Having been in the DI and LTC industry for multiple decades, we've seen it all. Over that time, we've figured out what (mostly) works and what doesn't when it comes to having successful disability income and/or long-term care insurance conversations with clients.
The top six mistakes we've witnessed have come from advisors who:
1) Are reactive –
“My client needs a quote for DI. They were just diagnosed with cancer.” 🤦♀️
2) Reinvent the wheel –
It’s 2023. There’s no reason to be starting from scratch in this industry.
3) Email quotes –
You might as well set fire to those quotes. DI doesn’t sell itself.
4) Play small ball –
Most people don’t care about daily benefit amounts. Do you know anyone who lives by a daily budget?
5) Are all numbers –
Unless your client is a statistician or actuary, numbers without context won’t get you far.
6) Go it alone –
Advisors have loads of knowledge and skill, but part of your fiduciary duty is to know when to ask a specialist.
If you’re guilty of falling into one of the above traps, don’t worry – there are easy ways to avoid doing so. We're going to flip this list on its head and focus on what to do instead, with actionable items that you can start implementing today.
What are the six biggest *unlocks* to becoming successful with DI and LTC?
1) Be proactive –
For example, in a review: “Your monthly paycheck does a lot for you and your family – have you thought about insuring it?”
2) Have a process –
Whatever works for you, but it should involve the basics of gathering the right information, then walking through the solutions.
3) Contextualize the problem before offering a solution –
For example, “If you were out for X months, you’d need to replace X amount of income to pay your bills. This plan can do that.”
4) Live in the big picture –
Show them their Yetworth, or their future net worth. That’s how much they have to lose.
5) Elicit empathy/emotion –
Don’t go full story-time on clients—just be real. The reality is that DI can help someone stay afloat when things get challenging.
6) Collaborate with a specialist –
👋 It’s us, hi, we’re the specialists. Advisors advise; we take it from there by investigating the best plan for your client and then presenting and answering questions.
Advising is a process, not a product. When you work with us, you get a systematized process that's been dialed in over the last 40 years (and continues to evolve!). The most successful relationships happen when clients understand their options and advisors feel like they’ve objectively provided the best options for those clients. We’re here to help make that happen.