Hone your people skills and you'll be a successful insurance sales professional.
The subject of insurance can be unsettling. People worry about health coverage, debate how much car insurance is enough, and express concern about amassing enough life insurance to help families after death. Given the sensitive nature of the business, your success in insurance sales will depend a great deal on your people skills. To prepare for your future, learn your trade, hone your compassion and understand what it takes to walk in the shoes of your clients.
Instructions
1. Obtain the best education possible. Take psychology, human behavior and marketing classes to learn target your market and reach people. A degree in finance, economics or business administration makes a great starting point. Many universities offer insurance-specific curricula and classes on the art of sales. Get in on industry-related workshops, seminars and niche-specific symposia on a variety of subjects. Intern with an insurance agency, or an insurance brokerage house, to see whether or not you like the work once you receive your license.
2. Specialize in one type of insurance sales when starting out. Decide what specialty makes you the most comfortable. If, for example, a higher-than-average number of rejections don't bother you, and you have no problem delivering death benefits, a career in life insurance sales makes a good fit. However, starting out as a specialist doesn't mean you can't eventually sell every type of coverage under the sun down the road, as you strive to succeed.
3. Affiliate with a top-notch company. Not only will you enjoy having a prestigious insurance company's name on your business card, but you'll work with the best supervisors and managers as you build a successful career. It's important to affiliate with a company that's rated highly by A. M. Best Company, a credit rating organization that's assigned high-to-low ratings to all insurance companies since 1899.
4. Expect competition to be daunting; the field of insurance sales attracts a lot of people, not all of whom are equipped to sell policies. Develop multiple tools to land sales and clients. Encourage word-of-mouth referrals, make cold calls (on average, at least two hours a day), mine connections with relatives, friends and social acquaintances. Use the internet, social networking sites and online, commercial lead-generation sources like QuotesAuction for real time, quality leads. These sites aren't free, but the data you receive -- in the form of qualified leads and account management services -- can be worth the expenditure in your quest for success.
5. Update your skills, education and professional standing continually. Keep your insurance sales license current, comply with state licensing classes and exams and seek certifications to build your reputation and credibility. Contact organizations like The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research to locate continuing education opportunities. Get to the top of your professional mountain by attaining a prestigious credential like Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU).
