If you’ve always wanted a career in sales but have never worked in the industry, it’s easy to get discouraged when looking for jobs. Or maybe you just haven’t found the kind of company that’s dedicated to hiring and training people with zero experience. Enter SelectQuote.
The insurance brokerage—which sells a variety of products in areas like life, medical, home, and automotive—prides itself on developing new talent by giving them the tools they need to succeed. “We take chances on people who may not have a traditional sales background,” says Erin Bailey, Senior Director of Sales Operations. “What we are looking for is someone who is intelligent, coachable, and has the drive to succeed.”
Take senior sales agent Lala Hoover. She previously worked as a hostess and entertainer at a family theme restaurant prior to being hired at SelectQuote. “I had no insurance experience, but I enjoyed talking to people, and I was ambitious. I wanted to learn,” she says. Today, Hoover has been recognized as one of the top agents within the Senior division—which is actively hiring in advance of the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), which begins October 15.
Here, three employees share how SelectQuote can put you on a path to success—no sales experience required.
1. New Hires Are Supported From the Moment They’re Hired
Once an agent receives a verbal offer from SelectQuote, the first step is to pass an insurance licensing exam. SelectQuote helps new hires by providing study aids, classes, and practice exams. Studying can be done on your own time, and it usually takes about 40 hours to feel ready for the test.
“We have some agents who take a week, while other agents who have another job or family obligations may need a few weeks,” says Bailey.
Once an agent passes the licensing exam, there’s an eight-week training program during which they’ll receive base pay. This includes an introduction to company culture, key information on insurance products, and mock calls. Then, it’s time to get on the phones and interact with clients.
“I always tell new agents: I don’t expect you to sell anything on your first day. That’s not the goal,” says Bailey. “Instead, it’s to become comfortable experiencing live calls.”
2. There’s No Cold Calling
Unlike other sales jobs, which require agents to call people from a list, SelectQuote works with inbound calls only. This means the people on the end of the line are already motivated and eager to protect the things that matter most to them..
“We’re selling insurance, which is something our customers need,” says Hoover, who adds that she enjoys the connections she makes with the senior citizens who call her. “We’re helping make their lives easier.”
3. Managers Are There to Help
Taking that first live call can feel scary or daunting—but new agents always have someone they can turn to if they need advice or guidance. There’s a live chat to ask other agents questions in real time if a potential customer wants information you’re not sure how to provide. “And management is always available if agents run into roadblocks,” Hoover says.
“I know some agents who think, ‘I don’t want to ask a manager, I don't want anyone to think I don't get it,’ but that’s not the culture here,” she adds. “They really take care of you and want you to succeed.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Bailey, a manager himself. “You’ll have managers who will train and support you every step of the way,” he says.
4. Perks and Prizes Provide Motivation
While there can be friendly rivalries among sales agents, it’s never cutthroat. “There’s definitely a sense of friendship and camaraderie,” says Melinda Guisao, a sales agent who joined the company in fall of 2020.
SelectQuote helps nurture this feeling of community through competitions and team-building exercises. For example, during last year’s Medicare enrollment period, Guisao won a flat-screen TV for selling the most vision and dental coverage. And before the company began working remotely during the pandemic, Hoover recalls in-office perks like on-site massage therapists and catered lunches and dinners to help get through especially busy times at the office.
Big-ticket trips for top sales agents are also big motivators. In her nearly 10 years with the company, Hoover has gone on four vacations she earned, including one to Hawaii and one to the Cayman Islands.
5. Work-Life Balance is More Than a Buzzword
Other jobs can make it tough to turn your brain off once the workday is done. Guisao knows the feeling: She’s had gigs where she was doing paperwork and emails in the evening when she was technically off the clock. But at SelectQuote, you’re able to really log off, since a new host of potential customers will be waiting for you the next day.
“Every day is a new day, and every day is a chance to succeed,” says Bailey. “When you’re done with work, I don’t want you thinking about SelectQuote. I want people to enjoy their life and have SelectQuote be just one part of who they are.”