The insurance industry is competitive. And if you want to build a successful career as an insurance agent, you need to leverage every tool at your disposal to stand out, build your personal brand, connect with potential accounts, and show them that you’re the agent they want for their insurance needs.
And one of the most effective tools for building that connection? Your agent bio.
Your insurance agent bio is your opportunity to share key information with potential accounts, show them the level of professionalism they can expect when working with you, and, ultimately, drive new business for your insurance agency.
But how, exactly, do you write an agent bio? What information should you include? And how can you make sure your bio clearly communicates what a great insurance agent you are—and why clients should choose to work with you over other options in the market?
Why an Insurance Agent Bio Is Important
First things first—before we jump into how to write your agent bio, let’s quickly cover why having a bio is such an important element in building a career as a successful independent agent.
A bio can help you succeed in the insurance industry in a variety of ways, including:
- It lends credibility. In order for an individual, family, or business to go to you for their insurance needs, there needs to be a certain level of trust. A good bio can help lend credibility, showing potential insureds that you’re an agent that’s experienced and knowledgeable—which will help you build your book of business.
- It creates a personal connection. Insureds want to feel like they’re doing business with an actual person; not a faceless representative of the insurance companies. Your bio helps you show potential accounts who you are as a person—and that personal connection can help convince them to engage your services.
- It gives you the opportunity to share key information… There is certain information people need in order to decide whether to work with you. For example, do you sell life insurance or health insurance? Do you specialize in working with families or small businesses? What type of insurance services do you offer your clients? Your bio is a great opportunity to provide this kind of information to potential accounts, giving them the information they need to make a buying decision.
- ...and to showcase your achievements. Do you have any industry-specific credentials that might appeal to insureds? Did you win an award for insurance sales or customer service at your insurance agency? Your bio is a great opportunity to showcase your professional achievements—and leverage those achievements to land new accounts.
How to Write Your Insurance Agent Bio
Clearly, agent bios are great marketing tools. But how do you go about writing one?
There are a few steps you’ll want to follow in writing your bio, including:
Introduce Yourself
Your bio is your opportunity to introduce yourself to your insureds—and you’ll want to take advantage of that opportunity at the very start.
Kick off your bio with a few lines that give readers insight into who you are. You’ll want to share your name and job title, but also feel free to share information that may help build a personal connection—for example, how you enjoy spending time outside of work in your personal life.
Outline Your Experience and What You Have to Offer
Once you’ve shared who you are, it’s time to share what you do. Or, in other words, the next step in writing your insurance bio? Outlining your experience and what you have to offer your insureds.
Your bio should clearly outline your experience in the insurance industry, including what type of insurance you specialize in, what type of business and/or people you serve, what insurance services you offer, what locations or areas you serve, and any professional achievements you want to highlight. If you have a solid history of working in insurance, you may also consider including your years of experience—but if you’re an agent that’s just getting their career started, feel free to leave that information out of your bio.
Showcase Why People Should Work with You over Other Agents
Your bio should give people information about you, your agency, and what types of services you provide. Consider that information the what. But if you want your bio to drive significant results for your insurance business? You also need to give them a why.
As mentioned, the insurance industry is incredibly competitive. Potential insureds, whether they’re individuals looking for a new health plan or business owners looking for workers’ compensation insurance for their teams, have a huge variety of agents to choose from. So, in your bio, you need to show them why they should choose you.
For example, let’s say you’re writing a bio for your life insurance business. Why should a person work with you over the other life insurance agents in your market? Maybe it’s the fact that you go above and beyond for your clients. Maybe it’s the fact that you bring 20+ years of experience in the field—and leverage that experience to help your insureds navigate the often confusing world of life insurance.
Whatever it is that makes you different or puts you a step above your competition, you’ll want to include it in your bio; that way, when potential insureds read it, they get a better understanding of why you’re the best agent on the market—which will increase the chance they’ll decide to engage your services.
Include Contact Information
Ideally, people will read your bio and want to work with you. But if they have no way of getting in touch with you, you might lose the opportunity.
Make sure to include your contact information in your agent bio, including your email, phone numbers (including business and personal lines), website URL, and social media handles (like your Facebook page or LinkedIn profile).
Tips for Writing an Effective Insurance Agent Bio
Knowing what to include in your bio is one part of the equation. But you also have to write the bio—and if writing doesn’t come naturally to you, you may not know where to start.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing your bio:
- Use a natural voice. You might think that the key to writing an effective bio is to sound as professional as possible. And being professional is important—but you don’t want to try so hard to sound professional that your bio ends up reading like it was written by a robot. When you’re writing, write in a natural voice—or, in other words, write like you would talk. When you read it aloud, your bio should sound similar to the way you speak in a professional setting; warm, friendly, and approachable.
- Tell a story. There’s a lot of information to fit in your bio. But you don’t want it to read like a list! Use your bio as an opportunity to tell a story; that kind of narrative-based writing can build more of a personal connection—which will make your bio more effective. So, for example, if you’re including information about your education, instead of saying “James graduated with a BA in psychology from Ohio State University,” you might say “James developed his passion for people as an undergraduate at Ohio State University, where he studied psychology. After graduation, he leveraged his background in psychology to develop an approach to the insurance industry that puts people first—and gets the results his clients deserve.”
- Keep things short. When you’re drafting your bio, it’s important to remember that you’re writing an insurance agent bio—not a novel! Most readers have limited attention spans, and if you make your bio too long, they may stop reading before they get to the most important information. Aim to keep your bio somewhere between 150 and 400 words.
Examples of Great Insurance Agent Bios
Need a little more inspiration before writing your bio? Let’s take a look at some real-life examples of great insurance agent bios to get your creative juices flowing:
Jake Johnson, Jackson Insurance Solutions, New Mexico and Wyoming
Jake Jackson is a commercial lines insurance agent working with Jackson Insurance Solutions. He has been an insurance agent for many years, helping countless small to medium sized businesses find affordable insurance that meets their needs.
When he's not on his computer or phone, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and enjoying nature. Some of his interests include running, hiking, camping, fly fishing and woodworking. With his knowledge of construction, he has had the opportunity to fully remodel two of his family homes. He has been married to the love of his life for over 5 years. The two of them have two beautiful children ages 3 and 4.
You will often find them road tripping or on the trails of the Sandia Mountains. He has worked many years in the construction trade and many more in retail. Jake decided to pursue the dream of owning his own business and did so in 2002. For 9 years he owned an electronic retail store that included residential and commercial installation work. After 9 years, he sold his successful business and moved to New Mexico.
Why it works: Johnson’s bio nails the mix between personal and professional; he clearly outlines his professional experience and background while also painting a clear picture of his interests, passions, and who he is as a person. This combination not only helps to build professional credibility, but can also build a connection with the reader—a connection that can be the push they need to reach out and engage him for their insurance needs.
To see Jake's full bio, click here.
Alison Gordon, The Insurance Mom, California
I learned a lot about insurance from Dear Old Dad—between us we have over 75 years making our clients feel like family, and take care of people just like you. Dear Old Dad taught me always to take care of my clients in the way that I would want to be taken care of. Because I always listen to my Dad, that’s just what I do.
My 30 years of experience in serving people and coordinating chaos makes The Insurance Mom a safe place to find out about the overwhelming world of HMOs, PPOs, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, and the ABCs of LTC (Long Term Care). Whether it’s just you, your family or your whole company, this Mom knows best.
The Insurance Mom knows how to protect your budget, the people you love, your lifestyle, and your future. As an Independent Broker, The Insurance Mom isn’t employed by any insurance company or big one-size-fits-all sales organization. The Insurance Mom is on your side.
Why it works: Gordon’s conversational writing style immediately draws you in; it feels like you’re chatting with a friend—not evaluating a potential insurance agent. Gordon also does an excellent job of highlighting her longstanding history in insurance—including her 30 years of personal experience and her family’s 75-year history in the industry, which lends added credibility.
To see Alison's full bio, click here.
Donald Kline, Heffernan Insurance Brokers, Locations across the US
Don Kline, CLTC, is an independent insurance professional with 34 years as a trusted advisor to families, individuals, business owners, executives, entrepreneurs and the self-employed.
He is a repeat top national producer, authority and expert witness in the areas of life and disability insurance and holds a CLTC Certified Specialist designation in Long-Term Care Insurance.
Don partners with estate planning attorneys, CPA’s, CFP’s, trust officers at banks and private fiduciaries, designing competitive and tax-efficient insurance plans. Don takes a personal approach to every aspect of his business – from assessing client needs to shopping the marketplace. Corporate officers, small business owners, and the affluent attest to Don’s skill set as invaluable.
As an impassioned ally, Don has been serving the LGBTQ+ community for his entire career. Formerly a K-5 teacher and university instructor for 16 years, he is committed to “serving, not selling,” thereby sharing his expertise and empowering his clients.
Why it works: By showcasing his extensive experience and professional accreditations, Kline’s bio immediately creates a sense of authority, which can help to breed trust with potential clients. He also highlights his personal passions and how his approach to insurance is different from other agents—which can help build a connection with his ideal accounts.
To see Donald's full bio, click here.
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