Tips to successfully sell more life insurance

Offering life insurance on a more consistent basis to your clients can be a great strategy to both grow your book of business as well as your relationship with your clients. However, many of your clients likely do not bring up the topic of life insurance on their own. According to LIMRA, the reason typically isn’t because they are not interested in purchasing life insurance. The 2021 LIMRA Insurance Barometer Study reveals that 36% of consumers say they plan to purchase life insurance within the next 12 months, which represents the highest purchase intent in the survey’s history.

We see that the opportunity is there, however it’s not always easy to get the conversation going. Here are few tips to proactively bring up life insurance with your clients and create a warm conversation:

Align your clients’ goals with your product offerings

As you meet with clients, it’s important to consider which of the following product solutions align most with their needs. For example, let’s take a look at life insurance and long-term care.

Life insurance

Primary need: Focused on helping clients financially protect the people they love in the event they unexpectedly pass away
Target ages: 25-65
Common candidates:

• Newlyweds
• New parents
• New homeowners

Commonly used for:

• College funding
• Leaving a legacy
• Mortgage protection
• Covering final expenses or estate taxes
• Building a cash value that you can withdraw or borrow against later

Long-term care (LTC)

Primary need: Focused on helping clients have more control over where and how they spend their later years
Target ages: 40-65
Common candidates: Clients currently working
Commonly used for:

• Home health care
• Nursing home costs
• Adult day care

Pivoting strategies

Making a quick and easy pivot to a discussion about life insurance, annuities or long-term care is an important step to having productive client conversations. Here are some best practice strategies that are simple and can be used for all three topics:

Annual policy reviews

Policy reviews are an excellent way to maintain regular contact with your customers. When taking the time to review their coverage, you can also use that time to learn if their needs or situation have changed and remind them of the personalized service you can help provide.

Follow up with new customers

Contact new customers shortly after their P&C policies are set up. It’s a natural opportunity to thank them for their business and answer questions they may have, as well as gently bringing up the additional offerings you can help provide.

Mortgage payoff/assistance

Life insurance, annuities and long-term care all have benefits that can help family members stay in their home after an unexpected event. Customers don’t hesitate to insure their home against loss; in addition to helping them protect the material goods in their life, you can help them plan for their well-being and that of their family members for years to come.

Life insurance pivoting strategies

The events that happen in everyone’s lives give you a great opportunity to stay in touch with your clients. Common life events can lead to the need for more life insurance. And maintaining contact with your clients shows your concern for their well-being, deepens your relationship with them and can even lead to referrals. Review the list below and keep the information in mind when you talk to clients. Consider posting the list in a place that’s easy to refer to as you speak with clients on the phone or in your office.

Birthdays

• Life insurance premiums can go up as customers get older
• Because Nationwide life insurance products are priced at “age nearest,” customers have up to six months after their birthday before the cost of insurance goes up

Marriage

• A new spouse may need life insurance
• Customers may need to increase their protection
• It may be important for the couple to make sure that the surviving spouse can replace lost income and maintain an existing standard of living

A new home

• Is coverage enough to protect the new mortgage?

Baby

• Coverage on the parents to ensure the standard of living can be maintained and provide for college funding in case one or both incomes are lost
• Starter policy on the baby

Career advancement/ job changes

• Is coverage appropriate for their new employment situation?
• Replace any lost coverage from a former employer
• Supplement coverage provided by employee group life or existing individual life policy

Commercial policy when opening/ expanding a business

• Opportunity to evaluate business life needs
• Provide additional benefits to the owner (executive bonus)
• Reward and retain employees who are key to the business’ success
• Provide funding for the transfer of business (buy/sell)
  Remember: Nationwide’s Advanced Consulting Group is available to assist with your business life cases.

Discussing long-term care

Long-term care coverage can be used to address a top concern for many nearing retirement. So when should you discuss the need for LTC coverage with clients?

Anytime they are comfortable discussing it

When it comes to LTC coverage, it’s not about the risk of needing it — it’s about the potential costs you may be responsible for, should you require long-term care.

The earlier the better

While there are age limits, the younger the client is, the more effective the policy can be, because it will be could be more affordable and getting approved for coverage is more likely at younger ages.

While the client is still working

Clients who are still working are often more open to buying LTC coverage because they may still have income coming in.

When clients are dealing with a parent’s LTC needs

If a client is dealing with a parent’s LTC needs, they may be more likely to see the need in planning for themselves.

We hope you and your agency find these tips and strategies helpful as you have conversations with your clients. Nationwide is proud to partner with your agency and dedicated to protecting people, businesses, and futures with extraordinary care.

FOR INSURANCE PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY

All protections and guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.

Be sure to choose a product that meets long-term life insurance needs, especially if personal situations change — for example, marriage, birth of a child or job promotion. Weigh the costs of the policy and understand that life insurance has fees and charges that vary with sex, health, age and tobacco use. Riders that customize a policy to fit individual needs usually carry an additional charge.

Products are issued by Nationwide Life Insurance Company or Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio.

Nationwide, Nationwide Financial Network, Nationwide is on your side, the Nationwide N and Eagle and On Your Side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2021 Nationwide
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