IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF SHARIA INSURANCE AGENTS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY OPTIMIZATION AS A SHARIA-BASED MARKETING MEDIUM

The physical, the intellectual and the spiritual qualities of the agent is creates agent competence so that they can compete in the sharia insurance marketing business. Competition for human performance is currently over helmed by the ease of technology through the internet media which poses a challenge for agents to be able to take advantage of technology. The high competition needs to be framed using sharia views in order to maintain Islamic values. This phenomenon then makes insurance agents as a technology driver in marketing the shariah insurance business in sharia companies in the North Sumatera. This study uses a qualitative method with a construction approach. Primary research data were obtained through interviews with agency company leaders and MDRT agents to found the quality agents. Secondary data were obtained from literature studies. The results showed that the physical quality of Islamic insurance agents is very influential in marketing products but in technology optimization it has less effect. While intellectual quality has an effect on the ability of agent technology optimization, then spiritual quality to greatly affect the ability to optimize technology. Sharia insurance agents at takaful and prudential companies have optimized technology as their marketing medium frame by sharia views.


Introduction
The government continues to make efforts to improve the quality and quantity of human resources in the country. Bambang Brodjonegoro (Minister of National Development planning/Head of Bappenas). Currently which is predicted to occur in 2030-2040. During that period, the productive workforce was large than the non-productive, around 64% of the total population of Indonesia people, they are 297 million people. In order for Indonesia to benefit from the demographic bonus, what is urgent for the government to do is to expand efforts to improve education and skill development systems. (Deny, Liputan 6, 23 Mei 2017).
AAJI Daily News date January 7, 2016, OJK realized are program planning to the 10 million insurance agents, and the agent targeted are the young generation, students, housewives, part-time workers, and entrepreneurs as insurance marketers. This is because the profession has time to attend education and training regardless of formal educational qualifications. First, the issue of the quality of the workforce, is closely related to strengthening the competitiveness of labor to enter the global labor market through a number of strategies; Second, related to skills development, through improving the quality of education are vocational education and training.
Strategies to increase competitiveness include harmonization of standard and competency certification, development of cooperation programs, and expansion of economies of scale to sector or sub-sectors with high productivity. Indonesia encourages 12 year of compulsory education by implementing affirmative police for children from poor and disadvantaged families. The state is committed to improving the quality, relevance and competitiveness of secondary and tertiary education, as well as developing education, education and skills to increase employment opportunities through vocational training.
Adi Purnomo, Head of the AAJI Law and Legislation Department said: Starting January 2010 AAJI has implemented a 100% licensed life insurance agent program in Jakarta, and since September 1, 2010 all official life insurance agents have a license, this is done to create standardized agent profession so that the system service to customers becomes more measured and quality (Aco, Tribun, Jakarta, 15/4/2011).  This situation shows that every year Sharia Insurance tends to develop when viewed from the increase in the total number of Islamic insurance companies. However, this is still far from the author's expectations given the strong influence of conventional insurance companies that are sharia business units. This condition shows that the prospects for Islamic insurance companies will progress every year.
Efforts to improve service quality and competence of sharia insurance agents cannot be spared from technological developments that affect changes in people's behavior to become  Efforts to improve the quality and competence of insurance agents if only improving technological facilities will definitely have a minus value because of the lack of empathy is very important in term of insurance participant loyalty. Imanuel (2017) states that financial technology has a good level of effectiveness to improve service quality to reach all of society so that it is more efficient in operating and marketing costs as well as facilitating promotional means. However, financial technology has weaknesses in its implementation is the need for a good internet connection, the emergence of online crime, opportunities for abuse of authority, minimal public knowledge, and unequal service disparities between 3T and urban areas. Therefore, the application of ethics must be improved as a neutralizer of these technological weakness. The phenomenon that occurs today is that many insurance agent are non-productive due to technology stuttering and lack of up-to-date information related to current conditions is the 4.0 industrial revolution which demands the ability of agents to take advantage of technological advances as a marketing medium for agents and easy access to agents.
The increasing number of internet and smartphone users in Indonesia has led to a shift in people's lifestyle that is simpler and more practical. Meanwhile, technology optimization for insurance agents is very helpful because it is considered more efficient because it can explain information related to Islamic insurance through the internet and smartphones. Ease of digital access also helps agents accelerate their performance in sharia insurance transactions, because customers can download and report online.
Previous research that is similar to this research has not been found, but research that supports and is related has been carried out by Adiputra and Hasanah research (2016) which states that product quality affects the decision to use insurance service, service quality affects the decision to use insurance services, brand image also affects the decision to use insurance services, perception of price also affects the decision to use insurance service. Fassarozi (2017) stated that the level of technology orientation has no effect on company performance, the higher the leadership will result in higher company performance, the higher the service quality will result in higher company performance, and the higher the company's performance will result in higher competitive advantage.
I Wayan Agus and Ida Ayu (2020) convey that one of the industries currently engaged in the digital realm is the insurance industry. In Indonesia, there have been many digital services such as websites or cellphone applications, which are expected to help customers problems when they want to submit claims and view polices only via cellphones. With this digital service launched, many doubt the position of insurance agents, but in fact, even though there have been many digital transformation, the position of insurance agents will still be needed.
Because agents have an important role in convincing customers and potential customers to buy the insurance product offered. Agents also act as confidant friends with customers or potential customers in determining the right insurance product for the customer's needs, so that customers feel satisfied with the insurance product they choose.
Previous research focused more on the quality of service, not the quality of the agent as a driving force, and examined the insurance company and technology, not the performance of insurance agent as technology users. Based on previous research, his study focuses on the context of human resources and economics. Where helps the role of the government to improve the quality of insurance agents as human resources in advancing the economy through Islamic insurance companies.
The fuction of man in the qur'an is described as abdun (servant) and as khalifatul fiil ardh (leader in Allah's eart). This fuction, must run optimally, they are: As a servant to carry out all the commands of Allah and stay away from all the prohibitions of Allah; As a leader, they are God's representative in protecting the world and managing the world as well as possible. and do good deeds (QS.at-Tin:6), given knowledge (  Marketing agents are the spearhead that serves as the image of the company and the insurance industry in society (Hafidhuddin et.at, 2009). Sharia insurance agents must not misinform products, promote products to sell products. The professionalism of insurance marketing agents, a balance of sharia knowledge and economic knowledge is always echoed for the needs of the Islamic insurance market in Indonesia. This definition is enhanced by law No. 40 of 2014 concerning insurance, it is explained that an insurance agent is a person who works alone or works for a business entity, who acts for and on behalf of the insurance company or sharia insurance company and meets the requirements to represent an insurance company or sharia insurance company, marketing insurance products or insurance products shariah.
Based on the Big Indonesian Dictionary (2001)  of the agent, which is considered underestimated by the agent himself and many people as an unexpected job. Because of the low initial motivation to become an agent, the quality of Islamic insurance agent human resources is less than optimal.
Insurance Agent

Training and Education Digital Information Technology
Physical Quality Intellectual Quality Spiritual Quality

Figure 3. Conceptual Framework
The lack of optimal human resources for Islamic insurance agents who are recruited makes HR management need to improve the quality of Islamic insurance agents through their physical, intellectual and spiritual qualities through training and education supported by the application of digital information technology.

Methods
This type of research is a qualitative research with a phenomenological approach. This research produces descriptive data in the form of written or spoken words from people and behavior that can be observed by describing the state of the object under study (Nurul, 2007).
The purpose of this research is to explain the phenomenon in depth and to collect data in depth. Phenomenon is something that appears in the consciousness of researchers using a certain way to become visible and real. The phenomenological approach is able to reveal the meaning of concepts or experiences that are based on awareness that occurs in some individuals (Yusuf, 2017) The use of qualitative research methods using a describe and reveal more clearly the quality

Building the Quality of Sharia Insurance Agents
As for improving the quality of Islamic insurance agents, including through training and education as well as optimization of digital information technology, which is expected to provide education, training and use of digital information, insurance agents have good quality work so that they can compete are: a. Training and Education Training and education are the most effective ways to explore the quality of insurance agents, both sharia and conventional. With the existence of training facilities, it can train the abilities and skills of insurance agents, as well as good education to make agent more effective and efficient at work.

1) Prudential (HI): "Training is very important for agents, with training to train agents to understand the product well, seminars and others are needed to fill the agents intellectual abilities so that agents have skill and education through all training".
2) Sun Life (IAD): "Very good training to change the mindset of an agent to be capable, the problem of the agent is a problem of mentality, with training and education it can improve the agents mentality and mindset so that it is more professional".
3) Takaful (HP): "Training is good, good training can improve motivation to agent, change mindset, encourage agents and many more benefits or doing this training, to solve all agent problems through training, coaching and discussion".
All information argued that training and education are solutions to all problems faced by insurance agents, training can be prepared based on the agent's needs such as: customeroriented, product-oriented, sharia-oriented views, oriented to company needs and so on. In addition to training, it is necessary to conduct coaching with good educational value regarding products and so on.

a. Optimization of digital information
The use of digital information today is something that cannot be avoided. However, today industrial progress is not a barrier for insurance agents as the front line.

1) Prudential (HI): "Technology is very important for agents today, it can simplify agent performance through IT, such as agent claims, responding to insurance participant inquiries and
At-Tijaroh: Jurnal Ilmu Manajemen dan Bisnis Islam Vol. 7 (1), 2021: 15 -29 24 looking for prospecting agents and prospecting insurance participants and so on, so technology really helps agents work easier".
2) Sun Life (IAD): "Currently we are not spared from the internet and digital, this media really helps us to get information, but in our prospecting there are different markets, sometimes in the regions we prefer to meet directly rather than through cellphones. However, for the ease of technological advancement is very helpful. Although there are still many gene fund customers who prefer manual".
3) Takaful (HP): "Technology really helps us speed up work and makes it easier for us to also explain to insurance participants who have a good level of education".
All informants argued that the existence of digital information technology made agent performance faster, so that agent efficiency and effectiveness would be better.
However, there are obstacles for insurance participants in the regions who prefer manual systems to digital ones.

Competitiveness Sharia Insurance Agent
The quality of the agent that is expected to improve the quality, spiritual quality, an effort that must be raised to improve the quality of work of an insurance agent are: a. Physical Quality Physical quality related to good health and physical fitness, having good posture, having a decent level of life is one of the working capital for sharia insurance agents.
1) Prudential (HI): "Physical quality is very important because if you are sick and physically weak, which is the prospects bias. Insurance agents should be good looking too".
2) Sun Life (IAD): "It is important to prioritize the insurance agents physique, his health, his physical strength, and his appearance. It is necessary to make it easier when prospecting".
3) Takaful (HP): "Physical quality is necessary, in addition to making our participants comfortable when communicating is also part of faith cleanliness. If the agent is not healthy and strong enough to make the prospect, it will be tough" These three informants conveyed the same thing, they are: health, fitness and appearance are conditions that must be maintained so that prospecting activities can be smooth and without obstacles

Figure 5. Result Framework
With the better quality if the insurance agent which consists of physical, intellectual and spiritual qualities of the agent, the agent has a good performance so that the agent can compete as a professional agent.
1) Prudential (HI): "With good quality, of course the agents behavior and performance will also be good, if it is good, then you will be able to compete, the netter the desire to enter a better level, like MDRT and thank God Ian an agent MDRT".
2) Sun Life (IAD): "Alhamdulillah, I already have MDRT and it is an honor for the agent because he is considered a professional agent. We are proud to join the international agency group. The higher the quality of the agent, the higher the work and the better the behavior. If the behavior and work are good, they will certainly be able to compete fairly".
3) Takaful (HP): "Islam teaches us to do our best are quality deeds, of course the quality of an agent will make his performance and behavior quality. If you have quality, you will be able to compete".
The statement for the three informants above indicate that the better the quality of the agent, the better, the behavior and performance so that the better the agents behavior and performance, the better the behavior and performance so that the better the agents behavior and performance, the better the agents competitiveness is accompanied by his quality.

Conclusion
Based on the results of research and discussion of quality analysis on sharia insurance agents in North Sumatera that have been previously described, it can be concluded that: Application of training, education and optimization of digital information technology is a means to build self-quality sharia insurance agents; Improving the quality of sharia insurance agents can improve the behavior and performance of sharia insurance agents so as to produce quality competitiveness.