What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sales Support Specialist II position at American Equity?
At American Equity we offer leading annuity products that help empower our clients to fulfill their needs and wants in retirement. Our success comes from hiring high-energy individuals who embody the beliefs that drive our unique culture. We currently fund over half a million retirements nationwide, and have been headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, for over twenty-five years with satellite offices in Charlotte, NC and New York, NY.
GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE JOB:
The Sales Support Specialist II acts as a resource for independent insurance agent, financial professionals and independent marketing organizations in matters relating to American Equity products, value proposition and procedures. The incumbent plays a key role in establishing and strengthening relationships with external business partners, identifying prospecting opportunities, data gathering and assisting with event attendance.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Holds priority position in Sales Support inbound phone queue and responds to inbound calls regarding annuity pre-sale and post-sale questions, needs, and concerns.
- Regularly assists internal and external business partners with the following, but not limited to; Public and non-public AEL websites, annuity illustration software, sales and marketing programs, annuity product questions, American Equity procedures, pre-sale requirements, inforce annuity service related matters, etc.
- Provides superior customer service by meeting department Sales Support Specialist Level II metrics for talk time, re-queues, inbound/outbound quality assurance, and aux time.
- Responsible for onboarding newly appointed independent insurance agents and financial professionals in assigned region and provide lead opportunities to Regional Sales Director and Internal Sales Consultant.
- Regularly assists American Equity events teams in increasing agent and financial professional attendance in local, regional or national events, primarily through outbound work.
- Maintains knowledge of Customer Excellence, Suitability, and other departments’ procedures impacting insurance agents and financial professionals.
- Proactively asks probing questions for data gathering and customers segmentations purposes.
- Provides useful and timely feedback to direct manager and other stakeholders, from internal and external business partners.
- Effectively navigates American Equity’s CRM, policy administration software, and other software to fulfill day-to-day request, such as; locating policy information, running production reports and creating illustrations.
- Periodically, assists in outbound overflow work from other teams as directed by manager.
- May occasionally act as American Equity ambassadors for in-office and remote events, if coverage is needed
- Serves as a mentor and trainer for employees migrating from Sales Support Specialist Level I to Level II.
- Performs other related work as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Direct Reports: 0
General Description of Indirect Reports (2 and 3-downs): None
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required, or
- 2 years of progressive relationship management experience in the insurance/financial industries required OR 3 years of customer service/operational sales experience in the insurance/financial services
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS:
AAPA, ACS, FLMI designations a plus, but not required
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Strong customer service orientation.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to provide candid, supportive feedback for the development of others.
- Mathematical skills and strong attention to detail.
- Ability to work cooperatively and successfully with employees, customers, and other outside third parties.
- Strong organizational and planning skills.
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite.
- Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
- Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions.
- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals and technical/operational procedures.
- Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
- Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
- Ability to successfully handle pressure and meet deadlines in a fast-paced work environment.
At American Equity, our core values—Empowered, Passion, Integrity, and Caring—are more than words. They guide how we support one another and how we serve our clients every day. To learn more about American Equity, our culture, and our values, visit the Careers site.
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