Insurance Sales Agents
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Sell life, property, casualty, health, automotive, or other types of insurance. May refer clients to independent brokers, work as an independent broker, or be employed by an insurance company.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $29K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $37K
Median Salary: $52K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $79K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $127K
Demand
Core Tasks
Customize insurance programs to suit individual customers, often covering a variety of risks.
Sell various types of insurance policies to businesses and individuals on behalf of insurance companies, including automobile, fire, life, property, medical and dental insurance, or specialized policies, such as marine, farm/crop, and medical malpractice.
Explain features, advantages, and disadvantages of various policies to promote sale of insurance plans.
Perform administrative tasks, such as maintaining records and handling policy renewals.
Call on policyholders to deliver and explain policy, to analyze insurance program and suggest additions or changes, or to change beneficiaries.
Seek out new clients and develop clientele by networking to find new customers and generate lists of prospective clients.
Confer with clients to obtain and provide information when claims are made on a policy.
Interview prospective clients to obtain data about their financial resources and needs, the physical condition of the person or property to be insured, and to discuss any existing coverage.
Contact underwriter and submit forms to obtain binder coverage.
Ensure that policy requirements are fulfilled, including any necessary medical examinations and the completion of appropriate forms.
Select company that offers type of coverage requested by client to underwrite policy.
Monitor insurance claims to ensure they are settled equitably for both the client and the insurer.
Develop marketing strategies to compete with other individuals or companies who sell insurance.
Calculate premiums and establish payment method.
Plan and oversee incorporation of insurance program into bookkeeping system of company.
Inspect property, examining its general condition, type of construction, age, and other characteristics, to decide if it is a good insurance risk.
Attend meetings, seminars, and programs to learn about new products and services, learn new skills, and receive technical assistance in developing new accounts.
Explain necessary bookkeeping requirements for customer to implement and provide group insurance program.
Install bookkeeping systems and resolve system problems.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
94%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing
93%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
English Language
82%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics
72%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Law and Government
71%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Transportation
70%
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Administration and Management
68%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Communications and Media
62%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Education and Training
62%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Computers and Electronics
58%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Top 10 Skills
Reading Comprehension
80%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
78%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
75%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Persuasion
73%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Writing
73%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Time Management
70%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Service Orientation
68%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Negotiation
65%
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Social Perceptiveness
63%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Clarity
75%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
73%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Expression
73%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Near Vision
70%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Deductive Reasoning
65%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Problem Sensitivity
65%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Category Flexibility
63%
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Top 10 Work Activities
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
85%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Getting Information
81%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Selling or Influencing Others
81%
Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Interacting With Computers
78%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
74%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
70%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
70%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
69%
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Processing Information
68%
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Developing Objectives and Strategies
67%
Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
Detailed Work Activities
Customize financial products or services to meet customer needs.
Sell products or services.
Explain financial information to customers.
Maintain records of sales or other business transactions.
Take product orders from customers.
Identify potential customers.
Develop professional relationships or networks.
Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
Prepare sales or other contracts.
Examine documents to verify adherence to requirements.
Develop marketing plans or strategies.
Calculate costs of goods or services.
Process sales or other transactions.
Attend events to develop professional knowledge.
Study product information to acquire professional knowledge.
Review accuracy of sales or other transactions.
Manage information technology projects or system activities.
Examine condition of property or products.
Install computer software.
Resolve computer software problems.
Work Context
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Education
Interests
Enterprising
100%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
77%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Social
53%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic
34%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
24%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
19%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Independence
94%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Integrity
94%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail
91%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability
89%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Achievement/Effort
88%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Initiative
87%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Self Control
87%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility
84%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Persistence
83%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Stress Tolerance
83%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Work Values
Independence
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Relationships
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Support
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Working Conditions
55%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
