Health Insurance Agent Training
Training for a health insurance agent is career-long. It starts with the necessary training to obtain the license, and continues with required education to renew the license. The agency provides instruction on their own ways of selling insurance, and the specific products.
In addition, the art and science of selling is always changing with the culture, and keeping up with the latest, productive methods of selling is mandatory to be a success.
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Training for a License
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Because each state has their own regulations concerning health insurance agent licenses it is impossible to note specific overall rules. However, most states require about 40 hours of study, either in a classroom or over the Internet. Various companies may contract with the state to provide the study material. It covers the legal aspects of insurance, understanding the various types, and writing policies. Once a passing grade on the material is obtained, the prospective agent may apply for and take the state test.
Continued Training for Renewal
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State licenses must be renewed every few years and continued education is required. Each state has different requirements. The continued education courses are selective, and the agent usually takes courses that will expand their knowledge in specific areas such as annuities or long-term care insurance.
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Agency Training
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Each agency has their own infrastructure and program for handling clients, sales and policies. Paperwork, reports, and scheduling must be done according to specific rules. Training is usually done in the classroom, with practical experience learned on the field from a sales or training manager. Many agencies expect new agents to be on their own after about 30 days of training. Sales meetings are often held daily, with further information provided then.
Product and Policy Training
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An agent may represent several lines of insurance, each with multiple policies. Policies that seem the same on the surface may have key features that dramatically affect the benefits. Intensive training is done at the agency to ensure a new agent fully understands each policy and how to determine what is best for a client. This may be done in a group of new agents at a central location, or on a one-to-one basis.
General Sales Training
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Training in prospecting, sales techniques and overcoming objections is a fundamental--and lifelong--part of being a life insurance agent. While this is often taught at the agency level by an experienced sales manager, the responsibility for learning to be a professional sales agent is ultimately up to the individual. Agents can learn from sales training workshops available at conventions and in larger cities, videos and books from well-known sales trainers, and Internet training programs.
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References
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- Photo Credit sales manager checking the sales image by Peter Baxter from Fotolia.com
