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Insurance Agents: Are You Being Pressured To Say to Yes to the Career?
By Jason Cunningham
Jan 23, 2008 - 2:50:05 PM

Imagine getting a phone call or e-mail from an insurance sales manager, even though you did not apply for an insurance sales position. The individual convinces you to come to the office for an interview. If this happens, there a few things you should know, regardless of whether you consider a career in insurance or financial service sales.

Some insurance sales managers tend to boost the size of their agent roster before the Christmas holiday season. It is not because they want to start the upcoming year on a positive note. Some managers are paid a bonus based on the number of insurance agents writing business. They need you to write an insurance policy on yourself or spouse before the end of the year and get it issued and paid for. However, this is not the case for every insurance sales office. Many sales managers are given bonuses strictly on the amount of commission generated by the agents in his or her office.

If you do not have a proven track record in sales or know a lot of people, you could fail miserably in an insurance sales position. It is a hard business because there is so much competition for the same insurance prospects, whether it be from those working in your own office or another insurance agent in the field. Some insurance sales managers are notorious for making it seem that all of their agents are making $75,000 or more per year. They might show you a sheet of paper and let you see it from an angle that shows a list of agents that are making good money. Don’t fall for the trick. Additionally, some insurance agencies promise great sales training. A few practice runs of talking to a potential client is not what I consider to be good training. You better make a lot of phone calls and appointments; otherwise, you could be wasting your time and money. It is a numbers game. If you see more people, you are likely to make more money.

There is no reason to accept a job in insurance sales, without talking about marketing. A sales manager that does not bring up the issue is either lazy or does not care if you succeed in the insurance business. The manager may hold the philosophy of throwing “flies against the wall and see who sticks.” If you do not plan in the insurance business, you should expect to fail. You need a strong target market. If you are not sure of what this is, you might be better off taking a few business classes before becoming an insurance agent.

Since marketing usually involves spending money, you will also need at least $10,000 in the bank, in order to make it through some tough times at the beginning of your career as an insurance agent. Trust me, or ask a few other successful insurance agents!

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