How Youthful Insurance Agents are Changing the Business

by Sunny Popli Manager

There is a great paradigm shift to insurance agents today especially the young ones. The methodologies of advertising, marketing, meeting clients face-to-face have gone off the roof and are changed into website marketing, using social media and other platforms. According to Jason D. Cass, the owner of the JDC Insurance Group that is based in Centralia Illinois, an insurance revolution is underway. “ It’s not really so much face-to-face and phone call generation. It is more of a website, anytime that you want, or is convenient for you. It’s a generation of technology and convenience,” he said.

Cass also serves as the chair for Independent Agents and Brokers of America’s Young Agents Committee. His belief was further strengthened with the fact that 75.2% of the 513 young agents of today that were included in the 2012 survey conducted by Insurance Journal has Facebook page, 73.7% has Linked In, 28.5 %has Twitter accounts. More than that, they also use smartphones as part of their independent work as insurance agents. 84.7 percent uses iPhone and other smartphones, 10 uses blog sites for report writing and 44 percent has tablets and iPads for their working convenience.

Concept of Work

Today, the concept of work for young insurance agents has changed into the better. Technology is used innovatively. Offices and office jobs can happen anywhere. “When they work, where they work, how they work, what they call ‘work’ and why they work. It’s all upside down from what baby boomer principals traditionally have expected.” This was according to Peter van Aartrik who is the CEO of Aartrijk Group.

The concept of 9-to-5 jobs are thrown out of the window because younger generations of insurance agents think that transactions can happen anytime anywhere. They feel that they are connected and to consumers so they can easily send out their proposals, lay out the car insurance discounts, set up payment options for clienteles.

Relationships for Younger Agents

Many older or veteran insurance agents may feel a wide gap between them and the younger generations today when it comes to selling insurance but the opposite is actually true. According to a study, about 94.1 percent is attributed to the success in the insurance business today is built though relationships of the young minds. The numbers don’t lie and there are various methods done by younger agents to fill the space between them and the older insurance agents.

They have modernized the methods and interestingly other agents say the youngsters ideas turn out better. For example, an efficient way to use social media is to brand the person (agent) rather than the business. This means building up the agent’s profile, highlighting accomplishments, certifications, recent success. Sometimes they also make use of the business offers like car insurance discounts, low premiums, expecting rebates and so on to associate themselves (the agents) for the business.

First Impressions

First impressions for customers and co-workers have also been affected greatly but for the better. On the client’s part, agents need to have a good impression backed up with credential to close out a sale. But with the right tools to reach the message across it is a great step towards fostering relationship with the client.

On the other hand, new comers in the business may raise some eyebrows to the highly seasoned ones. There will often be questions like “Why are you doing that?” or “that is ordinary and/or weird.” But over time, upon introducing different social media platforms or writing blogs can definitely make a difference in within a year. For clearer examples, blogging has further expanded marketing opportunities even in different parts of the country.

A Young Agent’s View of the Insurance Industry

It is can be overwhelming for a young mind to be in the insurance industry. After all, you have to sell the product to generate sales. So you have to think of ways on how to attract clients like lower payment options, car insurance discounts, rebates and many more. There are also terminologies that may seem alien. But there is that faith that everything will unveil itself as you walk through the daily life of being an insurance agent. Today, there is a need for young minds in this business because of the many opportunities it give. In fact, according to the young agent, there are actually different career paths that can be taken in this industry. You just have to figure out which option suits you best. For instance, if you are into numbers then you can be help make future trends and analyze data of insurance companies in the past. Another would be marketing the insurance to the masses in such a way that it can be understood easily.

The insurance market can be very intimidating but the trends have changed today. Young agents can take different roles and in fact influence the older agents to set sail in a new path where it can help make people understand the means and ways of the insurance industry.