DougLAS Thompson

Doug Thompson has often said that he has never met a single soul who dreamed of being a salesperson. Doug didn’t have that dream either, but he was born to be a salesman. Before finding his calling, he worked in oil fields and as a ranch hand in Montana. He tried his hand at truck driving, manufacturing oil field equipment, construction work in Texas, and spent two years building the London Bridge in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Answering a blind newspaper ad for a “sports-minded individual” put him on this path. After asking to ride along with one of the company’s salesmen, he came back to the interview and said, “If he can do this, I can.” And he has ever since. Doug resides with his wife Shirley in Jefferson, Texas, where they purchased and restored a historic home dating to 1872 and transformed the carriage houses into a bed-and-breakfast. The couple originally moved to Jefferson with retirement in mind. But thoughts of retirement didn’t last long for Doug. His passion for improving the customer’s experience as well as the sales profession continues to drive him as he comes up with new ideas to answer this question: How can we make the sales process better? Starting out as an insurance agent going down the street knocking on doors selling accident insurance, Doug quickly moved into the management side of the life and health insurance industry, hiring and training agents to be successful doing the same. Within a short period of time, 134 Knock! Knock! his ability to build successful sale teams caught the eye of the corporate leadership of several major companies. Doug became the vice president of sales and marketing for Conseco, and was recruited to do the same for PacifiCare, UnitedHealthcare, American Republic, Tranzact, and Humana. Currently, he is the marketing director for a large national insurance wholesaler that recruits and trains insurance agents and agencies across the county, as well as continuing to build his own general agency, which offers life and health products to the senior population. He is known nationally for his innovations in the sales industry, and frequently speaks and trains on his favorite topic of sales. Doug and Shirley have four children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandkids so far. Doug is contemplating putting his earring back in. If you are interested in becoming an insurance agent or owning your own agency drop Doug a note at Doug@Thompsoninsmktg.com