Agent Fundamentals: Insurance Sales Training for New and Developing Agents
Foundational field skills for prospective, new and developing insurance agents. Five courses, each defined by what you will be able to do on completion.
Opening Q1 2027
Five courses that follow the selling process
Agent Fundamentals is the Academy’s foundation pillar. Its courses follow the order in which an agent encounters them in the field: finding people to see, opening the conversation, presenting, analysing the need, and closing.
Course 1.1
Prospecting
Identifying the ideal prospect and building a planned, well-recorded pipeline of quality people to see.
Course 1.2
Approaches
Meeting and greeting, structured approach talks, body language and the handling of common objections.
Course 1.3
Sales Presentation
Mastering proven presentations that move a prospect out of complacency and open the discussion on life insurance.
Course 1.4
Financial Needs Analysis
A simple, structured method for measuring a prospect’s present resources against future needs and recommending solutions.
Course 1.5
Closing the Sale
Moving from the earlier steps to a confident close using implied consent, logical and motivational closes.
Prospecting
Whether they can find enough people to sell to is the greatest concern for every prospective and new agent, and it’s well founded: many agents who didn’t succeed in the business can trace it to failing to master this skill. Prospecting is one of the simplest activities to learn and one of the most difficult to master. An agent who masters it will always have quality people to see.
As Carlyle puts it: show me a good prospector and I will show you an agent who cannot fail.
Course outline
- Identifying the ideal prospect.
- Examining different prospecting methods.
- Selecting the most effective method.
- Learning a prospecting talk.
- Improving the quality of prospects.
Learning objectives
On completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Deliver a prospecting talk.
- Rate prospects.
- Set up a record-keeping system for prospects.
- Prepare a prospecting plan.
Target audience
- Prospective agents coming into the business.
- New agents with under three years in the business.
- Advanced agents wanting to improve their market.
- Agents wanting to target specific markets.
- Agents and managers wanting to teach or mentor younger agents.
Approaches
There is a saying that we have 10 seconds to make a first impression, and first impressions last. For salespeople, this matters because the first impression can influence the outcome of the entire selling process. Some people put others at ease from the first meeting, while others can talk for hours without creating any connection, or even turn the listener off. For a few, this ability is natural; for most, it is a learnt skill.
Course outline
- How to meet and greet.
- What to say and when to say it.
- Using body language and vocal variety.
- The most common objections and how to handle them.
Learning objectives
On completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Judge whether, when and how to shake hands.
- Deliver structured approach talks.
- Use eye contact and body language to greatest effect.
- Answer objections effectively.
Target audience
- Candidates wanting to become salespeople.
- New agents wanting to learn the fundamentals correctly.
- Existing agents needing a refresher.
- Advanced agents wanting to mentor others or move into management.
Sales Presentation
To encourage someone to do something they never planned or intended, the agent must be able to disrupt their complacency so they see things in a way they haven’t seen before. That requires a strong and effective sales presentation.
Course outline
- Several effective presentations, taught to the point of mastery.
- The Importance of Income presentation.
- The You Will Earn a Fortune presentation.
- Graphic presentations for prospects to whom visuals are more appealing.
- Creating your own presentation.
Learning objectives
On completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Disturb the prospect from complacency with skill.
- Use graphics to convince the prospect.
- Conduct a meaningful conversation on life fundamentals.
- Lay a proper foundation for the discussion on life insurance and financial planning.
Target audience
- Everyone engaged in the business of selling.
- New persons wanting to enter the business.
- Experienced agents who are not getting the desired sales results.
- Senior agents and trainee managers wanting to mentor and influence others.
Financial Needs Analysis
People without insurance feel they don’t need it, and people with insurance feel what they have is enough. The question is how much is really enough. There must be a simple, uncomplicated way to determine whether the insurance a person holds, if any, is enough, too much or too little. The Financial Needs Analysis (FNA) is designed to do exactly that.
Course outline
- Gathering the personal information necessary to assess a person’s situation.
- Obtaining financial data to form a clear picture of present status.
- Examining the prospect’s financial goals and objectives.
- Measuring present resources against future needs to determine adequacy.
- Making recommendations to meet any shortfall.
Learning objectives
On completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Ask relevant questions to determine the outcome.
- Collate the information gathered into a clear format.
- Skilfully elicit the details of the prospect’s goals and plans.
- Help the prospect to quantify those goals.
- Point out, respectfully, any shortfalls discovered.
- Recommend solutions.
Target audience
- Every professional engaged in the business of selling.
- Agents who are not getting the desired results.
- Agents wanting to improve the quantity and quality of their business.
- Senior agents wanting to become mentors and managers in the future.
In their own words
Testimonials from Carlyle’s How Much Is Enough training on insurance needs analysis.
Davika Ramnarine-Ragoo
Tara Lalchan
Closing the Sale
Closing is the most important step in the selling process. If the sale isn’t closed, nothing happens: the prospect or client is left in the same position they were in when they met the agent, the agent earns nothing and gets no production credit, and nothing is added to the company’s bottom line. A great opportunity is missed.
Course outline
- Using implied consent.
- At least five different methods of closing the sale.
- Telling motivating stories.
Learning objectives
On completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Move smoothly from the previous step through to the close.
- Uncover hidden objections.
- Apply logical closes.
- Use motivational closes effectively.
Target audience
- Anyone engaged in the business of sales.
- Agents wanting to improve their closing ratios.
- Agents wanting to sell larger cases.
- Agents wanting to improve their persistency.
- Advanced agents wanting to go into management or train younger agents.
Carlyle on prospecting, from the field
Prospecting in the Modern Market: What Still Works and Why
An Early Lesson from the Field: Insurance Prospecting Is a Numbers Game
Be first to know when Agent Fundamentals opens
The Academy opens in Q1 2027. Pre-registered members are notified first.