Top 10 websites for insurance sales training

Insurance sales training is key to succeeding in this constantly evolving industry. Find out where you can find the program that suits your business

Top 10 websites for insurance sales training

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By Mark Rosanes

Selling insurance can be an attractive option if you’re looking to start a career in a thriving industry that rewards hard work and dedication. Getting the right insurance sales training is one of the keys to achieving that.

To help you reach your professional goals faster, Insurance Business lists the 10 best places to get insurance sales training online. We will give you a rundown of the top websites to take insurance training courses, along with the features and benefits of each.

If you feel like a role in insurance sales matches your skills and talent, this guide can help jumpstart your career. Read on and find out which of these insurance sales training providers is the best option.

Top 10 websites for insurance sales training

The Insurance Business research team analyzed the various courses offered by dozens of insurance sales training providers to come up with this list. Since each aspiring insurance agent comes with different training needs, it’s hard to choose a clear-cut leader. We decided instead to arrange the list alphabetically.

Here are our picks for the 10 best websites to get insurance sales training.

 

1. Anthony Cole Training

Anthony Cole Training Group works with companies’ sales teams to craft a training program tailored to meet their unique business needs. The firm employs experienced training professionals who help salespeople develop a system “to grow leads into prospects, prospects into opportunities, and opportunities into sales.”

The provider’s trademarked Sales Managed Environment (SME) program helps sales managers sharpen their skills in the following areas:

  • coaching for success
  • mentorship and motivation
  • performance management
  • recruitment and team management
  • coaching an effective selling system

Anthony Cole Training caters to a range of industries, so it’s not just focused on insurance. Its insurance sales training programs are designed to help producers become more skilled at having consultative conversations with clients and staff.

 

2. Agency Performance Partners

Agency Performance Partners (APP) works with insurance agencies to help grow and succeed. The company provides these businesses with a range of programs and services designed to boost profit and reduce system inefficiencies. These include:

  • agency culture assessment
  • benchmarking
  • customer retention strategy development
  • management and supervisory coaching
  • management skill-building
  • planning and implementation tools
  • sales planning

In terms of insurance sales training, APP offers its flagship AppX insurance agency e-course catering to agents in small commercial and personal lines. The program helps agencies maximize inbound sales opportunities by training agents on how to track and manage new leads.

Kelly Donahue-Piro, APP’s founder and president, tells Insurance Business that having a solid sales process is crucial for any insurance agency aiming to improve profitability.

“There is an age-old debate: do you need a highly gifted sales professional or a good salesperson who is gifted at learning and executing the right process,” she explains. 

“At APP, we believe a good process makes everyone on the team stronger. Our sales training process is focused. We outline what to do when and what to do when plan A in sales may not work. When good people can get comfortable with a great process, you get repeatable results.”

Here’s Donahue-Piro discussing the challenges agencies face when it comes to insurance sales training and how these can be addressed.

3. Art Life Insurance Agency

Art Life Insurance Agency (ALIA) provides sales coaching services and one-on-one mentorships to agents who want to specialize in life insurance and annuities. Its programs are designed to teach insurance agents effective sales strategies. These courses also aim to impart the skills necessary to build a successful insurance business.

ALIA’s insurance sales training programs cater to both new agents and industry veterans. These include courses on sales coaching and motivation, people skills, and guidance and support. The firm also offers a career pathways program for women and people of color aspiring to enter the financial services industry.

4. Factor 8

Factor 8 is a sales representative and manager training company focused on virtual sales skills. The company was formed by sales experts who share a passion for developing people. The firm serves a range of sectors, including financial services, technology, media, hospitality, and professional services.

Factor 8’s portfolio includes an online insurance sales training curriculum for business development representatives, account executives, and sales managers. The courses can be accessed 24/7. The company also offers a manager training program that teaches actual tactical job skills like coaching sales calls, running pipeline meetings, and conducting one-on-one sales.

5. Insurance Pro Shop

Insurance Pro Shop is a full-service provider of sales training, coaching, and support resources for agents specializing in life insurance and annuities. Its programs are designed for industry sales professionals and financial advisors “who really want to help people.”

The company’s flagship Trusted Advisor Success Program is marketed as a program to teach insurance agents how to help middle-income families achieve financial independence. Members can access free reports, educational workshops, and seminars about insurance marketing strategies. The program includes 90 days of personal training and coaching, and back-office sales support.   

The company’s main selling point is its affordability. Here’s co-creator and sales coach Jeremy Nason explaining the benefits of choosing Insurance Pro Shop for your insurance sales training:

6. InsuranceSales101

InsuranceSales101 provides a range of insurance sales training courses for agents selling life insurance, annuities, final expense insurance, and Medicare. Members can also choose to take the Insurance Advisor Elite program, which bundles all courses the company offers.

All InsuranceSales101 programs can be accessed online on any mobile device 24/7. The curriculum covers a range of topics, including coaching, guidance, and tips and strategies to boost sales.

 

7. RAIN Group Sales Training

RAIN Group is a global sales training provider operating in more than 70 countries. It caters to sales professionals and managers in a range of industries, including professional services, technology, life sciences, and financial services.

The company’s insurance sales training programs cover various topics, including consultative selling, sales negotiation, prospecting, and sales strategies. RAIN Group partners with the industry’s biggest names like Brighthouse Financial, Marsh McLennan, Swiss Re, and Transamerica.

Do you have what it takes to make a name for yourself in the insurance industry? Go over our guide on how to become an insurance agent.

8. Richardson Sales Performance

Richardson Sales Performance is another sales insurance provider with a global reach. Its training programs cover a range of industries, including healthcare, retail, financial services, media, and professional services. These programs can be accessed in more than 50 countries and are available in 23 languages.

Richardson’s online sales training platforms deliver short-burst, video-enriched digital courses that can be integrated into customer relations management (CRM) systems. Users can also access real-time metrics giving them actionable insights into their sales performance.

Richardson offers customizable insurance sales training programs that help agents communicate important coverage details to enable clients to make informed decisions. Among the company’s industry partners are Liberty Mutual, MetLife, Chubb, QBE, Cigna, Northwestern Mutual, and Gallagher.

9. The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research

The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research is a non-profit organization focusing on risk management and insurance professional development. The group is recognized as among the best sources for concrete knowledge, continuing education credits, and designation opportunities in the US.

The National Alliance has conducted more than 2,500 insurance education programs. These have attracted over 142,000 participants in all 50 states and throughout the Caribbean.

One of its most popular offerings is the Dynamics Series insurance sales and management training program. This is marketed as the “only insurance-specific selling process created and taught by top insurance sales professionals.” Participants of the Dynamics program are expected to learn how to:

  • succeed in hard or soft markets
  • implement a structured yet personalized sales process
  • build solid relationships with clients
  • qualify an opportunity quickly to determine if it will lead to a sale
  • avoid being used and walk away without burning a future opportunity
  • dictate the sales flow using very directed questions rather than lecture
  • speak to a customer in common language to ensure buyer understanding
  • recognize an objection and bring it to a successful conclusion
  • develop successful personal target markets
  • turn clients into a referral source
  • build and manage a pipeline of future opportunities
  • change your selling style to match clients without seeming insincere

Participants can choose to take the course virtually or in a classroom setting. Instructors also work with students one-on-one to help sharpen their personal skills.

Here’s Dynamics producer-coach Meg McKeen explaining the benefits of the program.

10. Udemy

Udemy is an online learning and teaching marketplace that offers an expansive range of courses catering to diverse industries, including insurance. Its modules include videos, text notes and assessment tests. Courses also come with video player functions such as closed captioning and note-taking.

The programs cannot be downloaded for offline viewing, although mobile app users can view the classes offline and listen to lectures on the Udemy app’s podcast mode.

Udemy has more than 62 million users learning new skills from over 213,000 online courses. The programs are available in 65 languages and can be accessed in 180 countries.

What factors should you consider when searching for an insurance sales training program?

When investing in insurance sales training, you want to make sure that your business can gain huge results. Here are some of the key factors to consider if you want to pick the best insurance sales training program for your agency:

Sales curriculum

Check whether the program’s curriculum aligns with the needs of your business. Ask for a detailed outline of the different modules. Confirm if the topics are relevant to your business and if there are subjects you need to add.

Responsiveness and professionalism

Check if the insurance sales training provider shows genuine interest in meeting your training needs. You can do this by assessing the manner and timeliness of their responses through phone calls and emails. A good provider must show a deep knowledge about their programs and can establish rapport for you and your agents. 

Customizability

A good insurance sales training program should be flexible to meet the unique needs of your business. A provider with an account that can work to customize modules to suit different sales roles in your company is a good option.

References

A sales training provider should be able to provide references to vouch for the effectiveness of their programs. You can use these sources to assess the experience of working with the provider and how they achieved their training objectives.

Reputation

You can gauge an insurance sales training provider’s level of authority by checking out their blog posts, reports, white papers, videos, and webinars.

Training channels

There are three main ways providers deliver sales training:

  • in person
  • online with a facilitator
  • online without a facilitator

You can pick the training channel that best suits you. Most insurance sales training companies also offer a blended learning approach.

Why is insurance sales training important?

Insurance is a constantly evolving industry. This is why insurance agents need to be equipped with the right skills and competencies so they can navigate the changes successfully. Getting proper sales training is key to achieving this.

A good insurance sales training program should focus on key areas such as product knowledge, effective communication, understanding client needs, and closing strategies. It also helps insurance agents establish strong relationships with customers and provide them with suitable coverage.

Ultimately, an effective insurance sales training program paves the way for increased customer satisfaction and sales performance.

Apart from proper training, having a role model that you can look up to is crucial in helping you succeed in your insurance sales career.

You don’t have to look far to find one. Our Hot 100 – Leading Insurance Professionals in the USA special report features industry professionals who are vetted by our panel of experts as dependable and trusted market leaders.

Take the time to learn more about these talented individuals. Find out how they rose through the ranks to become the most respected players in the insurance industry.

Do you think the insurance sales training websites listed above can equip you with the right skills to succeed in the industry? Were there sales training providers that we missed? Share your thoughts below.

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