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Last Updated on October 14, 2023 by Work In My Pajamas
With the ever-growing list of work at home side hustles, one opportunity that doesn’t get much coverage is insurance sales. Specifically, life insurance sales. I know what you are thinking, that selling life insurance involves wearing business clothes and frequently meeting at coffee shops and kitchen tables to sell expensive and complicated policies, but that is no longer the case. In fact, thousands of agents make a decent living from the comfort of their home offices.
While it’s not as simple as signing up for a paid survey site or freelance writing, getting started in life insurance is not as hard as it seems. To get started you will need to take an exam prep course and then pass the exam for your state department of insurance. Once that is complete you will need to get contracted with a few reputable life insurance companies, so you have products to offer your clients.
Who Is It For?
Are you an outgoing person that doesn’t mind being told no? At a bare minimum, those are the requirements. You will be reaching out to many prospects via phone and email, with some in person meetings for those in your immediate network. It is a sales job, so if sales is not something you are comfortable with, this side business may not be for you.
The Hours
Like most work at home jobs, insurance sales offers flexible hours. Most agents work from a home office and occasionally will meet clients in person. This allows for very flexible hours. However, it is a profession where you get back what you put in. If you are willing to put in the effort, then you can expect good results. Most work at home gigs come down to self-discipline. If you can stay focused and avoid the temptation to slack off, then you have a great chance at success.
Cost of Getting Started
The pre-licensing exam is usually about $130. I recommend ExamFX. In order to be able to register for the state exam, you need to complete the pre-licensing course. With a few hours of studying per day you can expect to complete it in 1-2 weeks. I must emphasize that you should really focus on learning and retaining the information in the course, since you will be educating clients on the policies you are selling.
Depending on the state you live in, the cost of the exam and license vary. You can expect to spend another $70-$200 to complete this portion.
Getting Started
Assuming you have completed all of the above you can now focus on the hard part. Sales. If you are new to sales, I would recommend browsing Amazon for a sales book that will prime you on some of the psychology involved. Getting leads is the hardest thing any insurance agent has to do. There are many different methods, but for a new agent networking will be the best source of warm leads. I suggest you also pick up a book on networking while on Amazon, as it will be vital to many professions and side businesses you pursue. Also see this more detailed guide on getting started in life insurance which covers getting leads more in-depth.
Conclusion
If you find yourself bored at home wanting to earn an income, selling life insurance is always an option. A good agent can earn anywhere from a few thousand per month to over 6 figures per year. Selling to your network can be difficult at first which is why many new agents look for online brokerages to provide them with leads in exchange for a lesser commission. At NoExam.com we specialize in selling life insurance that does not require a medical exam, so all sales are done online or over the phone. So when looking for companies to work with, consider ones that have solid options for these types of policies.
Image by Select Insure Group – Life Insurance
