Insurance Advisor Job Description, Requirements, and Skills
What does an insurance advisor do day-to-day? Read this in-depth guide on Insurance Advisor Job Description, responsibilities, skills needed, licensing requirements, and what it’s like working with clients.
Insurance Advisor Job Description
Insurance advisors provide professional advice to individuals and businesses looking to protect their assets and mitigate risks. As an insurance advisor, your main role involves:
- Assessing clients’ insurance needs
- Explaining different insurance plans
- Recommending and selling appropriate protection policies
You’ll spend most of your days meeting with prospective or existing clients, building relationships, reviewing coverage options, filing paperwork, and providing ongoing support.
Insurance Advisor Day-to-Day Responsibilities
The typical responsibilities insurance advisors handle daily include:
- Client consultations – Meet with clients to evaluate their assets, finances, risks, and coverage gaps and make policy recommendations.
- Policy analysis – Compare details like exclusions, deductibles, and premium costs across different insurance plans to determine optimal solutions.
- Presentations and sales – Present policy options, explain features and benefits, and close sales.
- Account management – Assist clients with application completion, enrollments, and managing their accounts/payments after purchases.
- Claims assistance – Help clients thoroughly document and successfully file insurance claims.
Insurance Advisor Requirements and Skills
To secure a job as an insurance advisor, common requirements and helpful skills include:
Education, Licensing and Certifications
- High school diploma or bachelor’s degree
- Insurance license requiring pre-licensing courses and passing exam
Knowledge
- Familiarity with different insurance policies like health, life, home, auto
- Understanding of risk management principles
Skills
- Strategic needs analysis
- Customer service
- Communication and presentation
- Organization
- Math and analytical thinking
The ability to connect with clients, explain complex policies and recommend appropriate solutions are key to succeeding as an advisor.
Insurance Advisor Job Description Template
The insurance advisor is responsible for providing clients with expert advice on insurance options and customized protection plans for their assets and finances. Insurance advisors use their knowledge across various policy types to assess client needs, educate on appropriate coverage and risk solutions, recommend and sell plans, guide enrollment paperwork, and deliver ongoing account support.
Core Insurance Advisor Duties:
- Conduct client consultations to evaluate the current insurance situation and discuss protection goals
- Analyze assets, finances, risks and liabilities to determine coverage gaps
- Compare features and pricing across health, life, property, casualty and other insurance policies
- Present plan options to clients by clearly explaining terms, exclusions and costs
- Recommend and select insurance products suited to each client’s unique needs
- Initiate applications, enrollments and requests for quotes as needed
- Maintain long-term relationships with clients to facilitate updates, policy changes and renewal processes
- Assist with filing insurance claims by providing proper documentation and follow-up
Insurance Advisor Skills and Qualifications:
- Insurance license in relevant state(s) after completing required licensing courses and exams
- Current life and health insurance carrier appointments
- Strong presentation, communication and active listening abilities
- Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills
- Ability to explain complex insurance information clearly and concisely
- Math, analytical and critical thinking skills
- Proficiency with computers and insurance software programs
What does an insurance advisor do?
Insurance advisors consult with clients to assess their insurance needs and provide expert advice on plans and coverage that best protects their finances, health, property, or other assets and mitigates risks.
What qualifications do you need to be an insurance advisor?
The main requirements are obtaining an insurance license in your state by completing mandatory licensing courses and exams and securing carrier appointments to sell policies from various insurance companies. You also need skills like communication, interpersonal abilities, analytical thinking and extensive insurance policy knowledge.
Do insurance advisors have a sales quota?
Many insurance advisor jobs do have sales quotas that involve generating a certain dollar amount of new insurance sales or premiums per month or year, as well as retention targets for policies sold. The quota amount can vary based on factors like their level of experience, clients managed and overall insurer goals.
How do insurance advisors get paid?
Insurance advisors typically earn sales commissions based on a percentage of the premiums from insurance sold to clients, in addition to any base salary. The commission structures including rates and eligible policies depend on arrangements between the insurance provider and agent.
What insurance policies do advisors sell most often?
The most common insurance solutions insurance advisors sell include health insurance, life insurance and annuities, but they may also specialize in certain lines such as long-term disability, home, auto, liability or other property insurance tailored to protect assets and individuals.