Northwestern Mutual – “50/50 - a harder sell during tough economic times”

Pros

Decent managers generally speaking (depends on your location), solid in their niche of the market, good reputation in most scenarios

Cons

Zero salary incentive,
Not as well known publically as some of the competitors in many of the potential markets.
Conservative marketing approach most of the time.
Some political pandering within the sales ranks.
At this time, a lot of prospective clients don't have much to contribute to their future financial planning

Advice to Senior Management

Increase marketing efforts, loosen your tie a bit :)