Insurance Sales Agents

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Monitor insurance claims to ensure they are settled equitably for both the client and the insurer.
• Seek out new clients and develop clientele by networking to find new customers and generate lists of prospective clients.
• Attend meetings, seminars, and programs to learn about new products and services, learn new skills, and receive technical assistance in developing new accounts.
• Call on policyholders to deliver and explain policy, to analyze insurance program and suggest additions or changes, or to change beneficiaries.
• Install bookkeeping systems and resolve system problems.
• Seek out new clients and develop clientele by networking to find new customers and generate lists of prospective clients.
• Ensure that policy requirements are fulfilled, including any necessary medical examinations and the completion of appropriate forms.
• Customize insurance programs to suit individual customers, often covering a variety of risks.
• Contact underwriter and submit forms to obtain binder coverage.
• Inspect property, examining its general condition, type of construction, age, and other characteristics, to decide if it is a good insurance risk.
• Explain features, advantages, and disadvantages of various policies to promote sale of insurance plans.
• Attend meetings, seminars, and programs to learn about new products and services, learn new skills, and receive technical assistance in developing new accounts.
• Call on policyholders to deliver and explain policy, to analyze insurance program and suggest additions or changes, or to change beneficiaries.
• Develop marketing strategies to compete with other individuals or companies who sell insurance.
• Install bookkeeping systems and resolve system problems.
• 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 necessary bookkeeping requirements for customer to implement and provide group insurance program.
• Confer with clients to obtain and provide information when claims are made on a policy.
• Calculate premiums and establish payment method.
• Select company that offers type of coverage requested by client to underwrite policy.
• Plan and oversee incorporation of insurance program into bookkeeping system of company.
• Perform administrative tasks, such as maintaining records and handling policy renewals.
• 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.
• Calculate premiums and establish payment method.
• Confer with clients to obtain and provide information when claims are made on a policy.
• Perform administrative tasks, such as maintaining records and handling policy renewals.

Skills

• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.

Abilities

• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.

Knowledge

• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Administration and Management
  • 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.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Sales and Marketing
  • 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.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • 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.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Communications and Media
  • 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

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Central Washington University
  400 East University Way, Ellensburg WA 98926
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 509-963-1111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.cwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Insurance
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

58660/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

28.2/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

15,060

Yearly Projected Openings

1390

Personality

Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:

• Integrity
• Independence
• Attention to Detail
• Achievement/Effort
• Dependability
• Initiative

Tools

• Desktop computers
• Digital cameras
• Franking or postage machines
• Laser fax machine
• Laser printers
• Notebook computers
• Personal computers
• Wearable computing devices

Technology

• Calendar and scheduling software
• Customer relationship management CRM software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Document management software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Financial analysis software
• Instant messaging software
• Internet browser software
• Medical software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Video conferencing software
• Video creation and editing software
• Web page creation and editing software
• Word processing software