With progressing technology in the insurance business, agents are adapting to new strategies to expand their client base. Through telesales, insurance agents can now meet with clients nationwide, unrestricted by in-person appointments.
Telesales has revolutionized the insurance business: from Zoom calls to non-resident licenses, insurance agents now have access to a wider range of clients and a cost-effective work-life balance.
The pivot to working from home is relatively new for insurance agents. The recent pandemic has led to an increase in agents choosing telesales, but the practice itself has been progressing over the last few years. Adapting to telesales comes with a learning curve. From setting appointments to creating a schedule for policy reviews, agents transitioning to remote work will need to adapt to the nuances of telesales.
Instead of meeting with clients in-person in their homes, apps like Zoom and Google Meets allow you to meet with your clients in a digital space, which comes with adjustments. You will need to rethink scripts, overcoming objections and policy reviews which can all be seamlessly handled online with a few adjustments. Conversations that used to be face-to-face are now replaced with computer screens. Instead of letting the distance between monitors become a negative factor, you can engage with your clients knowing that they are in the comfort of their home, making the conversation around the best-fit insurance policy less stressful than meeting in an office or crowded public space.
With that in mind, it’s important to develop a strict schedule around checking in with your clients. You might set an initial call to explain the product, another to write the policy, and a third to discuss how the policy is working for them. Since travel is no longer a limitation, you can also implement a series of wellness checks via Zoom to make sure they’re getting the most out of their policy.
Making calls in place of in-person meetings also means building out your own schedule. Insurance agents have always had the advantage of setting their own schedule, but now you’ll have even more control over your daily activity. With telesales, you can create a much more flexible work schedule, allowing you to complete household tasks, spend more time with loved ones, and even build your business without any limitation of distance from your colleagues. Now, you can juggle scheduling appointments, selling policies, and have wellness checks with your clients all in the same day.
The highlight for many agents transitioning to telesales is the opportunity to expand their reach. Previously, agents were limited to helping families that were within traveling distance. Telesales has widened the net and agents can now work with clients nationwide.
By applying for non-resident licenses, you can help families outside of your home state. In most cases, the states you’ll need non-resident licenses for only require proof of an equivalent certification in the state where you were originally licensed. For the most part, you won’t need to take another licensing exam to get an out-of-state license. However, there are a minority of states that do require additional certifications — be sure to contact the insurance licensing department in each state before applying.
A non-resident license can also provide you with an influx of new leads. If you live in a state or region with a lower population, you can do some research to find some hot spots for lead generation. These might be great places to begin applying for non-resident licensing.
Having the option to work outside of your state means expanding your client base, but it also means expanding your dialing. With traditional sales, agents would spend time calling leads within a few hours driving distance of their home. With telesales, you’ll be able to schedule calls in any state that you’re licensed with.
You might spend the morning calling leads in your area and begin dialing some of other time zones later in the day. Since you won’t be travelling for your appointments, you’ll have more time to schedule calls. This flexibility also means that it’s entirely possible to secure a non-resident license in a state on the other side of the country if you factor that time zone into your call schedule.
Another benefit in transitioning to telesales is the amount of money you will save for yourself and your business. It’s a facet of remote work that initially goes unnoticed, but the savings will be obvious as you transition to fully remote work.
The largest chunk of savings will come from travelling. The only commuting you will have now will be via the internet. That means, no more paying for gas, no more buying meals on the road and no more charging your credit card for lodging. When you have all your appointments and wellness checks from the comfort of your home or office, you will only need to pay for home office essentials such as an internet connection and a computer with a webcam.
You’ll also be putting fewer miles on your vehicle. Less wear and tear will save you money on your usual repairs that come with travelling between clients and appointments. Telesales will also mean that you won’t need to update your wardrobe as frequently — another example of how telesales is more cost effective.
Telesales is a great example of insurance agents adapting to the industry as it becomes more tech-forward. Working remotely allows you more time for a work-life balance while expanding your reach, and with Symmetry Financial Group, you will have all the tech and tools you need to not only succeed, but to build a legacy you can leave for your loved ones through agency ownership.
As a Symmetry agent, you will have access to high-quality life insurance, disability income insurance, critical illness insurance, and annuity products from more than 30 well-known insurance companies. With Symmetry’s proprietary sales tools and digital marketing materials, you can meet your clients virtually while providing them with the presentations, information, and quoting engines available to you as an agent. These tools will help you drive business and ensure your clients get the best policy for their needs through a seamless virtual experience.
To learn more about how to begin your career as a life insurance agent and to take advantage of Symmetry’s digital-first workforce contact us today .
