Do You Need Help Preparing for an Insurance Sales Interview? We Have You Covered.

So, you’ve decided to interview for a new position as an agent at an insurance agency. Perhaps you already have experience in the industry, or maybe you’re making the move to try something entirely new. No matter the circumstance, you’ll have to make your first sale on the day of the interview (that sale being yourself). Why are you the one that the agency owner should hire over all other candidates? What makes you qualified? These and many more are all questions that you will need to consider and address in-depth.

Prepare Yourself

Prior to the big insurance sales interview, you’ll need to be fully prepared. Have yourself or someone else quiz you on elements of your resume, including company history, work history or experiences you’ve learned from. Do you know who is interviewing you? If you do, use this to your advantage to learn more about the person by researching them online to find their professional accomplishments and passions. This will come in handy during the rapport building of the insurance sales interview process! As you prepare, use your resources. There are endless sample interview questions online, so challenge yourself to answer them the best you can!

Know the business and Leverage Past Experience

If you’ve already worked in the insurance industry, you’re ahead of the curve. If not, don’t sweat it! You don’t need to be an industry expert in your field to get the job. Once hired as a brand new insurance agent, you’ll go through training to learn the details of the products, procedures and take a test to become a licensed professional. What you need to do is to prove how your natural and learned skills can help the agency succeed. Below are a few skills every insurance agent needs to prove that they can apply:

1. Verbal Communication

Your interviewee will quickly be able to figure this one out during the sales insurance interview. This is a professional interview so keep the conversation professional.

2. Computer Literacy

An insurance agent will use several different systems daily including lead and customer management systems and email. Literacy in computers is necessary, so bring up any computer programs you’ve worked with when asked.

3. Sales Experience

This is a big one and, although sales can be taught, sales experience will shift you into top consideration for employment. Leverage any sales achievements or goals you met from prior experience. Sales is goal-oriented, so any examples in your life where you achieved goals will prove you are capable.

4. Persistence

An insurance agent must be persistent in order to make sales, so you will need to provide an example or two when the going got tough in your career. Maybe it was staying late to make a few more calls in order to reach your goal or solving a problem for a customer. Persistence can separate success and failure. Even former president Calvin Coolidge knows its significance, having once said: “nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.”

5. Teamwork

The saying goes, “teamwork makes the dream work,” and this couldn’t be more accurate inside an insurance agency. For each agency, staff size can vary, so the ability to work with others is vital to ‘getting stuff done.’ Be sure to provide examples of teamwork when the opportunity presents itself during the sales insurance interview.

The Interview Day

The big day is here and you’re ready to go. Unless otherwise stated, you must dress professionally (a suit along with dress shoes unless otherwise stated by the interviewee). If you don’t have a suit and can’t afford a brand new one, don’t sweat it. Most communities have thrift stores with professional clothing at a discount rate. Bring to the interview a pen, notepad or padfolio, along with extra resumes to hand out during the sales insurance interview (in case your interviewees(s) ask). Give yourself plenty of time to get there; experts recommend ten minutes is best. Be cool as you get ready to enter the interview room. Don’t forget to breathe! This will help you remain calm.

During The Interview

The test has come. It’s now time to sell yourself during the sales insurance interview. The good news is that if you’ve arrived on time, dressed professionally, and appropriately groomed, you’ve passed the appearance test. Give a firm handshake to your interviewee(s) and take your seat. Don’t forget that you should be interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you! Ask questions about tasks that will be expecting of you, time commitments, etc. You need to determine if this is the person you want to be working for and if the company is a good fit for you. You’re investing in each other, so don’t waste your time or theirs if your gut tells you this job is not a good fit.

Put the Cherry on Top

A few days after the sales insurance interview is over, handwrite a thank you note for the employer’s time and consideration. Include a detail from the interview as well to show you’ve remembered. This simple gesture will speak volumes about your professionalism and appreciation for the opportunity. Handwritten thank-you notes show personalization and care.

Preparation and practice make perfect, so take the time to apply these tips and you’ll be on your way to a successful career as an insurance agent!