14 Advanced Tips for Training New Insurance Agents
The insurance world is constantly changing and adapting to new needs, which means there's always a demand for new insurance agents. Insurance products can ensure quality of life and protection, but they require trust to be established between the company and the client. New agents must get well-rounded training to be able to assist this relationship.
If you're interested in the insurance industry and how new agents are trained, or if you're looking to train new agents as an instructor, read on to discover tips from the experts.
Understand the Process
To control the process involved in the sale of insurance policies, an agent must be aware of everything that informs it. They must also be fully aware of their role, and how to maximize their efficiency. As insurance agents, they become the voice of the company when establishing a relationship with prospective clients. This makes them an essential part.
For a new agent, becoming aware of the process and their importance in its development is an essential part of learning the ropes, and one that can make a huge difference to the outcome of their interactions with clients.
As a trainer, you should introduce new agents to an in-depth perspective into the company hiring them. Highlighting that they now represent this company will instill a sense of the importance they carry on their shoulders and guide them through how to adapt their interactions.
New agents are an essential part of representing the brand and keeping its name successful. This knowledge will motivate them to achieve their targets and strive for constant improvement.
Dress the Part
This tip can seem to go without saying in the corporate professional world, but it bears reminding when new agents appear. Appearing confident is as crucial as feeling in control and sure of yourself, and a polished exterior goes a long way in boosting confidence levels. It also makes a great first impression with clients and makes agents stand out at the office.
An impeccable outfit will make agents seem as prepared as all their study has made them to take on the challenges of the insurance industry. Remind them to stick to the dress code and always bring their best look. They should avoid outfits that are too casual or too juvenile.
An agent's wardrobe choices will have an instant influence on the client's first impression of them. This first impression usually has much to say when it comes to developing a professional relationship with someone seeking to buy insurance. The outfit is another sign that the agent has everything under control.
The outfit's impact can influence an agent's workday, even if they only hold meetings and sell products over the phone. They will be seen through the office as someone who has everything under control and is an asset to the company.
Practice the Art of Speaking
Eloquence is a considerable aspect of a job in the insurance world. A lot will depend on the agent's use of language, which makes it another critical element to control. When in conversation with a client, slang should be avoided, as should too much jargon. A balance must be struck between the casual and industry speech that might alienate the client.
The art of making conversation while selling a product can be a hard one to master, and the secret behind it is to practice as much as possible. When training new agents, tell them to practice with each other, in the mirror, at home. This will have the bonus effect of taking away any potential nerves.
An agent's skill with speech can have an immediate positive effect on a meeting, which can influence the client's comfort level and can lead to a successful conversation for all parties.
Be Aware of Buying Triggers
Training new agents involves making them aware of the less obvious parts of the insurance selling process. Prospective clients, also known as leads, will ask for insurance quotes and will usually react according to the estimated prices they are given. The financial aspect isn't the only factor contributing to what the client is looking to get from this experience.
Becoming aware of how to understand where the client is coming from and what is prompting them to seek out the insurance company's services will go a long way in getting the agent a sale. Train them about the probing questions they can ask and how to guide the conversation to establish precisely what the client wants.
This will enable the agent to put an offer on the table that suits the client's needs. Identifying those needs is one of the biggest tools at an agent's disposal.
Triggers are the events that make clients seek out a product to buy and influence them to make a decision. These are some options you can tell your agents to investigate or pay attention to when talking to leads:
Do they have kids?
Are they looking to travel?
Do they own property?
Are they worried about the safety of their home and the contents in it?
Has anyone in the family had a health scare?
Do they have a car?
These options and more can lead you to understand their needs better and provide them with adequate solutions.
Never Stop Learning
Let your new agents know that even the most experienced ones continue to seek out training and don't shy away from learning new processes and techniques. The world of insurance is constantly adapting and shifting, and clients with it. Agents need to be ready to remain in that same process of adaptation and must train themselves to be versatile.
Products and policies will keep changing too, as will technology. New agents should be encouraged from the start to set some time aside once or twice a year to make sure that they are staying on top of things. This can be done on an individual basis or through group training, seminars, conferences, and events.
Remaining in the loop or ahead of it in the insurance industry will ensure that the agent can provide the best service for the client when the time comes and even anticipate their needs.
Observe Experienced Salespeople
Being in a sales team can be a challenge for anyone, and insurance policies can be significant investments for clients, putting a lot of pressure on the process. New agents should spend as much time as possible observing salespeople with more experience and learning from them. Studying their example is the easiest way to absorb their years of knowledge.
When training new agents, if time and circumstances allow, pair them up with the more veteran members in the team. They will be able to learn on the go and will be shown how to handle situations in practice rather than in theory. This is a great method to use, especially when they're still in the training period before going on to practical situations independently.
Finesse Time Management Skills
The importance of time management skills in this profession can't be understated and should be highlighted from the start in new hires. Agents need to keep their schedules in control throughout the day, even if the variables change. They will also frequently be juggling multiple tasks for multiple clients at the same time while working to set targets.
Finessing time management skills will help agents keep order on any potentially chaotic day and make their lives easier. While training them, give them tips about how to organize their days best. You can test them on this with group activity exercises, but encourage them to keep at it even when they're out of training.
In the training stage, you can also create schedules for your new agents and make sure they are aware of them and stick to them. Help them out until they learn how to organize their days according to this system. If they get used to it from the start, it will be easier to maneuver later.
Information Is Key
Make sure to keep new agents up to date with any industry changes, policy changes, product changes, and general company changes. As new hires, they will not be aware of everything that can change at any given time, but they must still know what affects them so that they can perform their roles.
Until they are established and settled enough to be responsible for the information they have, check in with them even after the initial training period and share updates with them. This will allow them to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and give you peace of mind to give them all the tools they need.
With sales teams, in particular, up-to-date information can have a massive impact on targets and results.
Attitude Makes a Difference
This can seem like an obvious thing, but lead by example and reinforce the awareness of the fact that a positive attitude can make or break an insurance agent's day. Attitude can frequently be one of the determining factors not only of an agent's life at the office, but also their rapport with potential clients.
In a sales team, positivity is essential. Clients will respond well to a positive attitude from the agent and usually adjust their behavior to react in the same tone. A helpful and charming personality is immediately more trustworthy from the start of the conversation. It will allow the client to feel comfortable in stating what they need from the meeting.
This will generally help with the entire team reaching goals and targets, so impress upon new agents from the beginning that their attitude is as essential an element as their knowledge or their productivity.
On the Spot Quizzes
When new agents start getting involved with sales, ask them at random to explain the entire process of one of their ongoing projects. They should detail every aspect of it and how they are approaching it. You can observe how they go about it and help them out if they're stuck or offer general advice on how to improve.
You should also mention everything they are doing right and take the opportunity to educate them in-depth on a case-by-case scenario. This is something you wouldn't be able to do for every lead and every ongoing sale that every new agent has, but you can use this on-the-spot quiz session as a further training opportunity.
This has the benefit of also showing new agents how to adapt their process in practice instead of in theory, which will help them achieve results with more ease in the long run.
Use Behaviors as Goals
Setting sales targets as goals can be daunting, especially for new agents, so consider a different approach when you're training them. Make the focus behaviors that lead to successful sales. For example, you could ask new agents to aim for a specific number of referrals during that day or week.
You could also ask them to give out a specific number of business cards or form connections on social media. You could even ask them to make phone calls or make a list of products that are suited to a specific type of client. You could send them to visit businesses and research what they might need from a company like yours.
This will introduce them to working toward goals, but in a way that feels less intimidating and less off-putting at the start of their journey. It takes some pressure off the shoulders of new agents, while instilling the behaviors they will need to use in their roles at the company and within the team. It will also create some excellent team bonding opportunities.
Expand the Training
As a trainer of new agents, you don't have to provide all the information that they have to cover. You can expand their knowledge with the following:
Books: Buy your new agents books from experienced voices in the insurance field. Introduce them to the psychology basics that will help them in their roles. Let other industry experts show them more of this world.
Videos: You don't have to stick to the usual selection of company-specific training videos. Show new agents interviews, conferences, and talks from leading industry figures.
Social media: Guide them towards valuable resources on social media, and show them examples of whom to follow there and learn more from while they continue to study the field.
Sales techniques: Bring them resources that teach them about sales techniques in any media. Let them practice these techniques in groups and observe.
Instructing also requires external sources, and this will help your new agents discover different perspectives that can help them going forward in their roles.
Show Them All Types of Leads
New agents should be introduced to all kinds of situations they might encounter as part of an insurance team. While you're teaming them up with more experienced team members, ask them to observe straightforward claims and complex claims. This will prepare them for different processes they might encounter, whether they're selling policies or assisting with them.
Once you can give them leads to work on themselves, make sure to keep a balance going. Don't let them drown in ones that are potentially too complicated, but don't let them coast through with only the easy ones. Keep an eye on them and provide guidance when required, but let them get used to their new roles and how to handle them best.
Allow Them to Make Mistakes
Giving new agents all types of claims or leads can mean that they will make mistakes. These are a normal part of the process and should be treated as the learning experiences they are. Ask your agents to take you through the process and let them figure out what went wrong.
Then, educate them on how to avoid that same mistake, and how to best deal with it when situations like that occur. Many pitfalls can't be avoided in the insurance world, and there's not enough training time to show new agents all the ways that things can go wrong.
Claims and leads can fail at any time in the process before they are completed, and the only way to learn how to deal with that is through personal experience. As a trainer, you should allow them the space to make mistakes and guide them through the solutions that will help them in the future.
Conclusion
The insurance industry can be intimidating to break into for new agents, and a lot will depend on the training they receive. As a trainer, you should give them as well-rounded an experience as possible before they become full members of the team. Start by helping them understand their roles and how to represent the company best.
You can also help them through your own training, their more experienced teammates, and external sources like books. Teach them how to deal with the complicated parts of the job through direct experience and by guiding them through it.
