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The insurance industry has many superstars, with top earners among independent insurance agents making over $200,000 annually. Anyone who has achieved these incredible salaries will tell you it doesn't come easily. Insurance agents - especially top earners - work hard for every sale they make.

What's the difference between a lower-earning insurance agent and a top-earning agent? Often, it's their professional habits. If you're new to the industry or hoping to be more professionally successful, the following good practices can help.

1. Set Goals and Follow Through

Goal setting is an integral part of maintaining any business, but it's essential when you're working in a trade like insurance. Many insurance agents work independently, without a boss or many coworkers. Without a team to motivate them, independent agents must maintain goals to grow as professionals.

Start each year with a list of achievable goals – such as the number of sales per quarter or another intent. Every quarter, check in with your goal list to ensure you're still making progress and on track. Make adjustments as needed to ensure that you continue to make progress.

2. Provide Excellent Customer Service

Customers expect excellent customer service from their insurance agents, and when they don't get it, they often go elsewhere. Successful insurance agents prioritize customer service and deliver exemplary customer service to their clients at every opportunity. Some suggestions:

• Stay organized. Keep track of conversations with clients, and follow through on anything you told a client you would do for them, whether finding the answer to a question or calling with a follow-up phone call.
• Respond quickly to requests. Set aside a specific time each day to respond to client requests. Use customer management software to ensure that you track each client request.
• Make it easy to reach you. Allow customers to contact you however they prefer, whether by email, phone call, text, or so on.

3. Keep on Learning

Know your products backward and forward, so you can recommend the right insurance products to your clients.

Make this possible by studying your products. Set aside time each day to learn about your products. As you understand, practice talking about what you know. The more you talk about a product, the easier it will be to explain it concisely.

4. Maintain a Positive Attitude

A positive attitude can be contagious, making clients more optimistic about your products. Maintain a positive attitude when interacting with clients. Use humor and positive words to convey a positive attitude. Smile as often as feels natural, and use body language (such as nodding and leaning forward slightly) to express engagement, openness, and friendliness.

5. Network Every Day

Networking can bring clients, sales, and opportunities to your door. There are many things you can do to network. For example:

• Use social media to show community engagement and meet new people.
• Host events like open houses. Invite community members to have food and drink and get answers to their common insurance questions.
• Attend continuing education classes and network with other insurance agents while you're there.

6. Streamline Processes with Technology

Many software applications help insurance agents stay organized and engaged with clients. At the very least, you'll want a good customer relationship management (CRM) app. CRM software can automate outreach, track customer interactions, collect and manage contact information, provide reporting, and more.

In addition to a CRM, it's also a good idea to have a website, password management software, and office organization software. All of these different types of software can help streamline your processes.

7. Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

When working in sales, it's easy to fall into the trap of constantly working. The more you work, the more you're rewarded financially. Unfortunately, burnout is real and can impact your productivity if you don't give yourself a break occasionally. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance can help you achieve your goals while preserving your mental and physical health. Some suggestions:

• End work at a specific time each day
• Take breaks during the day
• Resist the urge to check work email when you're at home

Find Success With the Right Insurance Cluster

Successful insurance agents need access to the right carriers for their clients. Join an insurance cluster that unlocks access to 50 of the top carriers in the industry. Contact Voldico today to learn more.