How to Become a Good Insurance Agent? Check out the Tips

Did you know that insurance agents are one of the professions that have promising prospects? This profession is not much talked about, but it has various advantages that can support your professional life such as flexibility, bonuses, and career path.

Insurance agents have higher flexibility of working time compared to office workers in general. Insurance agents can adjust their work schedules depending on the needs of customers and prospective customers. In terms of income, this job also provides many benefits through competitive income and commissions earned based on how much policy can be sold each year.

Working in the insurance sector also has the potential to develop in the future due to the high growth of the domestic insurance industry. According to data compiled by Mordor Intelligence, the average growth rate per year of a certain time (CAGR) of the insurance industry in Indonesia reaches 7.7%. This is because of the increasing number of middle-class people who realize the importance of insurance for life protection. If you are interested in understanding more about the insurance agent profession, see more in the following article.

Acquaintance with the Insurance Agent Profession

The definition of an insurance agent according to the Financial Services Authority (OJK) is "a person who works alone or works for a business entity, who acts on behalf of an Insurance Company or Sharia Insurance Company and meets the requirements to represent an Insurance Company or Sharia Insurance Company". Meanwhile, according to the KBBI, curation agents refer to representatives of insurance companies who seek, collect, and serve policyholders.

Before starting a career as an insurance agent, there are several requirements that you need to meet. This qualification is stated in OJK regulation No.69/POJK.05/2016, including:

Have an agency certificate following their field of business

Registered with the Financial Services Authority and associations under business fields such as the Indonesian General Insurance Association (AAUI) and the Indonesian Life Insurance Association (AAJI)

As well as, complying with the code of ethics established by the association and the insurance company where it is sheltered.

The work of an insurance agent has a lot to do with marketing and sales. The agent becomes a bridge between the insurance company and prospective customers. In this profession, you will spend most of your time interacting with potential customers or existing customers, introducing insurance products according to your needs, and providing offers. What is no less important than the insurance agent profession is that this job is humanist, not just for profit-seeking but can have a social impact on the surroundings. By providing enlightenment about financial planning, you can maintain your financial condition in the event of life risks. In addition, insurance agents also have comprehensive knowledge related to the insurance products offered. Well, this product knowledge is a very important asset to be able to provide product recommendations according to the needs of potential customers.

Tips for Becoming a Successful Insurance Agent

Quoted from the Indeed website, several things can be done to make your career as an insurance agent a success, namely:

Networking

The insurance business is about trust. If you want to become a professional insurance agent, networking skills are the key to your success in getting customers and also recruiting other agents under your team. Through a good network, you can potentially get recommendations, as well as increase your productivity in selling products. Networking is also important to expand your network so that you have a wider reach to get new potential customers through existing acquaintances or circles.

Improve Customer Service Skills

Customer service is a skill that every insurance agent must have. Customer service skills consist of the ability to communicate and interact well with prospective customers or existing customers. Good customer service will make your target audience feel comfortable and trust the insurance products you offer.

Maintaining a Professionalism

Even though insurance agents are not required to work from the office every day, you still have to pay attention to your attitude and behavior in front of customers as a professional. This includes also the appearance and attitude that is always trustworthy, punctual, does not speak less politely, and so on.

Listening and Empathizing

The ability to listen and empathize with potential customers is also needed when you are an insurance agent. When your potential client is telling him about his or her life, you try to listen and respond well to him. As an insurance agent, being able to relate and connect with the experiences your clients tell you can build trust and better communication. Feel free to ask about your potential client's interests, professional life, and personal lives for more meaningful discussions. By being able to sympathize, you will better understand the character of the person you are dealing with.

Product Knowledge

As an insurance agent, it is also important to understand the products you offer to potential customers. By mastering what you offer, you can provide varied options and recommendations according to the needs of potential customers. With good product knowledge, you can also build trust and a positive image in the eyes of potential customers or existing customers.

Things to Avoid

In addition to these tips, you also need to understand what should be avoided to make your career as an insurance agent a success. In the same regulation, OJK also mentions several things that an insurance agent should not do, including:

Not conveying insurance product information transparently
Not accepting requests for termination or redemption of the policy in the first year of the participant
Not educating consumers
Do not use valid data to convey illustrations on products that are Unit Link or that contain investment elements.
Does not provide complete information on the fund's progress report

Having understood what an insurance agent is, its advantages, tips on becoming a successful insurance agent, as well as things to avoid, are you interested in pursuing a career in this profession? Keep in mind that whatever career you take, the commitment to live it is the most important. With commitment, nothing is impossible to do. Even if you decide to work as an agent, or at Manulife referred to as a Life Planner, you can still be successful and earn money if done consistently and earnestly. A life planner job has many advantages including income bonuses, health protection, to vacations to your dream tourist destination.

After knowing the general description of insurance agents, are you interested in understanding it further?