It's great that you want to be different, or at the very least not publicly bash a company repeatedly. But please don't try to recruit me on this site- bad move.

I was recently forced out of Amerpirse Financial.    This is not meant to be a gripe, a sob story, pro or anti Ameriprise... I just feel that the people who come across this board should hear my story.

I started sponsorship with Ameriprise late last year (2005).  The FVP filled me with dreams of grandeur during the cattle call I attended.  I went through the hiring process and was told several times how difficult it was going to be.  I was ready for a career change and I was just fine with difficult.  I have had times in my life when I would work over 60 hours a week, I was not afraid of the hours.  The problem was this: I didn't know anything about the industry, and therefore, I did not know what questions to ask.  
Take home: by hiring anyone who can fog a spoon, they are not risking anything! If they blow the test, oh well, it’s your time, your money, too bad.  By hiring anyone who can fog a spoon they are in a position to restrict commission payouts.  I did not find out until 2 months in that commission was capped for the first 9 months or so.  I don't believe anyone with experience would go for that.  I just didn't know what types of questions to ask, so they can get away with substandard treatment.  

I went through sponsorship. My girlfriend (whom I am still heavily in debt to) supported my broke ass for 3 f'in months.  I passed each test on the first try. I was studying hard, and I knew that at the very least, these licenses would increase my value should I decide to move on.  I attended weekly meetings where the management would hammer in the importance of coming up with Natural Market Profiles.  I was expected to come up with a min. of 75 of these profiles by my start date.   I started to realize the value of the profiles that I did come up with, and tried to devise a way to develop those relationships.  But how? Management assured me that if I use the scripts correctly, there is no way I could damage a relationship.  Hmmm.  OK.   I wanted to develop these leads, take them to lunch, and maybe introduce myself in person.  But with what money would I take them to lunch? When would I find time to meet them in person? Lack of resources combined with a manager who volunteered to burn through my extended network, on my behalf (what a sweet guy), to boil down to 2 potentially qualified prospects made for an uneasy feeling.

Time came for appointment.  This is the 10 week mark for this market group, at which time I should have sold 5 financial plans, memorized 15 pages of script, set 40+ appointments... among other things.   I had the scripts down, the 40 + appointments, and I had developed telephone and presentation skills that helped me to exceed the weekly goals.  My activity was always very high, but I was still short by 2 plans. I had a couple in the pipeline, wasn’t going to turn out to be a problem.   I had a couple of problems in my case.  The first is that I was not willing to sacrifice my network for short term results.  I was told at the career presentation that a client/advisor relationship lasts an average of 12 years.  I was not willing to sacrifice my network for short term results to appease management.   The 2nd problem in my case was my insecure young manager.  I have talked to more experienced sales persons (and lets face it, Ameriprise wants you to sell, they don’t care about your product knowledge up front) and they were each able to provide an accurate depiction of what I was up against.  
Take home: lets just group my manager in with the rest of the sales managers out there, now make it a young man, now make him awkward, now give him less than 5 years experience, now give him a poor track record for sales, now put him inside the Ameriprise business model.   Each condition adds a new level of intensity. The predatory hiring practices at this site are having a hell of a domino effect that reaches all the way to the FVP.

I thought I was doing well at Ameriprise.  I had the right attitude, a go getter, good with people.  I lost in the end because management couldn’t handle me.  Its not that I ever pissed anyone off, I was a firecracker for sure, but never crossed any line in to a bad place.  

I had high hopes, a willingness to learn, and pure hustle.  A young manager couldn’t hack it – couldn’t help me. He sucked. He couldn’t hang with another guy with more hustle, gumption, common sense.  

Ameriprise failed me.  

Revised contact info:  It seems as though my initial post was well received.  I have assisted over 30 reps with questions and concerns related to finding INDEPENDENCE.

I too am a former IDS/AEFA/Amerprise Advisor.  I was an advisor from 1987 - 1994.  I left IDS in late 1994 to join a small indepedent broker dealer.  In 2002 I sold my practice.  I wanted a new challenge and found it as a recruiter for a number of TRULY independent broker dealers.

I feel that I can be a GREAT resource for those of you that are experiencing "PAIN" in your careers at Amerprise.  

If you would like additional information or just have questions about what the TRULY independent platform is all about, don't hestitate to email me or call me directly.

I believe in INDEPENDENCE, do you?

"The Recruiter Guy"

Email:

therecruiterguy@comcast.net

Phone:  612-805-9210  Office:  715-381-6950

comsumer wrote on Sep 28^th, 2006, 12:54am:


Comsumer-

I agree with you, to a point.

As a wirehouse recruiter a big part of my job is answering questions and helping candidates with research.  If an offer is extended, then only a candidate can accept.  In fact, most of my clients won't hire a candidate who has failed to educate themselves about the position.

I am assuming, from your handle, that you're a consumer and not a broker.

As an industry insider, I can assure you that there are many experienced, successful brokers out there who also have strong opinions (positive and negative) about Ameriprise and its approach to recruiting.  This discussion isn't restricted to those that "fail".

That's exactly right--Job means you work for someone else.

I'm just confused as to why there is so much mixed reviews about the company.  

This is the coolest job in the world. A lot of people would like to do it. I work 1/2 day a lot and play golf and spend time with my family, and help a lot of people in a very important way, and make a nice living. As with everything, there is a price. In business, they call it "entry barrier". This career has high entry barriers. Ameriprise is one of the few companies that trains. This creates a lot of confusion for analytical clients who are torn between delegating and doing themselves. A lot of trainees come in with an entitlement mentality. In addition, they can become intellectually conflicted about being a professional who sells. In the end, everyone has to sell their ideas or fail. Some of the things Macca says here are true and important, others are just true. Good luck.
     

As an industry insider, I can assure you that there are many experienced, successful brokers out there who also have strong opinions (positive and negative) about Ameriprise and its approach to recruiting.  This discussion isn't restricted to those that "fail".

Well, Mr. insider, you know the stories about Merrill, MS who is bleeding brokers to Merrill, Jones, and all the rest. Some guy with an ego creates a hate site about Ameriprise, and folks buy the idea wholesale. More liberal crap from people who have a non-traditional idea of what constitutes good and evil. Maybe you too can profit from all of this somehow.