Relationships evolve, both personal and professional, Gary McIntosh said as he reflected on the 50 years since he opened an insurance business in Iola.
In the past 50 years, hes sold life and health insurance to customers throughout the region. His daughter, Susan Booth, joined the business 25 years ago. McIntosh is retired now, but still offers advice and support.
Much has changed over those 50 years, he said, but the foundations of relationships hes built with customers, community members and family still stand.
A good salesman has repeat customers, he said. Our relationship with people is different than other relationships. If youve treated them nice, especially when theyve had deaths in the family, theyre going to trust you.
And though her father isnt involved in the day-to-day operation of the business anymore, Booth still sees his legacy in her work. She sees his influence in the way she interacts with clients, fellow agents, community leaders and even her own family members.
She especially sees his impact as she works with some of his original clients, area residents who bought policies from McIntosh in their early 20s. Theyre older now and collecting on those policies.
For example, she recently delivered a benefit check to someone who hadnt known their loved one had even purchased a life insurance policy. The gratification from that survivor reminded her of her dads primary philosophy: Do good for others and it will come back to you.
My whole life, hes always stressed to be community driven. If you can do that, everything will work out, Booth said. He still checks in every day. To this day, he still comes up with new ideas.
MCINTOSH was a born salesman. He was among the youngest of seven children, and his parents also raised his five cousins.
When youre the next to youngest in a big family, you better be in sales because you cant outrun anybody, he said.
He sold pecans and walnuts to neighbors to help his family. When he was in first grade, he sold gooseberries to a neighbor who gave him the nickname Gusty because he wasnt big enough to be Windy.
In high school, he set the school record for magazine sales.
He supported himself through college by selling pots and pans door-to-door. He sold his blood for $37.50 a pint to make money to travel from mortuary school at Dallas back to visit his mom in Kansas. He sold his wisdom teeth to a dental college for $1 per tooth.
Thats what you do when youre working your way through school, he explained in a matter-of-fact way.
McIntosh became a mortician, a business that frequently put him in contact with life insurance salesmen. It didnt take many funerals to convince him of the importance of a good life insurance policy to pay for those final expenses and protect loved ones left behind.
Selling life insurance appealed to the salesman in him. Hed be out there, yellow pencil and notepad in hand, helping people.
