How to Succeed as an Insurance Agent


 

What does it take to succeed as an insurance agent? That’s what everyone who’s just passed their insurance test is thinking about, and for good reason. Insurance sales is a competitive field. To succeed in it, you need to know what to expect. With that in mind, we’ve put together some helpful tips for new insurance agents on what it takes to succeed as an insurance agent.

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Make Things Easier for Your Clients

Succeeding as an insurance agent requires demonstrating the value of your service to customers. The easiest way to prove your worth to your clients is to make buying an insurance policy – and understanding it – as easy as possible. The details of insurance policies and regulations can be complex and hard to understand for laypeople. When consumers are confused, they look to industry representatives (in this case, their insurance agent) to make things simple for them. If an insurance agent can’t do that, then their customers get frustrated and lost, which will almost always sink a sale.

Be Suspicious

Paranoia usually isn’t considered a healthy attitude, but, for insurance agents, being a little paranoid can pay off. When an insurance agent assumes that everything is going just fine, they aren’t mentally prepared for when things go wrong; and, eventually, something always goes wrong. If you don’t want to be blindsided by the sudden departure of a client or another agent grabbing a big sale out from under your nose, then you need to be prepared for those things to happen. Dwelling on the negative all the time never helps, but being open to the possibility of bad things happening gives you the time to prepare for them when they do.

Challenge Assumptions

It’s easy to rely on assumptions, but it’s also dangerous. Assuming you know what a client wants rather than doing the work to find out is a great way to alienate a customer, and thus lose a sale. There’s a difference between relying on instincts and not doing the legwork. Don’t just assume that a customer wants or needs something – ask them questions to find out, and then you’ll know for sure.

Find What You Do Best

Insurance is a big market, which means there’s lots of opportunities for an enterprising agent to find their niche and make money. To do this, however, you need to take the time to figure out what you do best, and how those skills fit in with those exploitable niches. Maybe you do your best work when pitching one specific insurance plan, or selling to one particular customer demographic. Find out what it is you do best, and then use that to provide a better level of service than your competitors.

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Be Flexible

You’ve probably heard the saying, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” In this case, the saying might as well be “No plan survives first contact with the customer.” Every customer is different, which means every sale will be different. Planning and strategizing are useful ways to prepare for a sale, but being unable to deviate from a plan once you’ve set your mind on it only limits your options and keeps you from being flexible enough to respond to customer demand.

Want to become an insurance agent? America’s Professor’s online insurance test prep classes will help you get there. Call us today at 800-870-3130.

 

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