Totaljobs.com > Career Advice > Careers in... > Careers in Insurance > Account Handler job description
Job description: Account Handler
As an account handler or manager, it will be your job to develop business accounts and increase sales of your employer's insurance policies. You would promote the insurance company's policies to agents like insurance brokers and independent financial advisers (IFAs), with the aim of getting them to sell the policies to their customers.
Typically, your duties will include:
- Building good working relationships with brokers and other agents
- Promoting new insurance products, often working to agreed sales targets
- Being responsible for several business accounts
- Setting up meetings to develop new business accounts
- Working with insurance underwriters to adapt policies
- Setting up claims handling teams and contact centre support for new policies
- Monitoring agents' sales performance
- Developing marketing literature
- Advising on existing products
- Making sure that agents meet financial services authority (FSA) rules.
Hours and Environment
You'll normally work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. You may also need to network with clients in the evenings.
Generally, you'll be office-based, although it's also possible to work from home. You'll spend much of your time visiting brokers and agents in your sales area.
Skills and Interests
To be a successful account manager, it will be very useful to have:
- Good spoken and written communication skills
- Excellent sales and negotiation skills
- Honesty and integrity
- Organisation and attention to detail
- Drive and motivation, for meeting targets
- The ability to gather and analyse information
- Good business sense
- Confidence in making presentations and networking
- The ability to manage large budgets and contracts.
Entry
Typically, you will start as an insurance technician, junior account handler, underwriter or sales administrator, and progress into business development as your experience grows. Alternatively, you could have a background in sales and marketing, financial advice or another area of financial services.
Entry requirements can vary between employers in the insurance industry. Companies often prefer you to have minimum qualifications of GCSEs (A-C) in English and maths. You may need A levels or similar to get onto management training schemes.
You may be able to get into the insurance industry through an Apprenticeship scheme. The range of Apprenticeships available in your area will depend on the local jobs market and the types of skills employers need from their workers. For more information on Apprenticeships, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk.
If you have a degree, you could join a large insurance firm's graduate training scheme. Most degree subjects are accepted, but you may have an advantage with a good degree (class 2:2 or above) in a business or maths-related subject.
Some insurance account handlers are independent financial advisers who choose to move into the business side. See the Financial Adviser profile for more details about qualifying as an IFA.
Training
Most of your training will be on the job. Your employer will train you in their products, and may also provide sales and marketing training.
You could improve your career prospects by taking professional insurance industry qualifications. The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) provides a clear career structure from trainee to professional level, with qualifications as follows:
- CII Certificate in Insurance
- CII Diploma in Insurance
- CII Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII).
See the CII's website for more details about their qualifications.
There are other qualifications aimed at anyone offering advice on general insurance products, such as the IFS School of Finance Certificate in Regulated General Insurance (CeRGI).
If you work for a company that mainly markets insurance products to independent financial advisers, you may find it helpful to take qualifications in financial advice and planning from the CII or ifs School of Finance. For more details, see the Financial Adviser profile.
You may also find it useful to take qualifications and short courses in sales, marketing and account management, from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) or the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM). See the CIM or ISMM websites for more information.
Opportunities
You could work for insurance companies all over the UK. Jobs may be advertised in the local and press, in industry magazines, and by financial services recruitment agencies.
With experience and a good track record, you could be promoted to sales manager, area manager or other senior management jobs. Alternatively, you could move into sales, marketing or account handling in other industries.
Annual Income
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
- Starting salaries are usually between £17,000 and £22,000 a year.
- Earnings can range from £25,000 to £35,000 a year with experience.
- Senior managers can earn £40,000 or more.
It is also common to earn commission and bonuses on top of the basic salary. A salary package may also include a company car allowance, insurance and pension benefits.
Jobs in Insurance
Other Careers in Insurance
