The major advantage of working for State Farm as one of their agents is branding. They make it a way for you to do your job. As a State Farm agent, you don’t have to tell people what you sell or who you sell it for. State Farm has created an image that makes it easy for people to trust their agents.
Advantages Of Being A State Farm Agent
Branding
The biggest advantage associated with selling insurance for State Farm is the branding. We will give you a few examples for those of you who don’t understand the power of branding.
Popular Nestle products are Milo and KitKat; now imagine that a new product is launched into the market. By Nestle. Without knowing anything about the product, wouldn’t you be more willing to use it because it is from a brand name you know and trust?
A similar example works with Toyota; if they launched a new car, many people would buy the car because it is a Toyota product.
This is the same thing with being a State Farm agent; they know without telling people what you sell. And without going into much detail about why they should buy from you, they will.
Covered Training Fees
State Farm is the kind of company to go the extra mile for its staff by training them on the basics of being a successful insurance agent and even covering the costs for such training at times. This is important because starting in the insurance industry requires a lot of support. And what support could be better than the company you are working for.
How To Become A State Farm Agent
The first step to becoming a State Farm agent is the same as applying to any job; you have to create a resume tailored for that position and apply. Your resume should highlight skills that are relevant to the position. For example, skills that highlight communication and customer retention are relevant to this position.
State Farm’s website outlined the steps involved in becoming one of their agents; we listed it below:
1. Application
2. Questionnaire
3. Assessment
4. Candidate review
5. Career understanding
6. Business proposal presentation
7. Licensing and requirements
8. Posting
9. Site interview
10. Internship
Pros And Cons Of Being An Insurance Agent
Pros
A flexible schedule is a major advantage of selling insurance; you have a flexible schedule. Unlike accountants, you don’t have to be glued to a seat all day punching numbers on excel. Instead, you’re free to work when you want and how you want. In insurance, the most important thing is to close the deal.
Job Security – while not everyone can afford insurance plans, everyone needs them. This translates to job security for you. People will always need health insurance, auto coverage, and other forms of insurance.
Cons
Unpredictable Income is the biggest disadvantage of selling insurance; there is no fixed income. You can’t precisely estimate how much money you will get every month. Some months will be better than others, and some months will leave you wondering how you will survive another week.
People Pleaser – working in a career like this requires you to be a social butterfly, else you won’t enjoy it very much. You depend on people to buy your products, and unfortunately, it’s not a one-time thing. You’ll be dealing with clients for as long as you’re selling insurance.
Limited Off-work Benefits – as an insurance agent, you are your boss. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. It’s good because you control our schedule; however, it’s bad because you don’t get paid on off days, like when you are sick. So you have to deal with these days on your own.
What To Consider Before Choosing A Career In Insurance Agency
Career choices are one of the most important decisions we will make in our life, and we should be careful in deciding what career to follow.
Below we highlighted a few things you should consider before starting a career as an insurance agent:
Reason For Choosing It
Once people understand the “why” behind making a decision, they are better motivated to attain their goals. Our reason for choosing a career path drives our work and how well we perform. Try not to choose any career for the sake of money.
Support System
Starting newly in any career will require a lot of support initially; it is important to ensure that the company you want to work with can provide you with the support you need to find your feet.
What To Do And How
Insurance is a broad field, and there are different types. So before jumping into the industry, you should be sure what type of insurance you want to sell and how you want to sell it. For example, do you want to sell health, property, or life? And do you want to be a captive agent, an independent agent, or both?
This isn’t an exhaustive list of everything to consider, but it’s among the most important things that should cross your mind before delving into this career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Insurance Company Is The Best To Be An Agent For?
Whether you decide to be a captive agent or an independent agent, one thing is certain – you want to work with a company where your efforts are appreciated. Although researching which insurance company to sell policies for is a bit of an arduous task, that’s why we did the work for you.
Below we listed some of the best companies to sell insurance for as an agent:
1. Progressive Insurance
2. Farmers Insurance
3. Liberty Mutual
4. Erie Insurance
5. Markel Insurance
6. Nationwide Insurance
How Much Do Top State Farm Agents Make?
There is no specific figure for this since it depends on the agent, but a successful State Farm agent can average about $50,000 annually. The best in the game make double that amount or more.
Working for a company like State Farm guarantees you good pay not just because of the company size but also because of the company’s branding.
Conclusions
There’s a lot to consider before delving into insurance to work as an agent. First, it is important to know why you want to do it, as this will fuel your drive to perform well in this field. Even if you don’t work with State Farm, you can work with many other well-established insurance agencies and enjoy similar perks.
Sources
Process to Become an Agent – State Farm
How to Become a State Farm Agent
Top 10 Questions to Consider Before Becoming an Insurance Agent