Born in Zurich in September 1989, he attends compulsory school and does an apprenticeship as a waiter. Soon, however, he realises that his greatest wish is to work in sales. He decides to change his field of work radically when he comes into contact for the first time with the insurance world. If at first he remains very fascinated by this environment, he soon discovers that he wants to keep looking for his ideal occupation and ends up in a call centre, where he goes far. Shortly afterwards he manages more than seven people, but leaves the job to go back to studying. He enrols at the commercial technical college, after which he resumes his professional career at another insurance company. After a few years, he puts himself on the line again and ventures into a new challenge, throwing himself into the world of organising events and shows. He plans and brings to life numerous Italian cabaret and concert dates. He rides the wave of Italian cabaret comedians and brings the shows of “Zelig” and “Made in Sud” to Zurich for the first time. After six years of activity with CT Event Management, however, Carmelo feels nostalgic for a different job, perhaps for a return to the past. After all, if it is true that you never forget your first love, he decides to go back to working in the insurance world. Helped by an acquaintance of his, he is reintroduced into the well-known sector of policies, where he immediately takes off and where, to this day, he has been working for almost three years now.
Are you happy to have left the world of events and immersed yourself in the insurance field? “I'm very happy, yes, but I don't want to say that I have completely given up concerts, because it remains a world that keeps fascinating me. Let's say that at Allianz I have found the right balance: I take care of contact with people, I can be very flexible when it comes to working hours, in the office I'm supported by a formidable team and I have an exceptional boss who acts as my mentor.”
How has your life changed since you no longer organise Italian concerts and shows? “Aren't you at the centre of attention any more, as before? “In a certain sense I still am, since when I visit a client I have all of their attention anyway. Stopping organising events has made me more independent and even more self-confident. The uncertainties you have as a ‘promoter’ are endless and ever-present. The singer can fall ill, get hurt on the way from the hotel to the stage or even, if they feel like being difficult, change their mind and not perform. A cruel side of shows known only to insiders. It goes without saying that, on the other hand, seeing your own concert come true after months of expectation and hard work is truly very rewarding. You are literally swept away by the tide of success, which sometimes leads to becoming addicted to it, so you want to organise another event, and then another and then another again. In any case my life has changed for the better, in the sense that I lead a more regular life and try, day after day, to perfect my relationships with clients.”
When did you realise you had made the right choice in moving to Allianz? “When I realised I was good at the consultant's job, that is, when I saw both my clients and my boss satisfied, then I understood I had taken the right path. And in any case, I had always been drawn to this big name that is Allianz, which today is one of the largest insurance companies in the world, which is why I trust the products I sell, and so does the client the products he buys. Moreover, being a native Italian speaker, I find it interesting to be able to draw on a vast network of contacts provided by my agency, thanks to which every day I have the pleasure of meeting new clients interested in our services, looking for a consultant who speaks Italian and German.”
What was your first sales experience at Allianz like? “Honestly, it was terrible, because in 2018 I found myself facing my very first client, a very combative person who tormented me with every kind of question. Being a beginner, alas, I didn't manage to win him over, so I lost him. After this first unpleasant experience the ice was broken and I began to sign contracts. What further strengthened my personality afterwards were also the numerous exams taken at Allianz, which I passed with excellent marks. This gave me greater inner stability. All of a sudden I felt more competitive and, as time went by, I acquired more and more know-how. About three years on, I feel able to handle the vast majority of a client's issues with ease: put me to the test!”
Which products and services are most in demand? “Given that Allianz's solutions are truly numerous and cover almost the entirety of insurance both for the individual and for the company, at the moment the third pillar, that is life insurance, is a hot and much-discussed topic, since, according to the most recent studies, in Switzerland the first pillar will be almost non-existent, while the second pillar will flatten out more and more. There are therefore many requests for advice on this subject, and I increasingly notice the same constant, namely the astonishment of those directly concerned when they then exclaim: ‘what a pity I didn't find out much earlier’. What I always say is that, to make the most of the third pillar, you have to leverage age, that is the number of years an individual can contribute, but let me explain it to you better at your home, as the Sicilian that I am, perhaps over a good Italian coffee. Other services that are always very topical and much in demand are home insurance, legal protection and car insurance. For these insurances too, Allianz offers the best benefits, absolutely in line with the demands of the market.”
Can you explain how one of your consultations works and why choose you? “Let's start from the premise that I mostly operate in the areas of Zurich, Aargau, Frick, Basel, Lucerne and St. Gallen, and that I address both existing clients, that is those who want to add a further insurance, and people who contact me because they are interested in receiving advice. The first thing I do is make a phone call, and I want to point out straight away that in covid times people more than appreciated a call from me, because they were at home and had both the time to talk on the phone and the folder with their insurance policies within reach. Already during the call, I try to understand what problems the client has and the respective coverage they want or have in mind to obtain. Once this is clear, an appointment is made at home or in the office, where I then explain in detail all the points set out in the desired quote. Sometimes the client wants to proceed directly by post, so there is not even any need for the visit, as in the case of some English clients who ask for correspondence in English, or clients from Lugano who, because of the distance, do not necessarily seek the meeting. To the question “why choose me”, I simply reply that within five years I would like to take on the role of sales director, still at Franco Carbotti's agency, where, as I mentioned earlier, I feel very much at ease and wish to stay. We are a close-knit team, superbly orchestrated by my boss. He has taught me a great deal and motivates me day by day, even when there are sometimes rather quiet periods, such as in summer when people are rightly on holiday. Besides work advice, he also calls me out when I work too much, inviting me to switch off and go and do some sport to recharge. All this to say that in me you can find a trustworthy person, who knows the trade well and who is determined to continue on the path as an insurer in a lasting way at the same agency.”
Carmelo Taglialegami
carmelo.taglialegami@allianz-suisse.ch
Call now for a quick and free consultation in Italian and/or German:
058 357 25 43 or 076 575 69 23
Allianz Suisse
Generalagentur Franco Carbotti
Flurstrasse 4, 8048 Zürich
Switzerland
www.tuttoitalia.ch/carmelo-taglialegami
