A Day in the Life: What I Do as an Insurance Agent

A Day in the Life: What I Do as an Insurance Agent

We’re in the middle of the holiday season, a time to spend with friends and loved ones—and also get to know each other better. I’ve learned so much from some of my online friendships, and I’d like to get to know my Equifax Personal Finance Blog readers better, too.

You know I share insurance advice and tips here at the blog, but what else do I do? Sometimes I feel like the better question is “What don’t I do?”

The simple answer is I work in the family business at Rey Insurance Agency. But as any small-business owner knows, the answer is never that simple. On a regular basis, we have to review and manage operations, reports, human resources, and budgeting.

There are not-so-fun times, such as when I have to handle problems like a possible claim dispute, or a disgruntled client (yes, they do exist, no matter how much you pride yourself on delivering excellent customer service).

But let’s talk about the fun aspects of my job: building business connections and helping clients.

Everyone knows that in order to have a business, you have to have clients. In order to have clients, you have to find them, or they have to find you. To facilitate that, we use advertising and marketing. Marketing is one of my favorite parts of the job, because I get the opportunity to meet amazing, accomplished people who are looking to either better their insurance portfolio or avoid a problem with it.

Either way, if I can help, it’s a win-win.

The marketing aspect of my job involves attending and sometimes sponsoring events for local business organizations and nonprofits. I’ve been involved with the launch of a local professional women’s organization, and recently I helped out with Netgating, an event that brought business networking together with Monday Night Football tailgating. Networking doesn’t have to be stodgy meetings and coffee dates. My goal is to make it as fun as possible and to build better relationships with business connections and clients.

My marketing efforts also include being very active on social media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. These sites are a great venue to advertise our business, products, and services, but they’ve also allowed us to connect with people we wouldn’t otherwise have met, and we are grateful for that. Online relationships help us understand our customers better while helping build brand awareness.

When I’m not marketing, I’m involved in quoting and presenting various proposals for life insurance, health insurance, disability and long-term care insurance, and business insurance. My partner (who is also my sister) quotes all the personal lines insurance, which includes auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance, and umbrella liability protection. I do, however, on occasion, get involved with underwriting, presenting, and closing those personal lines risks.

When I’m quoting insurance, I’m not just trying to get new clients. I want to work with my existing clients to make sure they have the best insurance products for their changing needs. I’ve talked here on the Equifax Personal Finance Blog about ways to save money on your car insurance and what kind of coverage you need in your homeowner’s insurance policy. My clients have these same changing needs, and I love to make sure we’re providing the best product.

That’s my life as a small-business partner and insurance agent. How does it compare to your job?

Let’s connect on Facebook and Twitter, and leave your comments here on the blog. I’d love to hear from you about your insurance questions. Connecting with my clients and readers helps remind me of all the wonderful things that have made up my twenty-five years in the insurance industry.

Linda Rey is a licensed insurance agent at Rey Insurance with a broad spectrum of expertise in life, accident, health, property and casualty insurance as well as retirement planning and college funding strategies.

Follow Linda on Twitter.