Insurance Agents, Make Working From Home Work for You

During the industrial age, workers migrated from field to factory. In today’s digital landscape workers are flocking back to the homestead, moving their operations from high-rises to home offices.

Easy access to new technology has encouraged the growth of this remote workforce. In fact, more than 13.4 million employees now work from home. That’s a 35 percent increase from the previous decade. Insurance agents can take advantage of this trend and grow their businesses in a comfortable, flexible environment.

Yet, insurance agents who choose to work from home are the most successful when they do certain things — and avoid others entirely. Here are five tried and true tips for making home office life work to your benefit.

1. Establish a schedule and stick to it.

A schedule starts at the beginning of the day and ends with a firm stop time.

There’s plenty of research to support the importance of waking up at the same time every day and maintaining a consistent schedule. Stanford University shares this tip with students: “Keeping regular hours will not only train your body to be more alert when you wake up but will also help you to manage your time better.”

With no division between your home and work life, it can be easy to wake up whenever you want, cave to distractions throughout the day and work all hours of the night.

• What to avoid: Skip the temptation to sleep in and make up hours late into the night.
• What to do instead: Set up regular office hours with clear start and stop times.

2. Dress for success, every day.

You don’t necessarily have to wear a suit and starched button-down, but make it a point to get out of your pajamas. Doing so will have a marked effect on your productivity and mental processes.

According to one Atlantic article, the clothes not only make the man but they also “make the man perceive the world differently.” The psychological benefits of what you wear can influence what you think and how you feel. It can either elicit a sense of confidence and power or its opposite.

• What to avoid: Don’t skip showers and work in sloppy sweats (or worse, what you slept in).
• What to do instead: Enforce a business casual dress code at your home office.

3. Arrange to have social interaction, often.

Even if you identify as an introvert, all of us require healthy doses of human contact. We’re social creatures, and to entirely silo yourself can be dangerous in the long run.

This is especially true if you go from being in a busy office every day to working from the silence of your home. While you may not miss the unnecessary meetings or office politics, eventually, being alone day in and day out can start to sink your productivity. It can also take a toll on your romantic relationships by putting too much strain for socializing on your partner.

• What to avoid: Don’t work around the clock, chained to your computer, alone in your home.
• What to do instead: Schedule lunch meetings with policyholders, join a networking group or work from a coffee shop a few days a week.

4. Have a plan for taking policyholder meetings, in person and by phone.

Whether you have policyholders calling in with questions about their insurance plans or scheduling meetings to discuss their policies, conducting these interactions from home could prove tricky.

If you have kids or pets, the noise could complicate a call. Similarly, you may not feel comfortable inviting a client to your house for an in-person discussion. Coffee shops may be a nice alternative, but they can also be problematic with their noisy crowds and lack of amenities. Still, having a designated place to host these meetings can maintain your professional demeanor.

• What to avoid: Avoid taking important calls or meetings in a noisy or otherwise unprofessional environment.
• What to do instead: Research co-working spaces in your area that offer private offices for affordable monthly or daily rates.

5. Limit distractions effectively.

With a lack of external accountability to keep you on track, there are countless distractions to derail you when working from home. Be it a sink full of dirty dishes or a steady stream of push notifications, the temptation to interrupt your workday is always there.

While you might be able to put down that honey-do list, staying away from the internet may be a challenge. That’s due to the addictive nature of social media notifications, like Facebook. According to Bloomberg News, Americans now spend more time trolling their feeds than they do caring for their pets or completing household chores!

• What to avoid: Don’t get pulled away from essential work tasks in favor of household chores or internet surfing.
• What to do instead: Save chores for after office hours and install browser extensions like StayFocusd that limit the time spent on time-wasting websites like Facebook.

Wrap-Up

Working from home can be glorious! It can also be terribly distracting. Don’t get caught in these five common traps. With a few simple changes, insurance agents can continue to sign new policyholders and grow their brand, all from the comfort of their home offices.

Originally published 12/2/15; Updated 2/20/17