It's a bait and switch technique they use to pull in potential affiliates. Highly deceptive. "Work ethic" has nothing to do with success or failure of an affiliate, but rather the amount of money one can invest in qualified leads (at $7 to $12 each). The opening pitch and brochure given to potential employees does not mention the need to purchase leads at any point. This brochure also clearly implies employment by the company which is not at all the truth. Each affiliate is considered self employed. Successful affiliates spend "hundreds" each month on purchasing leads from the lead sales manager of each office. I do not know who actually owns the websites that develop these leads. The brochure says that "Cornerstone spends millions in developing leads...". Not mentioned is the fact that the affiliates reimburse in excess of this amount each month to cover the expense of developing qualified leads.
Further, the sales pitch used both over the phone and to potential buyers of the policies is a clear misrepresentation of the agent's affiliations. The agent is contracted by Cornerstone to sell only their policy, however, the agent is directly instructed to imply that they can offer the client any policy available in that state. Those who make the most money with this company are the ones most capable of pulling off this deception without flinching. The moment an agent mentions that they are not comfortable with the misrepresentation in the sales pitch, they are ousted from the organization.
I am more than interested in a class action lawsuit against these people, and am currently considering one on my own. Yes, there are those who make mountains of money with this organization. If you are one who feels comfortable lying to a consumer in order to make the sale, and can invest a minimum of $400 per month in purchasing leads, then I say go for it. However, if you are caught in the lie, you can lose your license and can potentially be both fined and sentenced to a prison term depending upon the state in which you have your license to sell life/health insurance.
In all fairness, the policies seem quite good on the surface, however, there are so many gray areas that I tend to wonder about the underwriting organization as well (Mid-West Life). It's the sales practice that is most bothersome and clearly illegal. I am outraged, disappointed, and regret wholeheartedly having been duped so effectively by these people. Further, having been initially led to believe that this was a "job opportunity" as opposed to a "self-employment opportunity" (which requires far more advanced planning) I can have no respect for them, and have lost faith in the health insurance business in its entirety as a result.
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