In our last blog, we discussed some common areas of exposure for insurance agents. As we move forward into the new year, you might be focused on boosting your business and closing more deals. But, what does it take to achieve those goals? In this article, we’ll cover some of the top traits that the best insurance agents possess. Honing these skills means you can improve your overall Professional Liability Insurance sales and reputation in 2018, so heed the following advice.
People skills.
Sales of any nature is a people-based job. This means that in addition to providing quality customer service, you focus on the needs of your customers. You want to close a deal to get the sale, but if you’re solely focused on the money, your customers will notice.
Perhaps the most important facet of people skills is to have emotional intelligence. This includes the ability to listen and empathize with clients on a deeper level in order to discern what they really want and need. A good agent is tactful and knows how to help a client see financial reality clearly, even when the client is dead set against it, says Investopedia.
Honesty.
If you want to earn repeat business, honesty is the best policy. Not only can deception cause you to lose clients, it can cause you to face litigation and damage you and your agency’s reputation.
Knowledge.
A good insurance agent knows much more than how to sell a policy. The agent must understand the tax and legal aspects of the products he or she sells and how they are designed to fit into a client’s overall financial situation.
This also means that the agent will need to be an expert in their fields. If you’re selling a niche product, you should be informed on all the ins and outs of the policies you provide. If your area of expertise is more generalized, you’ll need to understand how your policies will be impacted and changed depending on the sector you sell to.
Persistence.
Insurance can be a challenging field, and hearing the word “no” over and over becomes commonplace. However, great insurance agents won’t give up. Instead, they will persist, remain positive, take new approaches and press on to find more resources and opportunities for business.
About Genesee General
At Genesee General, we are dedicated to providing the custom-tailored solutions your client’s insurance business. For 34 years, we have continued to provide quality and affordable insurance policies including professional liability, employment practices, cyber liability, niche markets and more. For more information, contact us today at (800) 282-8755.