10 Tips for Young Insurance Agents Just Starting Out

Posted on by Hawp Media
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  1. Dress appropriately
Just as you dress for the weekend with clothes that are comfortable, you should dress professionally at work. Dressing professionally will make you stand out and make others think you are serious about your position. It also builds confidence from the outside in. If you look like a professional, then your co-workers and customers will think the same.
  1. Find the items you have in common
When speaking with potential customers for the first time, nothing works better than to find common ground. It might be an activity you both enjoy. It could be you know someone from the same neighborhood, or it could be a job you both had as a child. Potential customers need to warm up to you to feel comfortable with you. Buying insurance is a big step for some individuals and they want to feel comfortable with you and trust you.
  1. Don’t be afraid to ask!
When working with people that are much older than you, don’t be afraid to ask about their family. Do they have a child or a grandchild you could offer products to? You need to remember; life insurance is a hard product to sell when you are just starting in the business. It comes from the experiences you have gone through with other customers, but asking them about their family, it puts them in the mindset to think about their family and their needs. This will also boost your confidence in selling.
  1. Learn from your co-workers
Your co-workers are pillars of experience you can learn from. Take the time to soak in the information they provide. Ask to sit in some of their appointments and listen to the knowledge they provide. Ask them questions. Who knows, they might even take you under their wing and teach you about the insurance profession. Remember, this is your time to learn. Listen, take notes, and always thank them for their time.
  1. Be Passionate
If you are going to dedicate your professional life to helping customers with their insurance, you will need to be passionate about the insurance profession. Have you ever heard the saying, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”? Well, I am here to tell you, this is the truth. As a young professional, you might still be wondering, “Is this the right profession for me?” If this is a question you are asking yourself, then you need to do some soul searching for what you are passionate about. Your professional life will be so much easier if you know your passions before you enter the workforce.
  1. Sell to other young people
If you have an advantage with any one group of people, it is your peers! Ask your friends to make an appointment and test your sales pitch with them. Ask them to buy insurance from you – homeowners, auto, renters, life or even business insurance. Who knows, you might even sell a policy or two! After you go through a few of these appointments, you will feel more and more confident working with people you don’t already know.
  1. Don’t ignore the power of a human connection
Social media platforms may be great for things like how to bake a pie or to keep up on your fantasy football league, but it is important to not forget about the power of a human connection. Don’t get me wrong, social media might have a place in your marketing strategy, but it is not the same as sitting down with a real-life person and having a conversation about their needs. It also goes back to acting like a professional and showing confidence.
  1. Be Prepared
If you feel like you are not catching on to how insurance works and what are the best policies for your customers, do the extra work to get there. Read books by accomplished authors on the subjects you need help with. Go to continuing education classes on the subjects you need to learn more about, and practice, practice, practice your script with a co-worker or even in front of a mirror. Nothing comes to you for free. Take the reigns and go get it.
  1. Don’t sell products because of their price
Making a huge commission on a policy you wrote for a customer is very tempting, I get it. We all want to come home and tell our spouse or significant other we sold a huge policy, and you will be receiving a huge check because of it. Wrong. Here is the bottom line – You need to sell the appropriate policy for the customer, not for your pocketbook. There is such a thing called “selling in the best interest” of the customer. Selling for your own needs will only get you into trouble. Again, sit down with the customer and listen to their needs. You are working for them, not you.
  1. Expect that success will not happen overnight
Selling insurance is a hard career to be in. There is a lot of competition in insurance. To be successful, you need to know what you are talking about; and that only comes with experience. Be patient, your time will come and, in the meantime, work hard. Learn and learn some more. Take classes to strengthen your portfolio. Watch your co-workers and listen to them, they have been in your shoes. If you do these things and more, you should be successful.