By Indian Express Bureau

HYDERABAD, JUNE 12: The Boston Group (TBG), a global information technology (IT) solutions and e-learning provider, has joined hands with College of Insurance and Financial Planning (CIFP) and International Institute of Insurance and Finance (IIIF) to launch the first of its kind course in insurance salesmanship.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Subu M Kota, Chairman, The Boston Group, said the company has acquired a great deal of domain expertise in banking and financial sectors, by offering its distance and e-learning solutions to Citibank in Singapore and Hong Kong Visa and DBS Bank besides Bannk Mandiri.

Christened as Certificate Course in Life Insurance Salesmanship (CLIS), the course is offered online on advanced instructional design techniques through a dedicated portal, financialcampusindia.com.

“The course will be initially offered to group of students sponsored by the insurance companies, later will be available even to the individual students who can register online,” Mr Durga Parasad Sharma, managing director, TBG told the media.

The company plans to offer an array of online courses through the portal in the areas of banking, insurance and stock broking. “The courses would be offered one after other in the due course,” he added.

While launching the insurance course, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) chairman C S Rao said that there is a need for true salesmanship in the insurance agents, especially to educate the rural masses about the importance of insurance.

He felt that there is an element of ‘misselling’ in the sale of insurance policies, which can be removed only through proper training.

The course was designed by Mr Apparao Machiraju, the director of International Institute of Insurance and Finance.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Apparao said that the course would help both experienced and freshers in improving their selling skills besides transforming themselves as successful insurance career professionals.

The company also plans to introduce advanced salesmanship course covering business insurance etc, shortly.