Common Frustrations for Insurance Agents | America's Professor (2024)

Common Frustrations for Insurance Agents | America's Professor (1)

Being an insurance agent can be a rewarding career, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its share of frustrations. Like any job, selling insurance comes with pressure to perform and job related stress. Before you take yourinsurance agent exam, it’s good to know what kind of frustrations one can expect as part of being an insurance agent.

Common Frustrations for Insurance Agents | America's Professor (3)

Pressure to Produce

At the end of the day, insurance agents are salespeople. If they’re not making sales, they’re not earning the money they could be, and they’re not doing their job. Which isn’t to say that being in a slow period means that an insurance agent is a failure. Every salesperson has ups and downs in the number of deals they close, and every product has its slow periods. That doesn’t make struggling to produce any less frustrating, though. If you’re not careful, that frustration can throw you off your game, making it even harder to close sales.

Agents who work for an agency feel the pressure to produce even more acutely. For them, the pressure from their supervisors isn’t just to make sales, but to make the biggest sales. Competition between agents can inspire better performance in everyone, but it can also be a strain on confidence when you’re already struggling to meet your quotas.

Lack of Customer Demand

Changes in national insurance regulation such as the Affordable Care Act have increased the demand for basic health insurance coverage all across the country. Unfortunately, mandatory health insurance coverage also means that there’s less demand for “luxury” insurance plans, such as life and disability insurance. For insurance agents who earn their income selling this type of coverage, the undercutting of demand makes bringing in the big sales that much harder.

Common Frustrations for Insurance Agents | America's Professor (4)

Being Cut Out of the Sales Process

As with most industries, the internet has been a mixed blessing for insurance agents. On the one hand, it’s provided a new and effective channel for them to find and connect with consumers, and has made the process of selling insurance much faster. On the other, many insurance companies have begun using the internet to sell coverage directly to customers, cutting insurance agents out of the process. Insurance agents already have to work hard to make sales, and losing the backing of the providers themselves certainly doesn’t make the process any easier. A good insurance agent can still convince customers of the benefits of working with an agent (namely that an insurance agent can provide valuable insight and advice that consumers aren’t likely to get from the providers themselves. Still, the feeling that you are being phased out of your own industry isn’t exactly a confidence booster.

While these frustrations are all very real and can be very stressful, they aren’t insurmountable, either. At the end of the day, there will always be people who need insurance. As long as you put the work in to find them, you can succeed as an insurance agent.

America’s Professor offers convenient and affordable online insurance exam prep courses for multiple states. To learn more, call us today at 800-870-3130.

Common Frustrations for Insurance Agents | America's Professor (5)Common Frustrations for Insurance Agents | America's Professor (6)
Insurance Licensing CoursesInsurance Practice Exams

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Common Frustrations for Insurance Agents | America's Professor (2024)

FAQs

Common Frustrations for Insurance Agents | America's Professor? ›

Puts the needs of the client first. An agent who is only out to earn a commission, regardless of the needs of the client, is not likely to last long in the business. Agents and brokers who listen carefully to what their clients and prospects say will be able to earn their trust, which is the hardest part of their job.

What is the hardest part of being an insurance agent? ›

Puts the needs of the client first. An agent who is only out to earn a commission, regardless of the needs of the client, is not likely to last long in the business. Agents and brokers who listen carefully to what their clients and prospects say will be able to earn their trust, which is the hardest part of their job.

What do you find most challenging in working with insurance carriers? ›

7 Insurance Industry Challenges & Tips For Solving Them
  • Transitioning Retiring Professionals and Attracting New Talent. ...
  • Upskilling Your Team. ...
  • The Technical Transformation Of Core Systems. ...
  • Complex Revenue Recognition Challenges. ...
  • Catastrophic Claims Management. ...
  • Data Silos Hindering Collaboration. ...
  • Price-Based Competition.
May 10, 2024

Why do so many insurance agents fail? ›

Insurance agents succeed when they prioritize their customers' needs over their own profits. The most commonly cited reason insurance agents fail is that they fail to listen to their customers and take the time to find the best product to suit their needs.

What is the main challenge that you foresee working as an insurance agent? ›

Finding new leads can be challenging

Your success as an insurance sales professional is highly dependent on the number and quality of leads you find. Given the fiercely competitive market, there's also a strong chance that the leads you find may already have been contacted by several other insurance agents.

How stressful is being an insurance agent? ›

Insurance Agents often navigate a dynamic environment balancing client needs, regulatory changes, and sales targets, which can be stressful. However, by establishing a structured schedule, setting realistic goals, and leveraging support from their agency, they can manage stress effectively.

What are the cons of being an insurance agent? ›

Unpredictable Income

While the insurance industry is stable and the income is lucrative, it can sometimes be hard to plan ahead and know where your next paycheck will come from, since your income may be solely based on sales made. To succeed in this field, you must be a go-getter.

What are the biggest challenges of this job answer? ›

So How Do You Answer It?
  • Choose a challenging aspect that is not crucial to the role.
  • Select a difficulty that is easy to overcome such as a knowledge or skill gap, rather than personality traits.
  • Show that you're eager to learn and explain what your solution is.

What are the three biggest issues facing the insurance industry? ›

This article examines the top 5 challenges facing the insurance industry today and how insurers can overcome them.
  • 1) Digital Disruption. ...
  • 2) Regulatory Compliance. ...
  • 3) Climate Change. ...
  • 4) Changing Customer Needs. ...
  • 5) Cybersecurity Threats.
Feb 15, 2024

How to answer what is the most challenging thing about working with you? ›

Strategy: Focus on something that others might find challenging but is really a strength that you would bring to the company. Sample answer: I give 100% and I expect the same from others. I am very driven to succeed and I always give my all in providing the best work and getting things done well before the deadline.

Why are insurance agents so rich? ›

Insurance Agents get paid a commission (percentage of your premium) from your insurance carrier. You do not pay insurance agents directly. Instead, every time you make a premium payment, the insurance carrier pays the set commission rate to the agent or agency.

What do insurance companies fear the most? ›

Legitimate Denials

People have successfully fooled insurance companies into paying out for false injuries, so these insurers are often paranoid about paying out for a false claim.

Why do people dislike insurance agents? ›

No Trust in the Insurance Agent or Insurance Company

Some are just paranoid, but others have had past experiences that justify their lack of trust. Whether it has been lack of service from their agent or not being treated fairly on a claim, bad experiences can put a very negative light on the insurance industry.

Can an insurance agent be a millionaire? ›

Some agents, advisors, and multi-line agents made a million dollars in the first year they worked with us selling life insurance! While most of the others it took 2, 3, or more years to make a million dollars per year selling life insurance. (We are not recruiters.

How do I succeed as a new insurance agent? ›

How to Be a Successful Insurance Agent
  1. People Skills. People skills are the number one characteristic of a successful insurance agent. ...
  2. Good Salesmanship. Insurance agents are salespeople by nature. ...
  3. Customer Service Skills. ...
  4. High Energy Level. ...
  5. Honesty. ...
  6. Knowledge on a Variety of Products. ...
  7. Choose the Right Carrier.

How do you see challenges in a career answer? ›

How to answer "What is the biggest challenge you've faced in work?"
  1. Consider previous challenges you've faced. ...
  2. Tailor your answer to the job description. ...
  3. Be specific about why they were challenges. ...
  4. Be honest in your answer. ...
  5. Present your challenge in a positive light. ...
  6. Use nonprofessional examples if necessary.
Apr 8, 2024

What is the hardest type of insurance to sell? ›

Even when pitching to the most-qualified prospect, do not assume you have an easy sell. Life insurance is a very difficult product to sell. Simply getting your prospect to acknowledge and discuss the fact they are going to die is a hard first step.

Which insurance license is hardest to get? ›

Each insurance licensing exam presents its own challenge. Between Life and Health, students say that the Health insurance exam is the more difficult. Health insurance policies are simply more complicated than life insurance policies. The Property insurance exam is easier than the Casualty insurance exam.

What percentage of insurance agents succeed? ›

What is the Success Rate for Insurance Agents? According to the Insurance Journal, the success rate for new insurance agents ranges between 30% and 50%. Within three years of entering the insurance industry, the success rate drops to 11%.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Melvina Ondricka

Last Updated:

Views: 6119

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Melvina Ondricka

Birthday: 2000-12-23

Address: Suite 382 139 Shaniqua Locks, Paulaborough, UT 90498

Phone: +636383657021

Job: Dynamic Government Specialist

Hobby: Kite flying, Watching movies, Knitting, Model building, Reading, Wood carving, Paintball

Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.