change when the organization becomes part of American National and Benedetti will have even more to keep him busy. "Although," noted Benedetti, "selling life and property and casualty insurance is a full menu for an agent." Benedetti has been married to Barbara since 1971 and they have three sons; Richard, 27; Michael, 23; and David, 19. From a previous marriage he has two children, Denise, 35, and Don Jr., 33. His son Michael also works in the insurance industry, although not in the same office. Benedetti also has five grandchildren.
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Ronald
F. Spindel of Virginia Beach, Virginia, is an 18-year MDRT member and
a Foundation Knight. Spindel has served on numerous committees and was
most recently a member of the 2000 MDRT Public Relations Committee.