November 6, 2023
Insurance Account Managers: The Skills That Set You Apart
by Amy Stuntz
What skills are most in-demand for insurance agency account managers? A combination of the right soft skills and technical skills will attract the greatest hiring managers.
Desirable soft skills will vary by company. Every insurance agency should have the right profile planned out that best aligns with the type and style of their producers and their agency’s workflows. Typically, a combination of solid customer service skills, great communication, and being detail oriented will be the most attractive.
Technical and hard skills are more easily defined and can often be determined based on the book of business you will manage. Below are some of the clearly defined skills often needed by account managers based on discipline, and questions to ask yourself to help determine if a particular client service role is right for you.
Most Desired Client Management Skills by Insurance Discipline
Commercial Lines
- Niche markets: What percentage of your book consists of a particular vertical product specialty?
- Sizes of accounts: What is your average account size in revenue?
- How large is the book of business you are managing in revenue?
- How many producers do you support?
- Which agency management system(s) are you proficient in?
- Do you have experience working remotely?
Personal Lines
- What lines of coverage are you strongest in?
- What insurance company online rating platforms have you used?
- Which carriers do you have experience marketing to and placing accounts with?
- What percentage of your book is middle market vs High Net Worth/Private Client?
- How many policies do you manage?
Employee Benefits
- What type of funding arrangements do you have experience with? i.e., Self-funded, Level-Funded, or fully-insured health plans?
- Are you current with compliance standards?
- What percentage of your day is divided between these three areas:
- Behind-the-scenes policy management and service processes
- Data and program analytics (to include benchmarking and spreadsheeting)
- Client engagement (to include proposals, presentations, enrollments, etc.)
Thinking about making a job change? It’s important to have these skills highlighted in your resume. Check out these resume writing tips from my colleague Jordan for guidance on how to make your insurance skills stand out.