What are the Job Responsibilities of Being a Life Insurance Agent?

September 15, 2020

The world of life insurance can be an amazing place, especially for a new agent. You get to be your own boss, maintain a flexible schedule, and have the opportunity to make enough cash to fund that vacation house you’ve always wanted. However, with all the glamorous promises a career in life insurance can bring, have you considered the role and responsibilities of a life insurance agent?

What does it mean to be a life insurance agent?

A life insurance agent is a licensed professional who specializes in selling insurance policies on behalf of one or more carriers to consumers. In order to become an agent, you need to pass a background check, be over eighteen-years-old, take an accredited course, and pass an exam.1 However, different states may have different requirements, so it’s important to be aware of what your state requires.
 

Once you complete all the qualifications you may be able to start building your own book of business or contract with a carrier. However, your success as an agent depends on your success as a salesperson. Some common personality traits of successful sales agents are as follows:

1. Reliability. 

   People rely on you to get them the coverage they need, but also help them understand their options to make an informed purchase decision. Be someone who can be counted on to save the day.

2. Sincerity.

   A great insurance agent will be upfront about details in coverage and go over any confusing points a customer may have when considering a life insurance policy. As an agent, your commitment is to your policyholder until and even after they file a claim. So, be sure to be sincere with your customer as it’s their trust that makes you a successful agent.

3. Discipline.

   With great independence comes great responsibility – and the only way to make sure you meet your goals is with discipline. If you lack discipline it may be hard to maintain a consistent schedule, continue your training, and build your business. You need to be a self-starter and self-motivate to be productive.

4. Communication.

   Insurance can be complicated, especially for those who don’t understand the industry. To be a great insurance agent you should be able to communicate with your customers clearly, providing simple and straightforward language that’s easy to understand.

5. Passion.

   All great life insurance agents have passion. The best agents are passionate about closing sales, helping their customers, and insurance. This passion is what drives agents to do great things, and is the key to making it in the business.

What are the responsibilities of a life insurance agent?

Let’s say you have all the personality traits of a successful agent, meet all the qualifications to become an agent, and are starting your first day as a life insurance agent tomorrow – do you know what your responsibilities are?
 
In general, your main job as a life insurance agent will be helping people prepare for the unexpected by providing them with a life insurance policy that fits their needs. As an agent, you will spend most of your time selling life insurance policies and annuities to clients. However, there are some other responsibilities life insurance agents need to fulfill in order to do their job effectively, these include:

• Providing insurance purchasing advice to clients

• Providing good customer service to maintain and retain your client base

• Expanding your customer base

• Maintaining electronic and paper records

• Assisting clients with the claims process

• Recruiting new talent

Being a life insurance agent can be an amazing, promising career choice. However, whether or not you’re the right fit comes down to you. If you feel your personality is a fit for the job, you meet all the qualifications, and the job responsibilities sound like something you can handle, you may be set to succeed in this highly competitive industry. Good luck!

1. Chron, What Degree Do You Need to Be an Insurance Agent?, 2020