Signaling the challenges and exploring strategies to improve the sales performance of insurance agents

EXTENDED ABSTRACT
 
Introduction
In modern economy, protecting against unfavorable outcomes is considered crucial not only for individuals but also for society as a whole, with insurance being one of the significant components of this protective approach. Insurance is considered a significant investment for national savings due to its ability to provide financial protection and security in the face of unforeseen events. The significance of insurance for any country's economy is self-evident, as it not only provides support to individual households but also serves as an economic security fund for organizations. The principle of inseparability, which is unique to all services including insurance, makes it necessary to improve the performance of insurance agents in order to ensure the survival of service-oriented insurance institutions in today's competitive market. Hence, companies offering insurance services make an effort to manage their sales network, particularly their insurance agents, with the aim of sustaining and enhancing their market share. The management of sales networks in commercial insurance companies may encompass a variety of activities, such as selecting individuals possessing the essential traits to work in this field, providing training, facilitating interaction, offering guidance, and ultimately monitoring the performance of representatives. Enhancing the performance of insurance agents, who serve as the distribution network for insurance companies, can result in increased sales and profitability as well as higher customer satisfaction. However, the quality improvement of representatives in an insurance company is essential to achieving these outcomes. The competition amongst insurance companies to gain a larger market share has intensified in Iran's insurance industry due to the emergence of private insurance companies and the end of the state insurance companies' monopoly over insurance activities. Consequently, weaknesses in the management of sales networks have become more apparent, highlighting the need for research in developing a model to improve the performance of sales representatives in insurance companies.  
 
Methodology
The present study is classified as qualitative research in terms of its nature and applied research in terms of its goal. It is exploratory in nature because both qualitative and quantitative data are used. The mixed research type is exploratory since the study aims to investigate a phenomenon. Qualitative section: Grounded theory is a qualitative research method that holds a prominent position in current qualitative research, particularly in interpretive research, owing to its approach. The grounded data theory is a flexible method that can be applied in various domains and can accommodate diverse types of data. The data collection method utilized in this part involved conducting focus group research and asking open-ended questions. "All senior managers of Novin Insurance were invited to participate in a focus group session that was selected through a judgmental sampling. The data collected in the qualitative section has been examined and analyzed using the Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory approach. Quantitative section: In this phase of the research, data will be collected through the use of a questionnaire. The statistical population for the quantitative aspect of the research comprised all representatives of the Novin Insurance Company's General Insurance agents. A total of 295 individuals participated in the quantitative aspect of this research as the statistical sample size. The management of the sales network of Novin Insurance Company provided the representatives with the questionnaire online. To ensure the validity of the questionnaire, expert managers from the novin insurance company who had participated in the qualitative research and were familiar with the research objectives were invited to provide their input. The Smart PLS3 software was utilized to examine the model's design and the relationships between variables.

Results and discussions
The outcome of the qualitative research, which employed Strauss and Corbin's coding method - a systematic and iterative process, resulted in the identification of five key components. These components are instrumental in developing a basic theory, and they comprise of: The "Causal condition" refers to the underlying cause or condition that results in the phenomenon under investigation. This condition sets the sequence of events that lead to the phenomenon. In this case, the primary characteristics of the sales force are deemed as the causal condition.
The "Intervening condition" alludes to the variable or condition that occurs between the causal condition and the phenomenon being studied. This variable can either enhance or hinder the process leading up to the phenomenon. In this case, agents' non-sales performance, their motivational characteristics, and organizational factors are all deemed as intervening conditions. "Contextual conditions" or "context" refers to the broader social, cultural, economic, and political conditions that impact the phenomenon being studied. The "Central phenomenon" is the primary concept or phenomenon being studied, and it is the focus of the study's explanation and comprehension. In this case, the agent's sales performance has been chosen as the central phenomenon since it can serve as a comprehensive basis for an insurance company's profitability. The "Consequence" or "result" refers to the outcome of the phenomenon being studied. This outcome can be either positive or negative and can be either intentional or unintentional. In this study, the effectiveness of the representative's performance has been chosen as the outcome or result. Factors such as an increase in agent fees, an increase in the number of policyholders, and sales and marketing results are considered effective in achieving the desired outcome. The quantitative aspect of this study involved the approval of a questionnaire by the managers of the new insurance headquarters, with limitations on the number and type of questions.
 
Conclusion
At least three questions considered to measure each variable in the paradigm model, and the questionnaire distributed to the representatives by branch management. Total of 295 new insurance representatives responded to the questions, and the relationships between the variables were subsequently confirmed. The practical implications of this research for insurance companies include: Developing a comprehensive understanding of the sales force's characteristics; Identifying the external and contextual factors that influence sales; Taking into account the non-sales behavior of the representatives and motivating the sales force effectively.