Do you work well with people? Chances are you’ve been asked some version of this question as you have pursued your insurance agent career. What does working well with people actually mean? These unexpectedly useful people skills will help boost your insurance agent career and make you an even greater asset for your agency.
1. You Can Translate Insurance Speak Into Regular Language
You can be the most personable insurance agent, but if you don’t communicate clearly you won’t put your clients at ease. People feel intimidated by the complexities of insurance. It’s your job to communicate in writing, over the phone, and in person to help them understand insurance concepts and to translate difficult words and ideas into layman’s language. Strong written and verbal communication skills are a must for insurance agents.
2. You Have Exceptional Nonverbal Communication Skills
If you’re working with clients in person or over the phone, you need to be able to read peoples’ verbal or physical cues and know how they are feeling and what they need. This can be even more difficult over the phone when you need to understand what a person’s tone of voice means. If a client comes to you with questions or concerns, your ability to read nonverbal cues could mean the difference between keeping that client or seeing that person move on to a different agency.
3. You Can Listen and Learn
Speaking and writing are valuable skills, but listening is just as important. There’s no test that shows whether you’re a good listener. There’s just the response of your clients. You need to be able to quickly decode what’s going on and be sensitive to the appropriate moment with possibilities and solutions. You also know that sometimes your clients just need to talk about their worries or complaints and that your first job is to listen. If you can listen to clients, learn about their specific needs, and collate this information so that it benefits your insurance agency, that’s gold for your insurance agent career.
4. You Combine Energy and Empathy
Like it or not, your clients will judge your insurance agency based on how you present yourself to them. Combine professionalism and organization with a large dose of energy and empathy.
When you’re in sales, you experience many rejections every day, but it’s important not to let it get you down. Keep your energy up so that you can look in a positive way for solutions for your clients. Even if clients are complaining, you need to remain empathetic to their needs. A warm, understanding, and solution-oriented insurance agent is far more likely to acquire and retain new clients.
5. You See the Details and the Big Picture
You may be a details person. After all, you need to understand the intricacies of each policy and claim. However, you also need to step back and see the big picture of each client’s needs. Where do those needs fit with the wide array of products that you carry? The best agents combine an encyclopedic knowledge of details with the ability to step back and consider where a client’s needs fit into the world of insurance products.
If you are serious about building your insurance agent career the American Agents Alliance can help. We’re here to support insurance agents and agencies. Contact us today to learn more about our membership benefits and educational opportunities.
