Insurance companies are becoming increasingly successful in using online technology to train their agents in the field.
In a survey of more than 900 independent insurance agents taken last year, Celent—a Boston-based consulting firm—found that 78 percent now use some kind of carrier-provided online training.
Chad Hersh, a chief analyst with Celent, believes that more than 50 percent of all insurance companies in the United States use online training and communication tools, and he predicts that number will reach 90 percent by 2006. Hersh says the factors responsible for “an unusually brisk adoption of these technologies” include the need to trim training costs and to conduct training more frequently because of the large number of new insurance products.
Another big factor, Hersh says, is that agents now understand how technology can cut their classroom and training time and enable them to spend more time selling. These agents are asking for more online learning programs, he says.
To find out more about the increasing role technology is playing in insurance training, look for the May issue of Insurance Conference Planner.