Sage Life is testing its agents to ensure they are proficient in selling its products and is issuing certificates which assure clients of agents' proficiency, the life assurer said this week.
Sage Life is believed to be the first South African life assurer to do this. If others follow, it could bring this country in line with practices followed in several sophisticated life assurance markets, where it can even be obligatory to test sales personnel.
Every permanently employed Sage Life agent was required to demonstrate proficiency in all the main product areas and their application, in a written evaluation conducted countrywide.
The evaluation covered seven main types of products, including whole life policies, endowments, retirement annuities and major medical insurance.
Each agent will receive a certificate and a proficiency card, indicating the areas in which they can sell products.
From September, clients will be able to ask Sage Life agents to produce their certificates.