There are several crucial professional people in your life: doctor, lawyer, financial advisor, clergy, and insurance agent. 

Your insurance agent is quite important for obvious reasons. They protect your property and provide for your loved ones when you have passed on. That is huge.

So, if you’re looking for an insurance agent now or wondering if the one you have is in your best interests, then here are some traits that you should consider:

1. Honesty: They need to be always truthful with you and the company. They must be scrupulously honest and never take advantage of you as a policyholder.

2. Knowledgeable: Your insurance agent should know their insurance products. They should be up to date on all the policies and understand your needs well enough to recommend the proper insurance policy including the coverage, exclusions, and policy limits. Additionally, the insurance agent should have a clear understanding of the legal and tax aspects of their products. If the policy is required in your location, they should know that and be able to explain it to you. ***   

3. Passionate: Insurance isn’t a game. It’s a necessity. The agent should have a true desire to learn the needs of their insureds and match them up with the correct products and services. 

4. Listener: Salespeople have the stereotype, deserved in some cases, as being too interested in selling their policies instead of understanding what the client needs for coverage. Your agent must be a good listener who takes notes and learns about your lifestyle.  Then, can bring you together with the insurance products that are appropriate for those needs. 5. 

5. Emotional intelligence: A good agent is also tactful and can discern a client’s financial reality and then know how to help them. They should have empathy for the client and offer the best solutions.

6. Persistence: Rejection is a fact of life in sales, even with the best salesperson. That should not discourage them. A good agent will not give up after a series of rejections but instead, keep pursuing until they get an agreement. 

7. Customer service commitment: The insurance agent should have the heart of a ‘servant-leader’. They should always be willing to meet with insureds and answer their questions. They should also help them when claims occur, and they need representation with the claim rep or others involved. The agent represents the insured.

8. “Client First” Mentality: This ties in with customer service, of course, but it’s more than that. The insured trusts the insurance agent. They believe that the agent has their best needs at heart, not their commission. So, it’s crucial that the agent does not over-insure or assign them policies that would earn them a higher commission. 

9. Eager to assist: No client wants a droll, unenthusiastic, and dreary insurance agent. Instead, the agent should be friendly, excited, and eager to please the client. They should be someone who believes in their products and looks forward to any opportunity to discuss them with others.

10. Disciplined: They should be self-starters and independent. They should be able to motivate themselves throughout the day and work well with their clients, staff, and community. 

Do these traits describe your insurance agent? If not, what traits are they lacking? If they do possess these traits, keep them. If not or only a few, you may want to reconsider your agent. They are too important to be taken lightly. 

Lindquist Insurance has licensed and knowledgeable insurance agents who will listen to you and help you meet your coverage needs. Call (301) 694-0008 for a consultation. We serve the Frederick, MD, and Annapolis, MD areas. 

*** For more on the required insurance limits, visit the Maryland government website.