With good paying jobs difficult to find nowadays, becoming an insurance agent is an old kept secret to prosperity as long as you have dedication, the zeal, the push and confidence.
Insurance agents are middlemen between customers and insurance companies as they sell insurance policies to customers on behalf of their agency (the insurance company) they represent. Agents help customers determine what policy best suits their needs and therefore, must understand the types of plans offered by their agency.
Requirement To Become An Agent
It is possible to become an agent with a minimum educational qualification such as the Senior School Certificate Examination(SSCE).
Although, it depends on the agency’s requirements, no particular field of study is required to become an insurance agent, but those with a background in marketing, economics, and finance may find it easier.
You will need good sales, marketing, and customer skills on your way to becoming a good insurance agent because this skill would help you attract prospective customers and set you apart from the rest.
So, having a prior qualification in this field will give you an edge in this profession. Nonetheless, you can still learn on the job as insurance companies offer training to their agents.
Getting Insurance Agency Job
You need to be appointed by an insurance company before you can sell their products. Depending on the company, you will need to go through background checks to be verified and granted an appointment that certifies you as an insurance agent.
This is where the training highlighted earlier comes in. A company that intends to appoint you as their insurance agent will give you all the necessary training required. So you will need to do a search for insurance companies, or it’s easy if you already have one in mind.
Prospecting For Customers
After being appointed as an agent of one or more insurance companies in the country, it is time to begin your agency. This is where your marketing and sales skills will come to play. You can make use of several advertisement channels to sell yourself, such as social media, local newspapers, and posters.
As a new insurance agent, it is necessary you familiarise yourself with the roles and responsibilities, which includes; assist in sales, advertising, and selling of products and services to its customers; possess sound knowledge and awareness of the markets; proffers reliable financial consulting services to customers as well as customer support to the clients; create marketing strategies with the customer choice in mind; possesses excellent public relations capability in other to represent its agency.
Conclusion
However, to succeed in insurance agency system, experts charged insurance agents nationwide to imbibe the mindset of an entrepreneur to succeed in the ever competitive business environment.
Former president, Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria(ARIAN), Mr. Gbadebo Olameru, said, an agent that works like a staff will not succeed no matter how much they pay him or her, urging them to see themselves as the CEO of the respective companies they represent.
