What Qualities Make a Good Insurance Agent?
What makes a good insurance agent? People skills. Time management skills. Self-motivation. If you want to succeed in selling insurance, here's what to know.
Insurance agents have rewarding jobs – but not everyone can do the work! As business professionals, insurance agents need project management skills, people skills, and ultimately, the ability to thoroughly discuss insurance products with their clients. If you're considering a career in the insurance industry, it's important to know what makes a good insurance agent.
We’ve assembled a list of five qualities that make a good insurance agent:
- Self-motivation and discipline
- People skills
- Product knowledge
- Good organizational and time management skills
- Networking skills
Read on to learn more.
Develop Self-Motivation and Discipline
The bad thing about having a boss is that they tell you what to do – but that can be a good thing. Independent agents don't often have a boss to tell them what to do, which means they need a sense of self-motivation and self-discipline to stay on top of their workload.
As a professional, you may experience rejections and financial setbacks. It's vital to stay self-motivated. If your motivational drive is internal, this may be easier. If not, find other ways to motivate yourself.
Refine Your People Skills
People skills are vital for selling insurance. Having people skills can help you sense what clients need and understand when and why their mood shifts. Having strong people skills also helps you feel more comfortable talking to potential clients when they contact you about your products.
If you struggle with people skills but want to sell insurance, you can pick up these skills in your everyday life by doing the following:
- Learn to listen to the needs of others
- Be honest about your intentions and thoughts during daily interactions
- Force yourself to talk to others and step outside your comfort zone
Expand Your Product Knowledge
Insurance products are complicated – and your clients need you to explain how each one works, so they can decide which product is best. Product knowledge is critical for selling insurance and answering questions for existing customers who have questions about claims.
Product knowledge doesn't come without studying and hard work. To learn about the various insurance products you sell, you may need to set aside time each day to beef up your knowledge.
Establish Good Organizational and Time Management Skills
Having good organizational and time management skills makes life easier when you're self-employed. On any given day, you'll face many demands on your time. You'll need to have the skills to prioritize your activities to get the work done as efficiently as possible.
If you don't feel like you have good organizational and time management skills, never fear! Many professionals take classes or read books and articles on time management to become efficient.
In a hurry? Try these:
- A day planner can help set aside time for specific tasks
- Don't multitask
- Work on one project at a time
Boost Your Networking Skills
Strong networking skills help you find clients and get to know your peers. Knowing other insurance agents gives you someone to bounce ideas off of, making it easier to solve everyday problems.
If you're not naturally good at networking, you can develop your networking skills by joining an insurance cluster. Insurance clusters make it much easier to meet other insurance agents. This creates a natural sounding board so that you can sort the good ideas from the bad.
Be the Best Agent You Can Be - Join Voldico
Being an insurance agent is challenging and satisfying at the same time. This type of work gets even more satisfying when you've got the tools to make your business a success. When you join an insurance cluster, you'll gain access to top insurance carriers, connect with industry professionals, and access the many tools Voldico provides to members.
To learn more about joining Voldico, contact us today.
