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Insurance agents are often seen as the average person’s contact inside the insurance company. Agents are responsible for assisting people in finding the correct insurance policy, as well as helping them to file claims, should an emergency arise. It can be a tough but rewarding job for insurance agents who are dedicated to helping their customers navigate the sometimes tricky world of insurance legal-speak.
The Life of an Insurance Agent
Just as there are different forms of insurance, there are different types of insurance agents. Some insurance agents deal mainly with automobile and home owner’s insurance, while others deal primarily in life and health insurance.
| The types of policies you'll work with depend on what company you represent and what types of coverage they provide. However, insurance brokers often mix and match different types of insurance policies to best fit their clients, so you'll still need to be familiar with all the different types of insurance available today. |
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Sometimes, an insurance agent will also need to be able to sell financial planning items like mutual funds, annuities, and other retirement options. In most states, you'll be required to obtain a special license or pass a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) exam to qualify to provide these products. More and more insurance companies – primarily life insurance carriers –are starting to carry these items to provide a one-stop shopping experience so that clients will feel comfortable dealing with an agent they know and trust for more of their financial needs.
Generally insurance agents work out of their offices; however, sometimes they are required to travel in order to assess or finalize claims. Most of the work that insurance agents do involves preparing claims, reports, and new insurance write-ups for new and established clients. It's important for people who want to become insurance agents to be very detail orientated and experienced in customer service, since the legal terminology in insurance policies can be very complicated. There will be days when your clients are upset about their coverage or experiencing problems with their insurance companies and claims, and you'll need to know how to deal with them effectively in these high stress situations.
Also, it's important to remember that one of your primary jobs as an insurance agent is to sell insurance. For many people, the phrase "insurance agent" conjures up images of slick salespeople, bound and determined to get you to sign on the bottom line. As an insurance agent, you'll have to counteract these stereotypes, while still trying to convince a potential client that the product you're offering is the best for their needs. If you aren't yet comfortable in your sales skills, you may need to take a class in selling principles to be successful in the field.
Insurance agents hold versatile positions, so you'll need to be able to multi-task and function within certain parameters. It can be difficult to try and explain to someone the legal intricacies that surround so much of the insurance claims process, and you may have times when you find yourself getting flustered or overwhelmed by the amount of questions a client may ask. This is where having good customer relations skills also comes in handy. Despite some of the difficulties that are typically associated with the job, most people who work as insurance agents find that they honestly enjoy helping their clients to ensure that their assets are protected..
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