Senior Sales Manager

Job Purpose

This role is responsible for generating insurance business through assigned relationship or channel partners within a defined area or zone. The manager must influence partner teams so they can effectively recommend Birla Sun Life Insurance products to their customers. The position also includes end-to-end pre-sales and post-sales assistance for both partners and clients, working alongside the dedicated relationship team. A key expectation is not only to deliver the assigned target, but also to maintain steady quarter-on-quarter business growth.

Role Scope and Impact

The position has meaningful influence across manpower, business performance, customer experience, and persistency outcomes.

• Team size: 10 to 11 people, depending on branch coverage.
• Annual premium target for the individual: approximately 5 to 10 crore.
• Full ownership of the sales target for the vertical, with direct effect on the relationship’s top-line performance.
• Customer complaints must be maintained at zero, as complaints are treated as highly critical.
• Persistency expectations include 80% premium persistency and 80% policy persistency, along with 13-month rolling premium persistency.

Key Challenges

• The market is volatile because the business largely depends on unit-linked insurance products.
• The role relies heavily on HDFC branch banking in an open architecture setup, so alignment with the branch’s own priorities is essential.
• Success depends on balancing internal process requirements with channel partner expectations.

Principal Accountabilities

• Deliver premium and revenue targets to support overall company growth.
• Maintain regular engagement with multiple bank branch heads and other key relationship stakeholders.
• Identify all important decision makers and ensure relevant updates are shared with RH and ZH.
• Drive organisational recognition and reward initiatives actively at the branch level.
• Design and implement branch-level activities that improve customer penetration.
• Ensure sales and service operations run smoothly to maximise business potential.
• Share process updates and regulatory changes through suitable training modules.
• Make sure sales calls, policy issuance, and complaint handling happen without operational blocks.
• Manage the open-architecture relationship by supporting bank customers with suitable products and service.
• Build strong knowledge of insurance products as well as bank products.
• Handle relationship management across all levels to achieve the expected business outcomes.
• Identify and create new business opportunities within the assigned area to improve productivity and top-line growth.
• Use innovative approaches with partners to deepen database penetration.
• Monitor FLS review mechanisms with a focus on 40% activation, 2 cases per active relationship, and an average ticket size of 50K.
• Maintain the desired product mix of traditional products at 50%, ULIPs at 40%, and term products at 10%.
• Contribute business that is 15% higher than Tata by sharing inputs for new products and sales pitches based on channel needs.
• Assess training needs for both internal teams and channel partner teams.
• Choose the right acquisition methods to ensure a profitable business mix for the organisation.
• Review business regularly and escalate relevant information to seniors.
• Stay connected with customers through welcome calls.
• Support timely renewals by resolving customer queries whenever needed.

Working Metrics

• Average annual premium target: 5 to 10 crore.
• Customer complaint expectation: zero complaints.
• Premium persistency target: 80%.
• Policy persistency target: 80%.
• 13-month rolling premium persistency must be maintained.

Additional Information

The role calls for strong coordination between internal sales teams and branch/channel stakeholders, with a clear focus on process adherence, service quality, product mix discipline, and sustainable quarter-on-quarter growth.