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What does an insurance sales agent do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does an insurance sales agent do

An insurance sales agent is an individual who helps an insurance company generate new business by contacting customers and selling one or more types of insurance. Insurance sales agents conduct interviews of prospective clients to get data about their financial resources and explain the features of the various insurance policies. They analyze the clients' existing insurance policies and customize insurance programs to suit their needs. Insurance sales agents also do other administrative tasks, such as keeping records and handling policy renewals.

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Insurance sales agent responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real insurance sales agent resumes:

  • Train and manage employees and achieve significant improvements in their productivity & maintain sales go9als consistently.
  • Used consultative upselling techniques to provide leads
  • Calculate rates and premiums for fire, casualty insurance, automobile, homeowners, and other specialize insurance policies.
  • License property and casualty insurance agent and office manager.
  • Market property and casualty insurance to potential clients while assisting policyholders with coverage and claims.
  • Follow strict HIPPA regulations while dealing with delicate information.
  • Experience selling securities, commercial, home owner's, auto, and life insurance
  • Complete a multitude of training courses focuse on securities marketing, product selling, and technical knowledge.
  • Sell AAA brand membership and home, auto, excess liability and life insurance products to members and non-members.
  • Fill out a needs analysis and then present the need for any life insurance, Medicare supplement, and annuities.
  • Provide innovative solutions utilizing annuity and insurance products.
  • Follow all HIPPA and privacy guidelines, demonstrate client/customer confidentiality.
  • Succeed in cross-selling insurance and assist prospected clients in quoting applications.
  • Administer all payroll and maintain all necessary employee documentation and licensing.
  • Determine eligibility for government tax credits through the federal marketplace exchange.

Insurance sales agent skills and personality traits

We calculated that 16% of Insurance Sales Agents are proficient in Customer Service, Casualty Insurance, and Work Ethic. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Self-confidence, and Analytical skills.

We break down the percentage of Insurance Sales Agents that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 16%

    Managed a portfolio of existing clients through customer service, counseling and consulting to uncover cross-sell opportunities and generate additional referrals.

  • Casualty Insurance, 14%

    Obtained a position at MetLife to sell property-and-casualty insurance policies.

  • Work Ethic, 11%

    Exceeded customer satisfaction goals while maintaining a professional level of work ethics without direct Supervision.

  • Insurance Coverage, 8%

    Home office sales of personal lines insurance products.- Addressed insurance needs and provided recommendations for adequate insurance coverage.

  • AAA, 8%

    Conducted underwriting assessments with current and potential AAA members regarding insurance needs.

  • Develop Leads, 5%

    Network to source, prospect, and develop leads.

Most insurance sales agents use their skills in "customer service," "casualty insurance," and "work ethic" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential insurance sales agent responsibilities here:

Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an insurance sales agent to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what insurance sales agents do because "insurance sales agents must listen to clients and be able to clearly explain suitable policies." Additionally, an insurance sales agent resume shows how insurance sales agents use communication skills: "field work daily accomplishments life insurance license skills used listening trouble shooting management leadership communication"

Self-confidence. Many insurance sales agent duties rely on self-confidence. "insurance sales agents should be confident when contacting prospective clients," so an insurance sales agent will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways insurance sales agent responsibilities rely on self-confidence: "exhibited confidence in the claims -handling ability of aflac. "

Analytical skills. This is an important skill for insurance sales agents to perform their duties. For an example of how insurance sales agent responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "insurance sales agents must evaluate the needs of each client to determine the appropriate insurance policy." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an insurance sales agent: "recommended amount and type of coverage based on analysis of prospect's circumstances and utilized persuasive sales techniques. ".

Initiative. For certain insurance sales agent responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "initiative." The day-to-day duties of an insurance sales agent rely on this skill, as "insurance sales agents need to actively seek out new clients in order to increase business." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what insurance sales agents do: "engaged in strategic marketing and sales initiatives including performing outbound calls and following up to close sales. "

See the full list of insurance sales agent skills

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Insurance Sales Agent Resume
Insurance Sales Agent Resume
Insurance Sales Agent Resume

Compare different insurance sales agents

Insurance sales agent vs. Agent assistant

A sales associate and cashier is an employee who takes on the dual role of helping customers with their product inquiries and facilitating the purchase of the customer. As a sales associate, the employee must be familiar with the different products offered by the company and should be able to direct customers to the product that best suits their needs. As a cashier, the employee must be familiar with the cash register and the system that the company uses to manage sales and facilitate payment. He/She or she must be able to work the equipment needed for a smooth checkout process.

We looked at the average insurance sales agent salary and compared it with the wages of an agent assistant. Generally speaking, agent assistants are paid $12,183 lower than insurance sales agents per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both insurance sales agent and agent assistant positions are skilled in customer service, casualty insurance, and develop leads.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, insurance sales agent responsibilities require skills like "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "insurance coverage," and "aaa." Meanwhile a typical agent assistant has skills in areas such as "life insurance," "insurance policies," "health insurance," and "scheduling appointments." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Agent assistants earn the highest salaries when working in the real estate industry, with an average yearly salary of $42,564. On the other hand, insurance sales agents are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $46,564.The education levels that agent assistants earn slightly differ from insurance sales agents. In particular, agent assistants are 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an insurance sales agent. Additionally, they're 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Insurance sales agent vs. Sales associate and cashier

Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.

On average, sales associate and cashiers earn a $23,448 lower salary than insurance sales agents a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both insurance sales agents and sales associate and cashiers have skills such as "customer service," "product knowledge," and "cash drawers. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, insurance sales agent responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "casualty insurance," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "insurance coverage." Meanwhile, a sales associate and cashier has duties that require skills in areas such as "basic math," "sales floor," "stock shelves," and "sales associates." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Sales associate and cashiers earn a lower average salary than insurance sales agents. But sales associate and cashiers earn the highest pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $27,492. Additionally, insurance sales agents earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $46,564 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Sales associate and cashiers tend to reach similar levels of education than insurance sales agents. In fact, they're 4.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Insurance sales agent vs. Agent

A marketing agency is responsible for selling the company's goods and services, identifying promotional techniques to boost brand awareness in the market, and strategizing in increasing sales targets. Marketing agents identify business opportunities by analyzing market trends and public demands that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability. They also negotiate with potential clients for partnerships, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and address their requests. A marketing agent handles the development of marketing materials, including a budget allocation to support marketing functions and business requirements.

On average, agents earn lower salaries than insurance sales agents, with a $11,723 difference per year.By looking over several insurance sales agents and agents resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "customer service," "annuities," and "outbound calls." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an insurance sales agent is likely to be skilled in "casualty insurance," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "insurance coverage," while a typical agent is skilled in "insurance products," "life insurance," "hr," and "financial services."

Most agents achieve a similar degree level compared to insurance sales agents. For example, they're 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Insurance sales agent vs. Marketing agent

Marketing agents average a lower salary than the annual salary of insurance sales agents. The difference is about $9,203 per year.While both insurance sales agents and marketing agents complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like customer service, outbound calls, and schedule appointments, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between insurance sales agents and marketing agents, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an insurance sales agent might have more use for skills like "casualty insurance," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "insurance coverage." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of marketing agents require skills like "booking," "digital marketing," "marketing presentations," and "cma. "

The hospitality industry tends to pay the highest salaries for marketing agents, with average annual pay of $50,749. Comparatively, the highest insurance sales agent annual salary comes from the finance industry.The average resume of marketing agents showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to insurance sales agents. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Types of insurance sales agent

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.