Value of peer nominations in predicting life insurance sales performance

Abstract

Obtained both work- and socially-oriented peer nominations from 117 inexperienced life insurance agents at the end of a 3-wk training course. These nominations, along with age, monthly starting pay, and final school grade were related to objective measures of sales success at 6-mo and 1-yr intervals. Only the peer nomination scores proved to be significant at both a statistical and practical level. Analysis of the peer nominations led to the identification of 3 factors which accounted for 88% of the total variance. Only 1 of these factors, the ability to form close personal relationships, proved to be significantly related to the 1-yr criteria measures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)