The Ultimate Guide to Time Management as an Insurance Agent
As an insurance agent, you are probably used to having a busy schedule, and effective time management is a must to live a balanced lifestyle. However, time management is not quite as simple as filling out your calendar. Making the most of your days requires strategic planning and prioritization.
If you are an insurance agent who feels overwhelmed by your fast-paced lifestyle, you are not alone. Whether you specialize in service or sales, there are some distinctive strategies you can use to keep your days balanced and maximize your productiveness. Keep reading for some tips and tools to manage your time as an insurance agent.
Track Your Current Behaviors
Before changing anything, take a few days or a week to track how you are spending time. This doesn’t have to be a complicated system, but the end goal is to locate areas where you feel you could be more efficient. Keep a daily log of hours spent on the following:
Meetings and appointments
Client calls
Administrative work
Breaks
Any other commitments in your day
Once you have this list assembled, identify if you feel as though you are spending too much or not enough time on certain tasks. Are you meeting your goals? Gaining a clear sense of how you spend your day is the first step to understanding how you can better manage your time and potentially cut out unnecessary or redundant tasks.
Know the Difference Between Busy and Productive
This step might seem obvious, but it’s crucial: being busy is not the same thing as being productive, and to effectively time manage, you will need to set your priorities on productivity over keeping a full schedule.
Although productive people can often be busy, busy people are not always productive. After you’ve tracked your daily tasks, ask yourself the following questions to determine if you are making the most out of your time:
Do you have clear goals and objectives for all your tasks?
Are you measuring your progress over time?
Are there unnecessary tasks that could be cut from your day?
The above questions will help guide your thinking as you determine what tasks are taking up the most of your time and if they are truly worthwhile. While tedious work is present in almost every career, focusing on the tasks that generate the most impact and help you meet your goals will maximize your efficiency.
Determine Your Most Important Tasks
Knowing which tasks are crucial to your work is not always easy. If you are a service agent, client satisfaction might be your biggest priority. If you specialize in sales, reaching out to contacts and selling policies could top your list.
Regardless of your area of expertise, you can identify your priorities by speaking directly to a supervisor or boss and asking them what they think you should focus your time on. Based on their advice, go through and classify your daily tasks based on priority level (high to low) and deadlines, if any.
Another thing to take into consideration is which tasks result most directly in measurable progress. Keeping up to date on office duties is certainly necessary, but might not be as reflective of your success as assisting clients or reaching out to prospective buyers.
Set Short-term Goals
It is likely that you already have goals in your workplace that your company wants you to meet; however, you should also factor your personal short-term goals into the way you manage your time. Thinking about how you wish to grow as an agent will help you to focus and maintain your drive.
Goals do not necessarily have to be calls made or clients served. If you are hoping to achieve a better work-life balance to have time to spend with family and friends, it will be essential to make the most of your time at work.
Regardless of what they are, goals should be clear and attainable. Setting goals will provide the motivation you need to pursue productivity.
Get Organized
Improving the way you keep your life orderly will go a long way in helping you manage your time as an insurance agent. Even if you already consider yourself a fairly organized person, consider organization a learned skill that needs continuous practice. There is no one way to be organized, but practicing some of the following strategies will help you maximize efficiency in your life.
Plan Out Your Time
All insurance agents can benefit from keeping a schedule. Whether you do it electronically or on paper, your schedule should take into account the following:
Meetings
Client calls
Deadlines
Appointments
Project work time
Any other commitment
Additionally, you should plan out your schedule not just for the day or week, but as far forward into the future as you can. This will help prepare you for upcoming deadlines or future projects.
An added benefit of planning out your schedule is increasing your attentiveness toward clients. Keeping close track of appointments and scheduled meetings will help you ensure that you are always mindful of others’ time and allow you to provide quality service to current and prospective clients.
Automate Services
Some tasks may not need to be done by you. If possible, consider investing in some automated services, such as those for email marketing, that will allow you to save time that you might otherwise spend doing generic work.
If you do choose to rely on automatic responses or messengers, remember that this is no substitute for quality client interaction. These emails will just serve as a placeholder or a way to gauge interest until you can connect with people directly.
Set Reminders
Even if you have a perfectly structured calendar, it is still possible to overlook things. Setting reminders on your laptop or phone will keep you accountable both for attendance at commitments and also for any prep work you might need to do.
Consider setting multiple reminders if a task is important going as far forward as a day in advance or as close to fifteen minutes before your appointment.
Be Able to Adapt
Once you have an organizational system in place, do not be afraid to make adjustments wherever it is necessary. If a certain reminder or calendar system is not working for you, try out something new. It might take some time before you find the perfect setup.
Streamline Systems Where You Can
Insurance agents can manage their time wisely by streamlining their schedules to maximize efficiency. Streamlining can look different for everybody, but the overall goal should be to simplify tasks where you can and avoid unnecessary complications that can impact your day.
The following are some areas that benefit from a streamlined approach:
Your calendar: If you’re balancing multiple calendars, this can cause you to waste time each day going back and forth between scheduling systems and may cause you to overlook appointments. Stick to a single calendar—it may look overwhelming at first, but it will simplify things in the long run.
Your communications: Life as an insurance agent requires a lot of communication, but you should resist the temptation to overdo it. If it is possible to say something in one email rather than two, just send one. Save yourself time by avoiding unnecessary exchanges.
Your meetings: Meetings are an essential part of a workday, but these can be streamlined, too. Set meeting blocks for 30 or 45 minutes instead of a full hour to encourage maximum productivity in a given time. If you find certain meetings are unnecessary, consider removing them from your schedule.
Your technology: Rather than shying away from learning new technology, embrace it! Technology can make life a lot easier for both you and your clients. Using online resources, such as portals for online payments, can save time that you can dedicate toward other projects.
Certain aspects of work and life will always be complicated, but not all of it has to be. If you can find ways to make your life easier, you can spend more time doing quality work.
Become a Scheduling Expert
The way you choose to schedule time can be a great advantage—use it! Although keeping a schedule may seem like a chore, strategically thinking through your daily and weekly agenda will allow you to make the most of your day.
Schedule Time for Projects and Administration
It is easy to fill a day with meetings and appointments, but quality work is not usually accomplished in meetings. Make sure you have time set aside to work on any projects you have or tending to administrative tasks and then put that time in your calendar.
Schedule “meetings” with yourself to attend to necessary tasks such as:
Paperwork
Long-term projects
Client needs
Having a set time to work on these tasks will ensure that you don’t overlook them.
Set Aside Prospecting Time
If you’re an insurance agent specializing in sales, you know that reaching out to prospective clients can take up a lot of time. Block time in your calendar that you will dedicate to prospecting. Having a set start and end time will allow you to fully dedicate yourself to reaching out during the time provided.
You might also find it useful to set a goal number of contacted leads that you will reach during this time. You can adjust it as necessary to fit the amount of time that you schedule for prospecting, but this strategy can allow you to feel as though you are truly getting the most out of your time and hard work.
Know Your Scheduling Preferences
It is important to be accommodating, but you shouldn’t ignore the ways that you prefer to work, too. If you are a person who focuses better in the morning, try to shift the majority of your high-priority tasks to the first half of your day.
Being attuned to your preferences will help you ensure that you’re structuring your day around the times when you work the best. Save low-priority administrative duties or other tasks for the times when you know you will need a mental break.
Give Yourself Breaks
Taking breaks is not a weakness, but a necessity that can even improve your efficiency. In a fast-paced job, burnout is a real concern. Respect your lunch breaks, and schedule time in your day if you ever need to take a breather.
Taking care of yourself is important and can rejuvenate you to better apply yourself to your work once you’re back.
Turn Off Your Email
Email allows for quick and reliable communication, but it can also be a major distraction. Checking emails constantly can interrupt your workflow or take your attention away from clients when you’re quoting or making sales calls.
As an insurance agent, answering emails is inevitable. However, if you have time that you know needs to be spent on a certain project, consider turning off your email while you get work done. Some even suggest turning off your email for a certain amount of time each day so that you can fully focus on work.
If you don’t feel comfortable turning off your email entirely, there are some other strategies:
Mute notifications: Banners and alerts can be a nuisance and distract you from getting work done. Muting notifications on your email application will allow you to work without interruptions but check your email when necessary.
Set Reminders: For emails that don’t need immediate attention, you can set a reminder to tend to them at a more opportune time in your day.
Limit your email checks: Instead of turning email off entirely, tell yourself you will only check once every half hour, hour, or when you notice you have received more than a set number of emails.
Compulsively checking messages can take away brain power from more important tasks. Taking small breaks from your inbox will allow you to clear your mind and focus on your clients’ needs.
Change Your Client Interactions
Insurance would not be possible without clients, and for both service and sales agents, your job duties probably entail a lot of client interactions. However, even though they are the priority, client calls can take up a lot of time as well. Strategizing your calls and meetings with clients will help increase your effectiveness.
Don’t be Afraid of the Hold Function
You might have heard that it is bad manners to put people on hold, but a brief hold while you gather the information you need can be very helpful. If you are struggling to focus or locate resources, ask the client to hold instead of calling them back at a future time.
Not only does holding give you space to clear your head, but it also minimizes back-and-forth phone calls and therefore maximizes your efficiency within the conversation.
Keep in mind though that excessively long or frequent holds may anger a client or cause them to leave the call. Use discretion when you place people on hold and stay on the line if a client seems upset.
Get to the Point
Using clear, concise language goes a long way in keeping your phone calls short and effective. Think of the following suggestions as you have conversations with clients:
Be polite, but don’t overdo the small talk: Spending too much time discussing the weather or personal lives can distract from the purpose of the call. Odds are your client is a busy person and doesn’t have too much time to talk.
State your purpose: Before going into a call, have a clear idea of what information you need from a current or prospective client, and then ask.
Use one phone call, if possible: Get as much accomplished in your first conversation rather than relying on a back-and-forth. Establish a relationship and do your best to convey all the information in the space provided.
Clients are your priority and being effective in your interactions will allow you to reach out to more of them.
For Sales Agents: Dedicate Time to Your Best Clients
As a sales agent, you might be tempted to spend a lot of time tending to small premium accounts. While these accounts certainly do need some attention, constantly chasing down payments or following up with customers can lead to dead ends and a lot of wasted time.
Just as you prioritize things in your schedule, you should also prioritize your clients. Make sure that medium- and high-profile clients who are consistent and generate a lot of revenue for the company are getting their needs met.
Although all accounts should get your attention - make sure you are not neglecting the consistent accounts that help your company succeed.
Work Through Mistakes
Mistakes happen to everyone, but people who manage their mistakes well can save time and energy in the long run. Insurance agents who do the following when they make a mistake will see greater success and effectiveness over time:
Acknowledge your error: It can be tempting to keep going, but leveling with yourself and any others affected is the first step toward resolution.
Take the time to fix it: Go back and speak to an affected client, if any, and explain the issue. Even if no one is seemingly impacted by the mistake, resolving the issue may save time if future complications arise.
Don’t cut corners: Solving an issue might take time that can feel like it is going to waste, but you should always take the time to fully fix a mistake. A job halfway done will only result in future complications and more time dedicated to an error.
Learn from it: Everyone slips up, so the best thing to do is learn from it. Make note of what went wrong or speak to someone experienced about how you might avoid the issue in the future.
There is no avoiding the occasional mistake. However, being savvy in how you handle errors will allow you to resolve issues faster and avoid reoccurrence in the future.
Arrange Your Physical Space
As an insurance agent, you probably work at a desk, and constantly sifting through clutter on your desktop or in drawers can take up a lot of your time. Keeping a tidy desk does not have to be a chore and can be made easier with the help of some strategies and products.
Invest in Organization
You do not have to spend a lot of money, but buying a few desktop organizers can be a lifesaver for keeping your desk free of clutter and other debris. The following can help you as you keep your space clean:
Clip together papers
Keep pens and pencils in one spot
Invest in a document organizer
Keeping your desktop tidy is a simple fix, and the minutes it saves each day will add up in the long run.
Develop a Labeling System
If you have drawers of papers that you are constantly sifting through, consider developing a system so you know what paperwork is located in each location.
Labels can be as simple as taping a piece of paper on a drawer, or you can use a labeling machine. Either way, the goal should be to know what each drawer contains, and quickly be able to find things when you need them.
Alphabetize Your Clients
Dealing with a lot of client information can result in organizational chaos and time spent searching for papers. If you do have physical copies of client information, sort it out alphabetically and store it this way.
It may take some time to do this, but it will be worth it when you are on the phone with a client and need to locate their information quickly.
Be Sure to Eliminate Clutter
Take a critical look at everything that is on your desk. If you rarely use it, ask yourself if it is something that you need to have nearby. Odds are, you can probably get rid of many of your office supplies, or at least move them to a new location.
The same advice goes for old paperwork as well. Follow your company’s guidelines on discarding potentially confidential information, but if paperwork is completely outdated, you don’t need to keep it.
Deal with Incoming Information Immediately
Instead of leaving stacks of paperwork on your desk to be handled at a future date, look at papers immediately and file them away. Although this is about your physical desk space, immediately filing information is a good practice when you are dealing with electronic paperwork, too.
Don’t Be Afraid of Teamwork
Life as an insurance agent does not have to be solitary; working with others can cause tasks to become more manageable and projects to take place efficiently. The following are ways you can use teamwork to assist your time management strategy:
Ask for advice: If you don’t know something, coworkers can be a great resource and save you time that you might otherwise spend problem-solving.
Delegate: If you have too many responsibilities, see if a coworker with a lighter schedule or a different skill set might be willing to help you.
Working through errors: As you and your coworkers occasionally slip up, work with one another to fix mistakes and get back on track faster.
Teamwork is an important asset in any work environment. As an insurance agent, don’t be afraid to rely on your coworkers. As you help one another, jobs can be accomplished faster.
Keep an Eye on the Future
Being an insurance agent requires a lot of day-to-day interactions and new tasks coming your way; however, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend time on things that will help you attain goals for the future.
Thinking about your future goals or responsibilities as an agent can be critical to helping you determine your priorities and setting benchmarks for yourself.
Establish Career Goals
Maybe you want to advance within your organization to a new role in a few years. If this is the case, start thinking about what you can do now to better improve your chances for promotion. This can include:
Setting goals for client service needs or sales
Speaking with a boss or supervisor about leadership opportunities
Gaining relevant skills for a desired role
Future planning shouldn’t detract from your current tasks, but do not overlook it. Invest in your future and spend time accordingly.
Continuing Education
Keep in mind that some insurance agents have to do ongoing benchmarks that they need to meet to retain their insurance license. How often you have to renew your license depends on what state you live in. However, all agents will need to renew at some point, and this often includes meeting a certain number of continuing education (CE) hours.
If you have training requirements on your horizon, think about how you will dedicate time to these requirements and fulfill your CE hours. Even if it’s far away, preplanning will help you in the long run.
Conclusion
Insurance agents can find a way to balance their lives and maximize professional success. It may take some planning, but trying what works for you and strategizing will soon allow you to make the most of your days at work and beyond.
Sources:
https://www.agencyperformancepartners.com/time-management/
http://agencyconsulting.com/time-management-for-insurance-agents/
https://agentsalliance.com/time-management-in-the-insurance-office/
https://www.pttfinancial.com/mbr/time-management-tips-for-insurance-agents/
https://collaborazon.com/4-time-management-tips-for-insurance-agents/
https://staterequirement.com/insurance-license-renewal/
https://amtrustfinancial.com/resource-center/insurance-career-tips/time-management-schedule-at-work
https://www.agencybloc.com/resources/manage-your-agency/productivity/how-to-manage-to-do-list/
