If you ask someone, “What does an insurance agent do?” you’ll probably hear something along the lines of “they sell insurance.” And yes, insurance agents and producers do sell plans to their clients. So it’s accurate, sure — but it’s not the complete truth.
The qualities of a good insurance agent go far beyond selling. Insurance agents work with clients including business owners and benefits decision-makers to develop the right coverage plans for their needs. They help owners and employees wade through the sometimes intimidating world of insurance. They may be independent business owners themselves, but they know how to partner with businesses to maximize everyone’s time and investment.
What are some of the responsibilities of an insurance agent?
Insurance agents and producers do a number of tasks, all of which revolve around building relationships with clients. Some types of insurance, like the supplementary insurance that Aflac offers, involve sales at workplaces across the country. For these agents, in addition to preparing their business to be able to service clients, their primary activities include:
- Meeting with business owners and benefits decision-makers to introduce themselves and explain the benefits of the carrier they represent.
- Developing coverage packages that are tailored to each client.
- Meeting with employees to educate them on available benefits packages and helping them with enrollment.
- Consulting with existing clients to ensure packages are up to date with clients’ evolving business needs.
- Marketing and advertising to promote awareness to new policies or changes in coverage.
- Performing administrative duties, both to ensure that clients’ enrollments and claims go smoothly and for their own recordkeeping.
- Leveraging leading technology to optimize their insurance practice.
How do insurance agents get clients?
Most use conventional sales techniques such as cold-calling business owners, arriving at a business to introduce themselves and following up on potential leads. But increasingly, they rely on social and digital marketing while leveraging customer relationship management (CRM) and automation tools to manage their book of business.
When working with carriers that offer renewal commissions, such as Aflac, this level of active selling can last as little as 12 months — after that, insurance agent commission rates include policy renewals, not just new policies that agents sell. Producers who enjoy pursuing new relationships can continue selling as many new policies as they can handle throughout their sales careers.
Once a benefits decision-maker has agreed to offer the type of products an agent sells, an agent uses knowledge of the specific business, industry and benefits landscape to recommend packages that are right for the client’s business. Agents might also be tasked with explaining those benefits to client’s employees directly.
Insurance agents also handle marketing and administrative duties — after all, they’re business owners themselves. Knowing how to promote yourself and how to develop a business plan can be helpful. Agents and producers might eventually hire staff to handle marketing and administrative work so they can focus on building and maintaining client relationships.
The truth about being an insurance agent Your career path as an insurance agent is completely customizable and flexible. Working as an insurance agent can be a great way to start or continue a sales career, but can also open up the door for other career opportunities. Some also work part time and still find success.
No matter what your schedule looks like, this career path shows one quality stands out – you care. The No. 1 responsibility of an insurance agent is about helping. Yes, insurance agents sell products, write policies and swiftly become experts in their industry. But it all comes down to supporting and helping those who need it most.
If you want to help people, you can thrive as an agent. You’ll be helping them navigate an area that can be confusing and intimidating, and you’ll ultimately be helping people protect themselves from the high costs of health care not covered by health insurance.
Ready to find out for yourself what insurance agents do?
Aflac agents are independent agents of Aflac, and are not employees of Aflac.
FAQs
For many, supplemental health coverage can be a cost-effective way to help with out-of-pocket costs. Here are a few of the advantages to supplemental health insurance plans: They typically come with affordable monthly premiums. They can offer financial support when you experience unexpected medical situations.
Does Aflac deny pre existing conditions? ›
Disability caused by a Pre-existing Condition or reinjuries to a Pre-existing Condition will not be covered unless it begins more than 12 months after the Effective Date of coverage.
Does Aflac really pay out? ›
Aflac pays policyholders directly,
unless otherwise assigned, to help with out-of-pocket expenses such as: Travel costs for treatment. Mortgage or bill payments while out of work.
How much is aflac supplemental insurance? ›
Many Aflac policies range anywhere from $8 to $25 or more per month. You can contact Aflac directly for more information on specific supplemental insurance plans that pique your interest.
What is a good amount of supplemental life insurance? ›
How Much Supplemental Life Insurance Do I Need? Financial experts and insurance companies recommend having seven to 10 times your annual salary in life insurance, so if you earn $75,000 per year, the guideline would be $525,000 to $750,000 in coverage.
What is the average cost of a supplemental plan? ›
The average Medicare Supplement plan costs in every state
| State | Monthly Cost | Rank from least expensive (1) to most expensive (51) |
|---|
| California | $162.93 | 45 |
| Colorado | $127.76 | 29 |
| Connecticut | $227.06 | 49 |
| Delaware | $150.99 | 42 |
28 more rowsOct 4, 2023
Pre-Existing Conditions Limitation: Aflac will not pay benefits for any period of disability that results, directly or indirectly, from Sickness or Injury for which you, during the six months prior to the most recent Effective Date of your insurance, incurred expenses, received medical treatment, took prescribed drugs ...
How much does Aflac pay for MRI? ›
ACCIDENT-ONLY MAJOR DIAGNOSTIC AND IMAGING EXAMS BENEFIT: Aflac will pay $150 when a Covered Person requires one of the following exams for Injuries sustained in a covered accident and a charge is incurred: computerized tomography (CT scan), computerized axial tomography (CAT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ...
How much will Aflac pay for outpatient surgery? ›
This benefit is limited to one payment per calendar year, per covered person. No lifetime maximum. Surgical Benefit Aflac will pay $100–$2,000 when a covered person has surgery performed for a covered sickness in a hospital or ambulatory surgical center based upon the Schedule of Operations in the policy.
How far back will Aflac pay? ›
We will pay the amount shown when, because of a covered accident, you are injured and those injuries cause confinement to a hospital for at least 24 hours within 90 days after the accident date. The maximum period for which you can collect the Hospital Confinement Benefit for the same injury is 365 days.
Best Paid & Free Alternatives to Aflac Incorporated
- Lumity Benefits Solution.
- Insperity.
- ADP Comprehensive Services.
- Deloitte Consulting.
- Lever Talent.
- ADP Workforce Now Comprehensive Services.
- Mercer.
- OutSail.
Supplemental health insurance plans are health care plans used to cover anything above and beyond basic medical coverage. These plans provide extra medical coverage and can also be used to contribute to other costs not covered by your primary insurance plan such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.
What illnesses are covered by Aflac? ›
The Aflac Group Critical Illness plan benefits include:
- • Critical Illness Benefit payable for:
- – Cancer.
- – Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)
- – Stroke.
- – Kidney Failure (End-Stage Renal Failure)
- – Major Organ Transplant.
- – Bone Marrow Transplant (Stem Cell Transplant)
- – Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
There are many different types of supplemental health insurance, including vision, dental, hospital, accident, disability, long-term care, and Medicare supplemental plans.
Why would a person consider supplemental insurance? ›
Some supplemental health insurance plans cover specific services, such as cancer treatments. Others may help reduce the financial burden of a major illness or accident by providing a lump-sum of money that you can use for medical treatments or household expenses.
Who needs supplemental insurance the most? ›
People at high risk for conditions such as heart disease, stroke and cancer should consider critical illness insurance. These plans help pay the costs associated with serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. The plans pay a lump sum for diagnoses specifically listed in the policies.
What age should you get supplemental insurance? ›
If you are 65 or older, you may be able to purchase a Medicare Supplement insurance plan during the Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period. This period lasts for six months and begins on the first day of the month in which you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B.
Is Supplemental income Protection worth it? ›
If you are looking for more protection, consider adding extra coverage on top of your group long term or individual disability plan. Supplemental disability insurance can be a great add-on for employees who wish to protect a greater percentage of their income, bonuses or commissions.
