It can be tricky for anyone to find the right career path. Maybe you’re new to the “real world” and trying to find an occupation that’s right for you, or maybe you’re looking for a change.
No matter the stage of life, we’re here to help you figure out if selling insurance is right for you.
It takes a lot more than simply knowing about insurance to be a successful agent. Read on to see if your personality sounds like a good fit!
Listen to this article:
Are You a People Person?
One major component of being an insurance agent is working with people. Great agents truly care about their clients and aren’t just in it for the money. If you’d like to sell Medicare plans (and we think you should), make sure you connect well with the senior population.
Enjoying working with your clients isn’t something you can fake. The best insurance agents have a strong sense of emotional intelligence as a well as a great deal of empathy. Agents succeed because they get satisfaction out of doing what’s best for their clients.
Are You Excited?
Along with being a people person, a high-energy personality is a great trait to have in this field. Let’s face it – sometimes insurance can be a little bit dull. Consider what it’s like for those buying it! Insurance lingo can be especially complicated and confusing for first-time clients. It’s your job to create excitement over the products you’re selling.
Being excited is one thing, and being genuine is another. There’s a fine line between being an earnest agent and coming across like a used car salesman. If it’s in your nature to be genuinely passionate about your role, you’ll thrive.
Do You Embrace Change?
We’ve found the insurance industry to be a stable one, but that doesn’t mean it’s static.
Rules, regulations, and plans change on a yearly and sometimes monthly basis, so it’s imperative that you can keep up. This isn’t the type of job where you’ll learn the basics and be good to go. The fundamentals are very important! But keeping up with the industry is a “must” if you want to be successful. If you have a love of learning and a real zeal for this kind of business, you will make an excellent agent.
Can You Handle Rejection?
In insurance sales, you can’t be afraid of failure. You’re not going to know everything right off the bat and you’ll probably make mistakes. That’s OK! What’s important is that you learn from them and continually move forward.
Former NFL player, Mike Ditka, said, “Success isn’t permanent and failure isn’t fatal.” Having a few failures doesn’t mean you should quit your job and having a few successes doesn’t mean you’ve got everything figured out. Every day is a learning process so use each loss (and win) to your advantage.
Additionally, great agents are resilient and know that when things don’t go as planned, they can’t take it personally. Some clients will be difficult and almost impossible to please, and that’s the nature of business.
Are You Driven?
What sets a good agent apart from a great agent is the amount of focus he or she has. It can be very easy to fall into distractions and lose motivation. The best agents know how to combat this with time management, planning, and a great deal of ambition.
Even if you don’t think your time management skills are up to par, this is definitely something you can learn. Motivated people excel at setting aside chunks of time in a day to work on specific tasks, such as returning phone calls, answering emails, or researching a new product in order to stay in line with daily to-dos.
Do You Have Good Communication Skills?
Being an effective communicator is critical in this industry. One major component of the job is interacting with people face-to-face as well as over the phone. Are you able to clearly articulate your thoughts? Can you explain complex topics in ways that your clients will understand?
Speaking to clients is one thing, but being a close listener is equally as important. If your clients tell you something, they’ll want to feel like their voice is being heard.
Additionally, written communication skills are vital. As an agent, you’ll have to write emails and maybe even letters to clients. Are your grammar skills up to par? Can you explain yourself thoroughly yet concisely in written format? Sending an email with grammatical errors and typos may make you come across as uneducated, lazy, or unprofessional, even if you’re knowledgeable on the topic you’re writing about!
Are You Patient?
We’ve heard it before: Patience is a virtue. In a field such as this, success isn’t going to come right away, which can be frustrating for some. It takes a while to learn the ins and outs of the business, and there’s always room for growth.
However, once you accept that good things take time, you’ll have a more positive attitude and less stress overall. If you think you can stick it out until you get the hang of things and not give up too easily, this might be the industry for you!
Even if you don’t quite fit these criteria, you can still give the insurance industry a shot! We’ve found that the best agents are those who know how to utilize their skills and become successful. Everyone has different talents and each agent is unique, so go ahead and give it a try!
Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.
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