Insurance Sales Agents
Sell life, property, casualty, health, automotive, or other types of insurance. May refer clients to independent brokers, work as an independent broker, or be employed by an insurance company.
Sample of reported job titles:
Insurance Agent, Insurance Broker, Insurance Sales Agent, Sales Agent, Sales Associate, Sales Representative, Underwriting Sales Representative
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Call on policyholders to deliver and explain policy, to analyze insurance program and suggest additions or changes, or to change beneficiaries.
- Calculate premiums and establish payment method.
- Customize insurance programs to suit individual customers, often covering a variety of risks.
- Sell various types of insurance policies to businesses and individuals on behalf of insurance companies, including automobile, fire, life, property, medical and dental insurance, or specialized policies, such as marine, farm/crop, and medical malpractice.
- Interview prospective clients to obtain data about their financial resources and needs, the physical condition of the person or property to be insured, and to discuss any existing coverage.
Technology Skills
- Calendar and scheduling software:Scheduling software
- Customer relationship management CRM software:Allied Financial Software Act4Advisors,Applied Systems Vision,Benefits Technology Group SalesLogix,CPU Tracker Software CPU Tracker,E-Z Data SmartOffice,Fiserv FSC Manager,Hoffman Computer Systems Amsoft,Infospectrum Quick Insure,InStar Orion,Insurance Systems WebWriter BackOffice,Insurance Technologies ForeSight Enterprise,Tangle S Creations Your Insurance Office
- Data base user interface and query software:Insurance Technology Consultants WOW
- Document management software:Allstar Software Systems Kofax
- Electronic mail software:Microsoft Outlook
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Getting Information:Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Selling or Influencing Others:Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
- Working with Computers:Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work:Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Detailed Work Activities
- Attend events to develop professional knowledge.
- Calculate costs of goods or services.
- Customize financial products or services to meet customer needs.
- Develop marketing plans or strategies.
- Develop professional relationships or networks.
Work Context
- Telephone:100% responded"Every day"
- Electronic Mail:100% responded"Every day"
- Deal With External Customers:99% responded"Extremely important"
- Face-to-Face Discussions:93% responded"Every day"
- Frequency of Decision Making:84% responded"Every day"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Reading Comprehension:Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking:Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Persuasion:Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service:Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Sales and Marketing:Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- English Language:Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics:Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Law and Government:Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 16%Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
- 15%High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
- 15%Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
- 8%Some College Courses
- 7%Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension:The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression:The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension:The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Speech Clarity:The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition:The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Interests
- Enterprising:Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Conventional:Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Social:Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Work Values
- Independence:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Relationships:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Achievement:Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Work Styles
- Integrity:Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Independence:Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Achievement/Effort:Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
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