Have you ever made the right claim decision but struggled to explain it in a way the policyholder could actually understand?
Have you ever left a tense conversation with a homeowner, driver, injured worker, contractor, or claimant thinking, “I could have handled that better”?
Technical knowledge matters in adjusting. You need to understand policies, estimates, documentation, timelines, and claim procedures. But managing claims well is not only about knowing the rules or making the right decision.
It is also about how you communicate that decision.
Depending on the type of claims you handle, you may speak with someone overwhelmed after property damage, frustrated after an accident, confused about the process, or upset about an estimate. At the same time, you may be managing several files while policyholders, claimants, contractors, managers, and carriers all need updates.
That is where soft skills set great adjusters apart. They help you communicate clearly, stay calm, build trust, manage expectations, listen carefully, and keep claims moving even when emotions are high.
At AdjusterPro, we’ve helped more than 100,000 students get licensed and start their adjusting careers. We were founded by adjusters, and many of us have worked claims ourselves. So we know technical knowledge matters, but we also know how challenging it can be to explain tough decisions, manage tense conversations, and stay professional when multiple people are involved.
AdjusterPro does offer a soft skills course for adjusters, but education is only one way to build these skills. You can also learn through mentorship, ride-alongs, manager feedback, role-playing, and field experience.
In this article, we’ll walk through 7 soft skills that will help you manage claims with more clarity, confidence, and professionalism, whether you are preparing for your first claim or already handling claims and looking to improve.
7 Soft Skills Every Insurance Adjuster Should Keep Developing
Soft skills are not just personality traits. For insurance adjusters, they are practical claim-handling skills that help you work with people during stressful situations.
These skills affect how you explain decisions, respond to frustration, manage follow-up, listen to concerns, and keep conversations productive when emotions are high.
Whether you are preparing for your first claim or already handling a full caseload, these are the habits that help you stay clear, calm, and trustworthy when a claim does not go exactly as planned.
Here are 7 soft skills worth developing early.
1. Building Trust Without Overpromising
Policyholders want to feel like someone is listening and taking their claim seriously. But building trust does not mean promising coverage, payment, timelines, or outcomes before you have the facts.
A better way to build trust is through clarity and consistency.
For example, instead of saying, “I’m sure this will be covered,” you might say:
“I’ll need to review the policy and documentation before I can speak to coverage, but I can walk you through what I’m looking for and what happens next.”
That response is helpful without creating unrealistic expectations.
2. Clearly Explaining Claim Decisions with Confidence and Compassion
Adjusters focus on making the right decision. The trick with that is you also need to explain that decision to someone who does not work in insurance.
A policyholder may not understand depreciation, deductibles, exclusions, repair versus replacement, supplements, or timelines. If your explanation is rushed or too technical, they may leave the conversation more confused or frustrated than before.
For example, a policyholder may say, “This estimate is way too low.”
A new adjuster might feel defensive or rush to explain why the estimate is correct. But a stronger response is:
“I understand this is different from what you expected. Let’s walk through how the estimate was created and what documentation we would need to review anything further.”
That does not guarantee the policyholder will agree. But it helps keep the conversation clear, professional, and focused on the next step.
The goal is not to make every decision feel good. The goal is to make sure the policyholder understands what happened, what the decision means, and what comes next.
3. Staying Calm with Upset Policyholders
Claims often happen during stressful moments. A person may be dealing with damage to their home, vehicle, business, or personal property. Sometimes people are frustrated before they ever speak with you.
As a new adjuster, it can be hard not to take that personally.
But staying calm helps keep the conversation from escalating. You can listen more clearly, ask better questions, and focus on the next step instead of reacting emotionally.
You cannot control how policyholders respond. You can control your tone, pace, professionalism, and ability to stay steady under pressure.
4. Managing Time and Follow-up
Many new adjusters are surprised by how much communication the job requires.
It is not just inspecting damage or writing estimates. It is returning calls, sending updates, documenting conversations, reviewing files, and making sure people know what is happening. When follow-up is weak, pressure builds.
Policyholders may call repeatedly because they do not know what to expect. Contractors may push for updates. Managers may need to step in.
A simple habit can help: end each conversation by explaining the next step.
“Here’s what I’m doing next, and here’s when you can expect to hear from me.”
Then document it and follow through.
5. Listening for What the Policyholder is Really Asking
Policyholders do not always know how to articulate what they need.
A policyholder may ask, “How long is this going to take?” when what they really mean is, “I need to know how to plan around this.”
They may sound angry when they are actually confused, overwhelmed, or unsure of what happens next.
Great adjusters learn to listen for what someone means, not just what they say.
That does not mean agreeing with everything the policyholder says. It also does not mean changing a claim decision just because someone is frustrated. It means slowing the conversation down enough to understand what the person is actually worried about so you can respond clearly and professionally.
For example, instead of responding to “This is taking too long” with only a timeline update, you might say:
“Thank you for your patience; I want to make sure you know where things stand: [this] has been reviewed, [this] is what we’re still waiting on, and [this] is the next step.”
That kind of response addresses the real concern: uncertainty.
When adjusters listen well, they ask better questions, explain decisions more clearly, and reduce unnecessary tension. The policyholder may not always agree with the answer, but they are more likely to feel heard and understand what comes next.
6. Handling Negotiation Without Taking it Personally
Negotiation is part of many claims roles. You may discuss scope, pricing, documentation, estimates, or next steps with policyholders, contractors, or other parties involved in the claim.
For new adjusters, negotiation can feel uncomfortable. It can start to feel like a personal argument, especially when someone challenges your estimate or questions your decision.
The goal is not to “win” the conversation.
The goal is to keep the claim moving professionally and fairly.
Strong negotiation keeps the conversation focused on facts, documentation, authority, and process.
7. Documenting Clearly for the Next Person Who Touches the Claim
Good documentation is not just about protecting the file. It is about protecting the people involved from having to repeat the same story over and over again.
Claims often involve multiple people: policyholders, claimants, contractors, estimators, doctors, managers, carriers, and sometimes another adjuster who may need to cover or reopen the file later. If your notes are unclear, incomplete, or scattered, the next person has to rebuild the story from scratch.
A policyholder may have to explain the damage again. A contractor may have to resend the same information. A manager may have to ask questions that should already be answered in the file. Another adjuster may have to step in without understanding what was promised, what was reviewed, or what still needs to happen.
Great adjusters document with the next person in mind.
That does not mean writing a novel after every call. It means clearly capturing the details that matter:
- What was discussed
- What information was received
- What is still missing
- What decision was explained
- What next step was promised
- When follow-up should happen
- Any concerns, disagreements, or unresolved questions
Clear documentation keeps the claim moving, reduces confusion, and helps everyone involved feel like the process is organized.
It is also one of the clearest signs of a thoughtful adjuster: you are not just managing the claim for yourself, you are telling the story.
Do Adjusters Really Need Soft Skills Training?
Not always.
Soft skills are developed through practice, feedback, and real claim experience over time. Many adjusters build these skills through mentorship, ride-alongs, manager feedback, role-playing, call reviews, and field experience.
For example, you might ask a more experienced adjuster:
- “How would you have handled that call?”
- “Was there a clearer way to explain that decision?”
- “Where did the conversation start to go off track?”
- “What should I say differently next time?”
That kind of feedback can be extremely valuable, and we recommend getting mentorship whenever possible.
That said, a course is a strong option when you want structured preparation before learning these skills under pressure. It can also help show firms or employers that you are thinking beyond licensing and technical knowledge and taking the people side of adjusting seriously.
The important thing is not that you build soft skills through one specific path.
The important thing is that you build them intentionally, before they are tested in difficult claim conversations.
| Soft skills training will be helpful if you: – Feel nervous about speaking with upset policyholders – Struggle to explain claim decisions clearly – Want to handle conflict, negotiation, or follow-up more professionally – Do not have consistent mentorship or feedback yet – Are preparing for your first adjusting role and want to stand out to firms or employers | Soft skills training may not be the right next step if you: – Already have strong mentorship, regular feedback, and opportunities to practice these skills with support. – Have experience in customer service, negotiation, or conflict resolution – Are comfortable de-escalating tense conversations – Communicate clearly, confidently, and compassionately |
How to Prepare for the Human Side of Adjusting
Adjusting gives you the chance to help people move through a process they may not fully understand.
Technical knowledge helps you know what to do.
Soft skills help you explain it clearly, keep the claim moving, and make the experience better for everyone involved.
You can build those skills in several ways. Find a mentor. Ask for feedback after difficult conversations. Practice how you would explain a claim decision. Shadow experienced adjusters when possible. Review calls or claim notes to see where communication could have been clearer.
The goal is not to be perfect in every conversation.
The goal is to keep improving so you can communicate with more clarity, confidence, and professionalism as your adjusting career grows.
If you want an online, structured, claims-specific way to strengthen the people side of your claims handling, AdjusterPro’s Soft Skills: The Essential Art of Adjusting course is a good option because it is specifically geared towards claims management.
It was built to help adjusters develop practical skills like communication, de-escalation, negotiation, time management, trust-building, and clear documentation through the lens of real claims work.
Getting licensed helps you start your adjusting career.
Developing strong soft skills helps you grow into the kind of adjuster people trust, respect, and want to work with.
