Insurance Sales Agent Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an insurance sales agent. You can use our job description template in this article to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an insurance sales agent.
Who is an Insurance Sales Agent?
An insurance sales agent is the middleman between the insurance company and the consumer. Some brokers specialize in insurance, such as car, home, health, or life insurance, or offer multiple various forms of coverage. Insurance Agents are responsible for discovering sales possibilities for insurance products and monitoring a portfolio of customers. Also known as Insurance Sales Agents, these individuals are responsible for establishing risk management strategies, administering policy renewals, and monitoring claims.
Insurance sales agents and representatives visit with customers, establish their insurance requirements, and then propose plans and coverage choices to satisfy those needs.
An insurance salesperson must be competent in verbal and written communication and relationship-building. They must establish and manage a network of prospects for new policies, and convince current customers to renew their insurance contracts. Also, applicants must receive licensure from their state to sell insurance.
Insurance sales representatives sell insurance policies. They market their product to new customers, building their customer base and maintaining touch with individuals they have previously sold to. They gather information about consumers who are interested in obtaining insurance and provide the products best suit their requirements.
Humankind is delicate, and insurance may cover every sector of life. Marriage and divorce, having a kid or purchasing a home, accidents, new companies, or children going to college all provide cause to be anxious. History has seen individuals purchase insurance in case they died of too much laughing at the movies. Your employment will not likely go out of demand if this is the route you chose.
Insurance sales agents market a range of insurance goods and services. They reply to inquiries, offer rate estimates, and explain insurance types and coverage details. They draft policies and help consumers in signing up for coverage, assuring customers pick insurance that will match their requirements. They give advice and direction and recommend packages that combine different insurance kinds for the best savings and complete coverage. Agents also give continuing assistance and counseling for current clients and may help with the filing of claims.
Insurance sales agents frequently have a bachelor’s degree in a business subject and often have an experience in insurance or sales jobs. These positions also frequently entail licensing requirements. An in-depth understanding of insurance fundamentals and laws is useful. Strong sales ability and solid communication skills are also a benefit. Insurance sales agents are responsible for selling insurance plans to consumers and companies. They deal with several different clientele, from individual consumers to major organizations, and they must be able to change their approach appropriately. In addition to selling policies, insurance sales representatives often offer vital customer support by answering concerns about current policies or helping consumers submit claims when required.
Insurance Sales Agent Job Description
Below are the insurance sales agent job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. The employer can use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of an insurance sales agent include the following;
- Provide consumers with information about coverage alternatives, including plans for life, car, home, business, health, and disability.
- Explain policy advantages and coverage information to clients who are interested in acquiring insurance goods.
- Sell insurance goods such as car insurance, home insurance, or life insurance to people or companies.
- Help customers identify possible hazards or calculate coverage levels based on their demands.
- Prepare applications for new policies and contracts, as well as modify current policies to ensure they are still fit for the client’s requirements.
- Sell insurance plans to people or companies via face-to-face meetings or phone conversations.
- Quote prices and conditions of coverage to potential customers and aid them with picking relevant coverages.
- Explain coverage limitations and policy exclusions to consumers who buy insurance plans.
- Interact with customers to offer information about their insurance and address any queries regarding claims or billing difficulties.
- Calculate dividends and set payment methods.
- Establish a collaborative connection with potential customers from numerous sources such as networking, cold calling, and referrals.
- Distribute insurance profits when a claim is lodged and authorized.
- Recommend risk management techniques that meet customers’ particular risk profiles.
- Prepare and give thorough reports on the progress of initiatives to management.
- Complete administrative activities including keeping records and arranging insurance renewals.
- Track insurance claims to guarantee customer and corporate satisfaction.
- Describe the pros and drawbacks of various policies to encourage the sale of insurance products.
- Create and execute marketing plans to compete with other people or insurance businesses.
- Respond to clients’ insurance-related concerns and difficulties.
- Work to set and fulfill marketing targets.
- Use a customer-focused, needs-based assessment process to educate clients about insurance alternatives.
- Prepare (trim, crisp, package, weigh, etc.) all items according to defined standards and quality objectives.
- Greet and help clients with finding and choosing merchandise.
- Meet and exceed sales targets via new product sales, cross-selling, and retention of existing customers.
- Receive client payments, issue receipts, and check balance/daily reports of receipts for cash drawers.
- Develop leads, arrange appointments, assess consumer requirements, and promote relevant goods and services.
- Provide general clerical and administrative assistance to employees including processing incoming and outgoing phone calls, reporting, filing, researching and collecting information, and maintaining, the overall look of the sales office.
- Remain current in product modifications, licensing, technological innovations, and continuous education.
- Monitor important rivals in the local market region and offer ideas on efforts that might boost position in the marketplace.
- Provide the chance for dedicated people to get industry experience working in a sales and customer service capacity while preparing and training to become licensed.
- Develop product knowledge in numerous areas of the department.
- Team together with co-workers to provide excellent customer service.
- Strive for productive connections to establish a pool of possible customers from numerous sources through networking, cold contacting, leveraging recommendations, etc.
- Prepare and transmit information to consumers and lien holders.
- Develop marketing strategies and promote any sort of new insurance contracts or advise additions/changes to current ones.
- Stay apprised and informed on product availability for the team from both current and prospective sources.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business, or a comparable subject.
- A minimum of 3 years experience in insurance sales or related functions.
- In-depth understanding of the numerous kinds of insurance programs including auto, house, and business.
- Outstanding interpersonal and bargaining abilities.
- Proficient with computers and statistical analysis software.
- Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
Essential Skills
- Negotiation: Negotiation is the process of obtaining an agreement between two parties. Insurance sales agents employ negotiating skills when they meet with customers to discuss their insurance requirements and evaluate what sort of coverage would be best for them. For example, if a customer has low deductibles on their existing plans, an insurance salesperson may propose raising their deductible to minimize their monthly costs.
- Policy Review: Policies and processes might change over time, so it’s crucial for insurance sales agents to be up-to-date on the newest developments. This guarantees businesses can present clients with correct information about company rules and any revisions that may affect them in the future. It also helps customers comprehend how various products function together and what sorts of coverage are offered.
- Product Knowledge: Insurance sales professionals need to have a deep grasp of the items they offer. This involves understanding how each product operates, what sorts of clients would be interested in it, and any specific features or constraints that apply. Having good product knowledge may help you give prospective customers information about their insurance requirements and make more educated suggestions.
- Contract Negotiation: Insurance sales agents typically negotiate contracts with customers to conclude the sale of a product. This entails negotiating pricing, coverage, and other terms of the contract. Having great negotiating abilities might help you complete more business and earn bigger commissions. You may also utilize your bargaining abilities while engaging with insurance firms on claims.
- Presentation Skills: Presentation abilities are the capacity to convey complicated issues in a manner that is simple for others to grasp. Insurance sales personnel typically employ their presenting abilities while selling insurance products and advantages to consumers. This might assist them to guarantee they give correct information and boost consumer satisfaction with their service.
- Organization: Organization is the capacity to keep track of information and files. Insurance sales reps may have several papers connected to insurance plans, including applications, contracts, client records, and other documentation. Keeping them structured might help you discover the proper information quickly when required. It’s also crucial to be organized in your work environment so that you can locate files or other things fast.
- Closing Sales: Closing sales is the process of enticing a consumer to purchase a product or service. Insurance professionals employ closing skills when they attempt to pitch consumers on purchasing insurance coverage. For example, if a consumer asks about how much it would cost to repair their vehicle after an accident, an insurance professional can explain that getting auto insurance would save them money in case of an accident and urge the customer to purchase a policy.
- Prospecting: Prospecting is the process of seeking prospective customers. Insurance sales employees utilize this expertise to discover consumers who need insurance and may profit from their company’s services. This entails investigating firms that provide comparable goods, finding prospective clients, and reaching out to them. It also involves remaining up-to-date on industry developments so you know what sorts of plans are available and how they function.
How to Become an Insurance Sales Agent
- Earn a bachelor’s degree: While a high school diploma is theoretically the sole prerequisite for an insurance sales representative, most organizations prefer that insurance salespeople obtain a college degree. Aspiring insurance agents might consider pursuing courses in business, economics, or finance to be more successful in selling insurance as a product. They may also desire to study marketing or psychology to become better at advertising their insurance products and selling them. Some schools and universities offer courses in insurance or risk management that educate students about insurance theory, security analysis, and the fundamental concepts of risk management. A major in risk management and insurance or business with an emphasis on risk management is extremely important if you want to become an underwriter.
- Complete prerequisites for licensure: Every state has its standards for acquiring licensure, however, you are normally needed to hold a license for each category in which you want to sell insurance. You may be needed to undergo classroom instruction or perform a self-study and achieve a minimum number of hours. You may also be needed to furnish fingerprints and submit information for a background check.
- Obtaining licensure: Every state will need you to pass a license test that certifies your understanding of state insurance regulations and insurance principles that are unique to the kind of insurance you will be selling. Depending on the sort of insurance you are selling, you may be required to possess a Series 6 or Series 7 securities registration.
- Pursue a job: If you intend to operate as an independent insurance agent in an office with other agents, you’ll likely get on-the-job training while you work alongside other more experienced agents before looking for customers of your own. You may also wish to seek a job with a certain insurance firm as a captive agent.
Where to Work as an Insurance Sales Agent
Insurance sales representatives normally work in an office setting, however, some may work from home. They normally work a conventional 40-hour week, however, they may work extra hours to meet with customers or attend seminars and training sessions. Some insurance sales representatives may travel to meet with customers or to attend conferences. Insurance sales representatives may face times of extreme stress while meeting deadlines or working on difficult deals.
Insurance Sales Agent Salary Scale
The average insurance sales agent in the United Kingdom is £25,000 per year or £12.82 per hour. Entry-level positions start at £21,500 per year while most experienced workers make up to £40,000 per year.
The average insurance sales agent in Canada is $47,500 per year or $24.36 per hour. Entry-level occupations start at $40,000 per year, while most experienced professionals earn up to $78,000 per year.
The average insurance sales agent in Australia is $68,000 per year or $34.87 per hour. Entry-level occupations start at $68,000 per year, while most experienced professionals earn up to $87,750 per year.
The average insurance sales agent in Ireland is €29,250 per year or €15 per hour. Entry-level occupations start at €24,000 per year, while most experienced professionals earn up to €48,285 each year.