Job Description of an Insurance Consultant
Insurance consultants are professionals who use statistics to determine clients' future financial risks and help them select the best insurance options for their situations, according to TotalJobs.com. Clients can include organizations, individuals and even the government. Insurance consultants can specialize in various types of insurance, such as life insurance or property/casualty insurance, according to Glenn Daily, an insurance consultant in New York.
Other People Are Reading
-
Duties
-
Pitching insurance options to customers and encouraging them to make purchases that meet their needs is a chief responsibility of insurance consultants, according to HR Management. They must work to reach established personal and office sales goals. These individuals should have a thorough understanding of the products they sell and must be able to manage their sales data by collaborating with information technology professionals and using software effectively. They also draft reports and correspondence. Insurance consultants continually seek out new clients and set appointments with them, and they might help create marketing programs as well.
Other Tasks
-
Insurance consultants also analyze clients' business problems and develop solutions for issues in areas such as employee health benefits or corporate insurance, according to IBM and Associated Bank. They must develop strong relationships with their business clients. In addition, they study trends and advances in the business and finance industries as well as changes in regulatory activities so that their knowledge remains up to date.
-
Skills
-
Solid customer service skills are critical in the insurance consulting field. Insurance consultants also must have strong verbal and interpersonal communication skills for working with both clients and team members in addition to good written communication skills. They should be able to turn complicated data into clear information for clients and must have a strong knowledge of statistics. These professionals additionally must be detail-oriented, self-directed, analytical and good at solving problems. Insurance consultants should have strong negotiation and time management skills as well.
Education/Opportunities
-
Employers often look for insurance consultants who have a bachelor's degree as well as insurance industry/sales experience. A degree in areas such as business or finance is especially helpful. In addition, employers value job candidates who have experience with client relationship management and professional services consulting. Insurance consultants can be self-employed or work for insurance companies and brokers. They additionally can find employment with risk management consulting firms.
Outlook
-
Employment in the insurance industry is expected to climb about 3 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. The areas of homeowners and auto insurance are especially promising as the population grows. The average salary of an insurance consultant in 2010 was $45,180, according to CBSalary.com, Career Builder's salary information site.
-
References
- Photo Credit Accounting and finance image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
