George G. Davidson

Steven L. Brady, The Standard

Michael Cohen, Eugene Cohen Insurance Agency, Inc.

George G. Davidson, Secura Consultants

Craig Gussin, Auerbach & Gussin Insurance and Financial Services, Inc.

Keith Hoffman, NFP

Maureen A. Kirschhofer, Doc-DI.com

Thomas R. Petersen, Petersen International Underwriters

Raymond J. Phillips, Jr., The Brokers Source, Ltd.

Q: What are some important agent best practices for selling DI?

Steven Brady: Agent best practices would include frequency of applications. We did a study on agents who write at least five applications a year. The actuaries found that the morbidity was much lower on agents/brokers who did at least five a year. I think the reason is that frequency creates confidence. Confidence is needed in placing a case that has a rating and exclusion and possibly limitations. Confidence also allows an agent/broker to seek out potential clients instead of waiting and being asked about disability. Many will say selling skills or underwriting thoroughness or even target market depth, but I think frequency is the best skill…just go out and do it.

Michael Cohen: Brokers have to ask their clients before the client asks them. Once that occurs, they may not be able to obtain the coverage! There are some great opening questions to ask a client, but starting with a disability insurance inventory is one way to open the conversation. Having an assistant or yourself gather the current disability coverage allows for the conversation. Most individuals do not know what they own or the details of the policies. Better yet, most policies haven’t been updated for their current needs. More times than not you’ll find that there is no disability coverage at all, which paves the way to more targeted questions and real planning.

George Davidson: Don’t make the decision for your client.

Producers make the “buying decision” for their clients without even asking them. We see this repeatedly. “My client doesn’t need this coverage. She has a group plan at work and that is sufficient.” The producer attitude closes down the client’s opportunity to protect her family and/or business. Establish a process that ensures that each client has the opportunity to vote.

Craig Gussin: Agents have to mention and ask every one of their clients to buy DI for many reasons: 1) If you don’t, some other agent will, and then your client has two insurance agents instead of just you. 2) Based on statistics, 25 percent or more of your clients will become disabled. If your client becomes disabled and asks you why he did not have DI, what are you going to say? How is he going to pay his bills? 3) You can increase your income greatly without much work-your clients like and trust you already and will buy DI if you educate them on the need.

Be sure you understand the different DI products and the benefits the different insurance companies will offer a person based on his occupation and income. Not all DI products are the same!

Keith Hoffman: Prospecting, DI storytelling and the consultative approach.

Maureen Kirschhofer: I believe that it is really important to sell the need rather than the features when first meeting with a client. Disability insurance is probably the most important insurance that clients can purchase. When you look at the statistics, it is shocking to see the number of individuals who will become disabled for more than 90 days before age 65. I tell my clients that if they love someone, they buy life insurance; if they love themselves, they buy disability insurance. After working for one company for many years, I really appreciate that I can present more than one option and company to my clients. That way it becomes their decision, not mine. When my clients have a claim, I will be there for them, helping them to complete forms and assuring them that the piece of paper they purchased from me is a contract that will pay them when they are sick or injured and can’t work. It is the “you never know” time of their lives. A disability is difficult, but when the bills come and don’t get paid, it is even worse.

My present clients are quick to offer referrals to me, and that makes me feel that I have done the best job that I can for them. I feel like I am a specialist. I am the cardiologist of the insurance market. I don’t try to be everything to every client, but I make suggestions to help them with their planning by working with other specialists whom I feel will do the best for them

Thomas Petersen: Set reasonable expectations and don’t oversell! There is a difference between explaining what disability insurance is designed to do and promising what a specific carrier will do. Expectations get high about the process during underwriting and claim time.

Ray Phillips: First and foremost, know what you’re selling. While there is a certain amount of complexity in knowing product definitions, for the most part it’s my experience that carriers make their policy provisions understandable and accessible. Agents owe it to their clients to know what constitutes a claim. I’m convinced that many do not review the coverage with their clients in an elevated manner. The fact is that income fuels all other insurance planning and investment planning. I’m not sure that this reality is expressed enthusiastically to the prospective DI consumer.

Future purchase option (FPO) riders are a must-sell to those who can qualify. Fact is, clients’ incomes do go up over time in just about every occupation. FPOs provide an efficient way for policy benefits to track with the increased exposure. While a person’s health may not deteriorate over time, the ease of accessing higher benefits is very appealing.

Hand-in-hand with that, when selling DI I think the agent should continue to communicate with the client consistently after the sale. Having a DI policy in force always provides an opportunity for a conversation. That conversation will allow for a review of policy provisions, an opportunity to adjust coverage to a client’s current situation (higher income, different job duties, etc.) or to provide suggestions on other coverages the agent can offer.

Q: Where should agents go for a) basic DI training, and b) continuing or advanced DI education?

Cohen: We find that this is really an apprentice type of business. Working with those agents and BGAs who have been selling disability insurance for decades is really the place to learn. The International DI Society is a great association that allows agents to dive deeper into disability insurance. In addition, The Plus Group is a nice source of regional BGAs around the country who provide training and education to agents.

Davidson: The Plus Group! If your “product source” isn’t your “information source,” then find a new partner. However, if you are serious about sales, you need to employ a sales strategy I learned from one of our carrier partners years ago: ask to get. Ask for training and you will likely get it!

Gussin: As an agent you should learn about DI from taking courses offered by AHIP, IDIS and other organizations such as NAHU and NAIFA, along with working with reps from DI companies. DI reps love to teach you and go on appointments with you, and they will help you make the sale. To get continuing or advanced DI education, join IDIS, the only organization solely geared toward DI.

Hoffman: There’s a distinct difference between product training and sales training. So I’d say product training can best be learned from BGAs and carrier wholesalers. Sales training from senior producers, senior BGAs and senior wholesalers. As an example, Impel Dynamic offer sales training services that can really help someone learn the ropes, but there’s nothing better than doing it on the job, because the “frequency of fatal accidents” diminishes with experience.

Kirschhofer: I was fortunate to work for a company that specialized in disability insurance. They had wonderful training both in my agency and at the home office. We met for some new agent training after about six months in the business, and I believe that this was the wood that kindled my fire to become a DI expert. Unfortunately, so many companies have dropped selling DI or don’t focus on it because it does not profit them, so agents need to go elsewhere for their training. I would recommend that they find out who is the best in DI in their area and take them to lunch and personally ask if they would mind mentoring them. I have worked with several agents in the Jacksonville area just because they asked. Nothing is more meaningful than seeing someone in action on a sales call. The International DI Society offers monthly educational seminars, and I would highly encourage any agents who want to sell more DI to try one of them. One is open for free, and then membership in the society is necessary to continue. The association has worked hard to establish an advanced disability designation in conjunction with AHIP. Here again, I would encourage anyone interested to go to the website, www.internationaldisociety.com, and check it out.

Petersen: In general, the best training still comes from the brokerage outlets, as they have a variety of carriers so they can advise on each case a producer comes across.

Unfortunately, most carriers do not train people to sell disability insurance. Many believe they do, but what they often teach is product knowledge, not sales or general disability education. Thus, most training is left to brokerage, to online sources, and through organizations such as the International DI Society.

Phillips: At the risk of sounding self-serving, an agent’s local BGA is usually a wealth of training and education. Likewise, many of the carriers provide wonderful training modules on their websites and have local/regional brokerage reps of their own to support their products.

Life Happens has a wonderful DI suite on their website, www.lifehappens.org. The Council for Disability Awareness also has great background information and abstracts on their site, www.disabilitycanhappen.org.

For advanced education, the International DI Society has partnered with AHIP for the following designations: Disability Insurance Fellow (DIF) and Disability Insurance Associate (DIA).

Brady: I think that training is the most evident problem with our industry today. The time was that with many carriers providing disability insurance, and many brokerage companies competing for business, we wrote the most we have written as an industry because we had the most training available at that time. Now, one must go to LUTC for DI training, and to the local independent DI wholesaler. We are fortunate to have independent wholesalers who believe in disability insurance and provide training on all levels, even on case help.

Q: What are some effective ways “non-DI” aents can partner with DI experts?

Davidson: Outsourcing has been a catch phrase in business for years now, and many times it has a negative connotation. The reality is that partnering with a product specialist is the best way to jump start your practice. Ask  in your network for a referral and visit with a product expert to make sure you both have the same business values. Develop a simple agreement on process and compensation, then “pick five!” The “pick five” is a great way to “date before you get married.” Identify five existing clients who exhibit the characteristics of a DI purchaser.

 • Between 30 and 55 years old.

 • Self-employed or employed with their current employer for more than two years, and earning $75,000 or more.

 • Children still in the home or in school.

 • Client is a “planner” and exhibits this characteristic in prior transactions.

 Now plan the outreach with your partner (introductory note and phone call) and start the process!

Gussin: Meet agents who sell DI at your local NAHU or NAIFA association meetings and discuss partnership with them. Also talk with some of the DI reps and ask them to help you find an agent who is an expert in DI. They will recommend a DI agent they know will be a good fit for you.

Hoffman: The most effective way is to go with an expert on many joint calls.

Kirschhofer: I briefly mentioned this before, but I treasure my relationship with my DI partner. We each have various strengths that we share with each other. We were competitors who met and instead of competing for clients became a company focused on working together with them. In many ways it had taken awhile to get into the market that we have, but it really works. While I love to review contract language with our clients and do educational seminars, Judi is great at focusing on marketing to them on a persistent basis.

Petersen: Just ask! However, most people won’t for fear of someone stealing a client. The reality is that many good DI producers would love to share a sale and help everyone.

Phillips: The agent needs to decide how much he wants to become involved with the DI sale. Does the broker want to present the product, or serve as a facilitator to the client’s consideration of DI?

As mentioned earlier, there are a number of local, state and national opportunities for an agent to get to know and understand the market. An agent can partner with a carrier brokerage rep or BGA to become educated on the presentation of the concept. Most often the carrier brokerage rep or BGA will assist in point-of-sale presentations to allow the agent to get comfortable in the process. Often this is done without concern for any commission split.

In each market there are other agents who specialize in the DI sale. They work with agents who do not want to become involved with the specifics of a DI sale, but rather are looking to “farm out” that business. Those cases are typically done on a commission split basis. Where can they be found? I’d suggest the local NAHU or NAIFA meetings, or even by referral from the company brokerage rep or local BGA.

Brady: The key is “partner.” Corey Anderson is a great example of a true partner. He works with agents who have the relationship with the client but no interest in becoming a DI expert. So they contact Anderson and he splits the case with them. I think that is the future. With disability insurance being so contractual-language-driven and so competitive, it takes an expert to see beyond price and get it through underwriting as sold.

Cohen: Anyone who has clients should be asking some of the basic DI questions. Disability insurance is easy to learn when you have the right teachers. Each broker can become an expert in this marketplace with a little help and direction.

Q: How are today’s products different? What’s good today, what would you like to see, and what do you wish would come back?

Gussin: DI products have changed over the past 20 years. For example, they would pay your client for life if he became disabled, but now they pay only to age 67. The one thing that has not changed is that if he becomes disabled he will receive a tax-free check until age 67. I believe the plans today are as good as or better than before. Just be sure you understand the product you are presenting to your clients based on their occupation and income.

Hoffman: The basic guts of the policy have not really changed. Sure, there are tweaks which have always created the “leapfrogging” that carriers enjoy, but there is nothing really new. “You get a benefit if you are too sick or hurt to work!” I really wish more life insurance carriers would focus their messages on total risk management for planning and not just promote life insurance for income replacement.

Kirschhofer: I guess that I have been in the business long enough to see a complete turnaround from the 1980s. When I began, companies were competing with one another for best cost, benefits and sales. Suddenly at claim time, they realized they had given away the store. Benefits were withdrawn, prices changed, and many companies are no longer in the business. Now, with more rational underwriting and rates, the companies are offering many of the same original benefits. I loved selling return of premium to my clients and wish we had more options to do this in my state. I had one client who remodeled her kitchen when her 10-year return of premium was up. It makes clients feel that they can achieve a benefit without being disabled. We need to convince our state insurance departments to realize that this is a great benefit and one that would be great to return. If you show potential clients a competitive rate of return on the extra premium, it works even better.

Petersen: Products today are nearly as good as they were in the “heyday.” Limits are up, definitions are excellent, provisions are broad, and access to group, individual, multi-life, excess and business coverages have never been greater. Underwriting is faster than ever, too.

There are some products that producers who have been in the disability industry for many years may miss, but some of these items cannot come back, at least in their original form, due either to regulatory or financial reasons. Case in point is return of premium. There are a couple of carriers that still offer this in some form or another, and my hat is off to them. However, most carriers will stay away from this due to the financial loading and reserving it requires. Another provision is the “lifetime” benefit. The concern for “over insurance” is not just the benefit amount that could create a possible malingering, but also having cash flow for the rest of a person’s life. While it still may have its opponents and proponents because of these theories, the fact is that this benefit might not resurface for some time. I do note that maximum benefit periods are creeping up, though!

Many carriers have been increasing their maximum benefits. This is true for personal disability plans as well as business plans. Fortunately for us, there are still many income producers as well as businesses and business deals which require higher amounts for protection than what most carriers will insure. Even within our business of excess coverages, we have seen new product designs that have been generated to meet the demands for these situations and to fill in gaps.

Historically, for example, excess coverage plans were limited to a maximum of five years benefit. Today we have benefits that can be paid up to age 70! This came as a response to the need for programs that better overlap traditional disability plans.

Key person disability planning is another area that has been changing. While there are a couple of traditional carriers that write key person, the benefits they offer currently are relatively low and only for a select group. Every business has a key person, and sometimes they are high income people such as the rainmakers of a law firm or a top executive, and other times they may be technicians who keep the business flowing.

So how do insurance professionals get training for these things? For the most part, selling supplemental or excess disability plans is similar to selling the base underlying plan since, in a perfect world, excess plans are just an extension of the base coverage. This is where product knowledge comes in. There are some differences in the product, but not the sales technique.

I refer back to another comment I made that what producers need to do is keep the discussion, at least initially, on what disability insurance does (regardless if it is personal, business, group, excess, etc.). Once the sales process goes beyond the expression of interest, then specific products should be discussed regarding how they work.

Phillips: Today’s products have many of the traditional definitions that made the DI market viable and substantial years ago. Specialty own-occ coverage is very available. Many carriers have residual definitions as good as or better than they have ever been. I’m not sure there has ever been a time when definitions have provided more robust coverage opportunities than at present.

I am a big fan of the old return of premium rider structure, and I would love to see that rider return in an affordable form. I’m not sure that with interest rates having been in the doldrums for so long-and apparently going nowhere anytime soon-there will be any innovations in that department.

With national health care a reality, I would also like to see more carriers offering the old “nondisabling injury benefit” or accident coverage in their plans. This allows for a sum to be paid out if a client is injured in an accident but not disabled-a sprained ankle, a separated shoulder, a twisted knee, etc. Such coverage can provide dollars to offset deductibles that might end up as dominant factors in the health insurance structure as we go forward. Plus it gives the client a very realistic view of a positive that the coverage can offer.

Brady: Products seem very similar to the best we had to offer in 1980-1985. I think products and underwriting have remained unchanged. GSI is a different animal, and certainly the future of DI growth for most companies. I would like to see a whole life version of disability insurance built and offered to new markets that currently do not purchase disability insurance.

Cohen: The need is there and should be covered. To preserve space, I can’t go into the products and features we would like to see. It’s important in today’s world to train brokers on how to ask and develop the need for this product. Once there is the need, there are resources that can  help review and educate the broker.

Davidson: This is the best time to be in this business! Premiums are lower than they have been in years. Carriers are offering programs to help with  multi-life and business owners. There is more capacity and better underwriting. Demographics are swaying in our favor, with the largest buying group ever about to hit the prime DI buying years. Position yourself now as the go-to person for income protection and you will reap the rewards for years to come.

Q: In LTCI sales, one school of thought is to get at least some coverage in place, with a goal of striving for more coverage in the future. Does this approach lend itself to the DI market?

Hoffman: Agreed, but it is the approach that is incorrect. Many times, at the point of sale, the producer recommends a reduction in the benefit amount to “save premium.” The benefit should be the last choice to reduce premium. It makes more sense to tinker with the elimination period or the benefit period to save money. The reason is that once you’re disabled, it will be hard enough to live on 60 percent of your income. [KH]

Kirschhofer: If cost is a problem-and I tell my clients that they should look at about 3 to 6 percent of their income to protect that income-something is really better than nothing. If they have to decide between a shorter benefit period or a smaller indemnity, I would suggest a shorter benefit period. What I say, if this is an issue, is, “Close your eyes and picture yourself disabled.” Then decide what you really need in a product that will help you to continue in your world. A disability can be a living death, but we can make it tolerable by taking away the fear of living without an income. [MK]

Petersen: It seems to be a thought brought in by some and may have some merit, but the reality is that maximum benefits and benefit excess plan maximums are based upon an adequate amount of coverage, not an overabundance of coverage. Thus, if you get half of what you should have, you go broke only half as fast as without coverage.

LTCI is not designed to replace income in the purest sense, but to provide funds to pay for a specific type of expense. It is not there to cover household bills, mortgage, etc. [TP]

Phillips: I think this approach can and does work in the DI markets. While I am truly a proponent of protecting a client from that catastrophic, long term situation, often it can’t happen within a client’s budgetary constraints. Elimination of riders should be considered first, as far as allowing for the clients to afford something.

Lengthening elimination periods or shortening benefits periods can then be looked at if the client balks at a more comprehensive plan.

If the client cannot-or does not want to-afford a comprehensive DI plan, then something is better than nothing, in my opinion. [RP]

Brady: I think that idea is currently used with future purchase options and automatic increase riders, but to buy a small policy today and grow seems opposite of what most people want. They seem to want the most they can get now and not wait until later. [SB]

Cohen: The future purchase option is one of the most valuable parts of a disability insurance contract. These come in different shapes and sizes, but need to be positioned properly if a broker is going to have success in this marketplace.

The ability to make one’s product less expensive today so that clients can have some protection in force and, in the future, be allowed to apply for more without health questions is very productive and viable. [MC]

Davidson: Of course. Planning is never an “all or nothing” endeavor. Your client may not be able to save as much as he should, but he can start by saving a little and then it grows over time. Property/casualty customers may not have the highest limits, but they don’t go “naked” because of it. Income protection involves diversification (some coverage at work and some personally owned), and recognizing that you may not be able to have everything you want but you at least should have what you will absolutely need. [GD]

Gussin: Yes! I sell a lot of DI and add a future purchase option so clients can buy more DI in the future, regardless of their health. Get your clients some DI, and as their income goes up (and they can afford to pay more) you increase their DI coverage.  [CG]

Kenneth A. Bloch,  The Bloch Agency

Eugene Cohen, Eugene Cohen Insurance Agency, Inc.

George G. Davidson, Secura Consultants

Cindy V. Gentry, Life Happens and BBA Life Brokerage Agency

Barry Lundquist, Council for Disability Awareness

Thomas R. Petersen, Petersen International Underwriters

Thomas Petsche, Sr., International DI Society and Brokerage Solutions

Raymond J. Phillips, Jr., The Brokers Source, Ltd.

Q: What advice do you have for brokers on how to take advantage of Disability Insurance Awareness Month?

Eugene Cohen: The best kept insurance  secret is disability income protection. I ask myself, “Why?” It is such an important part of financial planning. Most advertisements for financial planning are geared toward income for retirement years, not taking into consideration that many individuals may be forced to retire before age 65 due to disabilities.

Brokers should take advantage of Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM)by calling their policyholders and telling them that the month of May is DIAM, and follow that up by asking their clients questions such as:

 • “What is the longest vacation you have ever taken?” Most will respond, “Two or three weeks.” You ask why that is the longest and the response will usually be, “I have to work. Who can afford to take a longer vacation?”

 • “If you were to have an illness or accident and you were out of work two or three years, would you have an income problem?” If the answer is yes, you respond, “We have to talk.”

 • “Do you have a plan if, due to an illness or an accident, your income should stop?”

 • “Would you agree that your greatest asset is the ability to earn an income?”

It is my belief that if brokers asked their clients these questions, the clients would see the need for disability income protection.

George Davidson: While many organizations and carriers support the Disability Insurance Awareness Month initiative, it does not matter if financial professionals don’t embrace the concept, utilize the tools, and launch a campaign to reach their clients and prospects.

However, the first order of business should be a review of your own disability planning! As I was recently reminded, you sell what you own. Many financial professionals are woefully underinsured themselves, and you can’t preach the message if you don’t heed your own advice.

Cindy Gentry: The easiest way is to let someone else do the heavy lifting for you. Life Happens (formerly LIFE Foundation), which is the nonprofit organization that coordinates the national DIAM campaign each year, has free turnkey tools for brokers and agents to use during DIAM—and beyond. There is really nothing that you have to do from scratch. You can find the DI tools and resources at www.lifehappens.org/industry. (The sidebar gives you some concrete examples.)

Success with the campaign, however, lies in consistency. Plan ahead, choose the resources that you’d like to use, distribute them and then be sure to communicate about DIAM and DI on a consistent basis. In my business, besides a monthly newsletter, we also send out two weekly emails with sales ideas, marketing resources and product information. This consistent drip of information is invaluable. If you want them to sell it, they have to hear about it and know more about it.

Barry Lundquist: A broker’s responsibility is to help people protect what is most important to them. We know from research conducted by the Council for Disability Awareness that consumers, brokers and employers all agree that the ability to earn an income is a wage earner’s most valuable financial resource; income is what pays the bills, pays for housing, food, clothing, transportation and other living essentials, as well as giving breadwinners an opportunity to save for retirement, a new home, a child’s education, or just for a rainy day. Disability Insurance Awareness Month  gives a broker a reason to contact prospects and clients and start a conversation about the importance of income to their financial security, about the risk of income loss related to illness or injury, and about solutions that can help them protect that most valuable resource. It’s also a great time to remind those clients who have already purchased disability insurance how important it is and to suggest a checkup to make sure that the income protection they have remains appropriate. For those brokers who do not talk to clients about protecting their income, DIAM is a great reminder to them of what being a trusted advisor is all about. After all, their responsibility is to help people protect what is most valuable to them, and for most working Americans, nothing is more valuable than their income.

Tom Petersen: Disability Insurance Awareness Month is just as the name implies—awareness. Disability insurance does not sell itself like many other forms of insurance. It has to be sold. It is also difficult for the average person to picture himself disabled much beyond a cold or flu. DIAM does an enormous job of marketing and spreading awareness at both the consumer and industry professional levels. Groups such as CDA, Life Happens, and IDIS have great tools to help make marketing DI easier. But don’t start in May! Start in April! May is when the blitz to the public happens, and it is best to have all the resources going at once!

A side note: When May ends, the need for disability insurance doesn’t! Hopefully, insurance professionals recognize that DI can be sold, should be sold, and should be part of our everyday sales activities.

Thomas Petsche: We need to start ASAP getting emails, mailers and brochures sent out to brokers and clients just to get DI on their radar.

Ray Phillips: Invest in the tools available from Life Happens. Invest the time to know what is on their website. Invest the money in those marketing pieces that might help spread the word about disability income insurance.

Use the benchmark reminder of Disability Insurance Awareness Month as a reason to start a conversation with clients about DI.

For clients who have purchased DI, use this as a time for brief review of the client’s situation to confirm that benefit amounts are accurate; review the definitions and features of the plan so the client knows what he has and can expect if a claim arises. Provide a brief overview of the actual claims process—how to file, what happens, etc.—in case a claim does arise.

Q: What tools, process or technique do you recommend that brokers make use of to engage clients in a DI discussion?

Cohen: I recommend asking clients questions to engage them in the mindset of disability income protection. Ask them how important their earned income is to them. Ask them how they would fund their retirement plan if they were to become disabled. Ask a small business owner how he would pay his business expenses if he had a disability.

Selling disability income protection is easy when the need is established.

Davidson: The important news is that you don’t have to “reinvent the wheel.” There are ample materials provided by Life Happens and the Council for Disability Awareness. Take a few minutes to find the tools that fit your practice style and put them to use.

Gentry: Increasingly, one of the most effective means of connecting with people on a very personal level—especially with Gen Xers and Millennials—is through social media. None of us really seems to have the time necessary to devote to these new channels of communication, but the truth is that we ignore them at our business peril. Again, free resources from Life Happens can make it much easier. They have pre-written “compliance neutral” content about DI, including images and “info-statistics” that you can literally copy and paste to share. You can also follow them on the Life Happens social media channels, such as Facebook and Twitter, and simply share the new content that they post several times a day.

Lundquist: From knowing and observing hundreds of brokers over the years, I have tried to discern what differentiates those who are highly successful from the others. I have observed four traits common to the best of the best:

 • They are dedicated, lifelong learners. They never stop learning; never stop striving to be more educated and professional.

 • They are passionate. For them, selling is not about commissions, it’s about doing the very best job to protect their clients and best meet their most important needs.

 • They tell stories. They share stories from their personal and professional lives; stories from which, for many, their passion derives; stories about how important it is for people to protect themselves from the most catastrophic risks.

 • They ask great questions and then they shut up and listen. Clients don’t want to be sold, they want to be listened to, they want to be educated, and then they want to make their own decisions based on advice from someone they trust.

So I think the answers to this question are apparent from these four traits. There are no silver bullets. Clearly, being the best requires hard work. But those who dedicate themselves to learning, who are passionate, who have stories to share, and who have great questions to ask will be successful.

Some good questions to start a conversation about income protection include:

 1) If you were sick or injured and couldn’t work, how would you pay your bills?

Know what all the responses might be and have answers prepared. For example, if the person says, “We’d live on my spouse’s income,” what would your response be? What follow-up question would you ask? If the person said, “I have disability insurance,” that’s an opportunity to ask about their protection and to help them determine whether it is enough.

 2) What is your most valuable financial resource? What is it worth?

When they respond, they may talk about their home, their retirement nest egg, etc. Use the Earnable Income Quotient calculator, which is a great tool made available by the Council for Disability Awareness, to help them estimate the value of their income. It is typically a very large number, much larger than the value of their home or 401(k) balance.

 3) What are your odds of experiencing an illness or injury during your working career that will prevent you from earning a paycheck for three months or longer?

We know that most people dramatically underestimate their odds of becoming disabled. Use the CDA’s Personal Disability Quotient calculator to demonstrate that their risk is higher than they think. The good news? Solutions are available.

The key is to ask the question and then let the client talk

Petersen: There is no one way to engage someone. Some people are visual. Some are analytical and need statistical information. Some people empathize with stories, and others feel a need to protect their family or business. And finally, there is a group that buys because they are told they need it (usually by an attorney, friend, parent, business partner, etc.). As a professional salesperson (it doesn’t matter if you sell insurance, refrigerators or widgets), you need to be able to engage people on their level. Do you have a story to share? Do you have statistics? Do you have pictures? If not, get them! Life Happens, CDA and IDIS all have great tools to help.

One other source that is not to be overlooked is your local disability insurance brokerage outlet. These are the experts in many areas, all on DI. They have tools, they have knowledge, they can help with marketing, and they can help with sales calls in some cases. Most DI brokerage outlets represent several carriers so that they can provide you an assortment of products to solve insurance needs.

Petsche: I have my three questions:

 1. If your car were stolen or destroyed tomorrow, how quickly could you find another car to drive?

 2. If your house burned down, how soon could you find a place to live?

 3. If you became sick or hurt and your doctor told you that you could not work for the next six months, two years, or the rest of your life, do you have an income guaranteed to cover your regular monthly bills, no matter how long you cannot work? Your income potential in your working lifetime is several million dollars—that is, if you don’t become disabled.

Phillips: ASK! Ask clients if they have DI.

If they do have DI, ask if they know what they have (chances are they won’t). If they have group coverage at work, ask to review the policy to point out any shortfalls and perhaps provide input on insuring any benefit shortfall relative to their income. Ask if an individual policy they have will cover their current situation. Ask if you can do a DI policy audit to ensure proper coverage.

If clients do not have coverage, ask how it would impact their lifestyle if they were sick or injured and couldn’t work. Ask if you can provide an affordable solution to the exposure they have.

Q: Many DI specialists share the view that every month should be treated as if it were DIAM. What can be done to convince specialists in other insurance fields to impress upon their clients the need to protect their income?

Cohen: Specialists in disability income protection find selling the product quite easy. This is because they know and understand the policies. Specialists in other insurance fields need to be educated so they, too, become knowledgeable and comfortable addressing the concept of disability income protection with their clients. At our agency we spend as much time as needed going over the disability policy illustration with our brokers, preparing them for the appointment; we are not satisfied until we have done our job of making the broker secure in his knowledge and comfortable with the previously uncomfortable. Knowledge is power.

Davidson: Unfortunately many financial advisors wake up to the importance of this issue only after one of their clients suffers a disabling illness or injury. In our practice we spend every day attempting to save these individuals from becoming an example which motivates their financial advisor to do the right thing.

Gentry: The great part about DIAM and using the Life Happens resources is that May becomes the launching pad for DI outreach—a great beginning. You can give your own campaign a big burst of energy while the national campaign is underway, and you can leverage the national attention that’s being put on DI. Then it goes back to consistency. Continue to use those DI resources throughout the year. Most of Life Happens resources—realLIFEstories flyers and videos, and social media posts—can be used any time of the year. Set up a calendar of when and how you are going to communicate about DI, and then stick to it.

Lundquist: As I noted earlier, a financial advisor’s responsibility is to help people protect what is most important. For nearly all wage earners, income is most important. If the broker is not familiar with disability insurance, that is not a valid excuse for not addressing income protection. There is plenty of help available to get educated, and plenty of opportunities to partner with experts to create the best solutions for a client. Some years back, LIMRA surveyed brokers who did not sell disability insurance and asked them why. The most common response was “the client didn’t ask for it.” That is simply not acceptable. The advisor’s job is to help the client understand his risks and to protect against them. Some people will talk about the broker’s liability because they didn’t talk about disability insurance to a client who subsequently became disabled. As a trusted professional, I cannot imagine having a conversation with a client who has suffered a disabling illness or injury, or perhaps having that conversation with one of that person’s loved ones, and having to explain to that person why there is no protection in place for that person’s lost income. For many, their lives will be completely ruined.

Petersen: While we in the disability insurance industry believe every insurance professional should always include DI, the reality is that they can’t (or won’t), for many reasons. This is one reason the need to network with others in our industry can be a useful tool. The specialists in other fields don’t need to know about disability insurance as much as they need to know (and use) the resources that can analyze, design and implement a DI plan. That may be a producer to split cases, or a brokerage outlet, or a carrier rep. If they want to do it alone, they should also know the online tools and resources we have already mentioned. A specialist in another field should understand that if their client becomes permanently disabled, he may lose them as a client! A CPA will not have a business client. However, a business owner disabled and with business overhead expense DI coverage will need a CPA! An investment advisor will find that a disabled person becomes a survivalist, and discretionary income for investing is much tougher to part with during a disability. A life insurance specialist should ask himself, “What if my client doesn’t die from a severe accident or heart attack?”

Petsche: Every plan/program that you can set up in the financial services area is dependent on your income to keep them going, and once that money machine—you—breaks down, all your plans just become liabilities. Should we protect the goose? Or the golden eggs the goose lays? Too many advisors and their clients want to insure the golden eggs.

Phillips: If a person becomes disabled, the other specialists need to recognize that there is a good chance it will affect the client’s ability to pay the premiums on the products or investments they have sold. The fact is, before IRAs, before life insurance, before 401(k)s, before long term care insurance, there should be disability income insurance. Not only does it protect a paycheck, not only does it protect the lifestyle a client has grown accustomed to, it also protects the very plans that have been implemented to secure the individual’s and family’s financial future.

Q: In your experience, what are the main difficulties/objections you encounter in trying to market DI either to agents or to consumers, and how do you overcome them?

Ken Bloch: The biggest consumer objection is “sticker shock.” If the producer explains disability insurance in understandable terms with the policy premium at 2 percent or less of gross income as a starting point, the consumer can then design a policy that will provide value and peace of mind. [KB]

Cohen: This is a typical conversation when talking to a new broker: “Do you offer disability income protection to your clients?” Most answer no. “Why?” we ask. The most common answers we get are: “I don’t want to be bothered.” “I am busy with my casualty business, health insurance, etc.” “It’s too complicated.”

The real objection is that the broker is uncomfortable with his lack of product knowledge. We help brokers overcome the real objection of why they do not offer disability income protection to their clients by letting them know that our agency marketers are here to help them understand the product and how to offer it.

In overcoming objections from the consumer there are only four basic objections. Everything else is not a real objection. The four basic objections are: 1) no need, 2) no hurry, 3) no confidence, and 4) no money.

I gave examples earlier of questions to ask to establish the need for disability income protection. Once the client understands that he needs the policy, you have overcome objection number 1. 

Objection number 2 is “no hurry.” When your client knows he needs disability income protection, he will act. You have overcome the “no hurry” objection.

Objection number 3 is “no confidence.” If you have the knowledge, your client will have confidence in you. It is your job to obtain the knowledge by reading the material that companies have developed for producers and by working with a knowledgeable brokerage agency that can give you all the time and support you need.

Objection number 4 is “no money.” This is the final objection and this is when you ask the client, “If the company were to deduct x amount of dollars from your checking account every month, would this create a financial problem?” If the client says no, you are done! If the client says yes, then you state, “I am not here to create a financial problem, I am here to solve one.” (This approach only works because of its sincerity.) Then we work together to reduce the benefit and premium to something the client can manage.

Every day in our office is disability income protection awareness day. Every day we are teaching, training and talking disability income protection to our brokers and to each other. It is great to be a part of an industry that does so much good for people. [EC]

Davidson: A well-versed and motivated financial advisor encounters very few legitimate objections. We have worked closely with advisors whose placement ratio is almost 100 percent. This comes from understanding the needs of the client and the solutions that are available. Everyone wants what disability insurance does—our job is to help the client position it into their plan and budget. [GD]

Gentry: I see it less as an objection and more of an issue of something we don’t talk enough about. Health agents aren’t selling DI, P&C agents certainly aren’t selling it, and most life agents don’t sell it either. But the truth is, none of those other types of insurance meet the need that DI does. There is a huge gap between consumers who need DI and those who have adequate coverage.

I think the key is focusing the conversation on “protecting your paycheck.” People aren’t necessarily open to talking about disability insurance—they may not even know what it is. However, they will be open to knowing what can help them if an injury or illness keeps them out of work for an extended period of time. Life Happens did a survey that found that 50 percent of people would have financial troubles either immediately or within one month of not receiving a paycheck. That’s a crisis. We have the tools so that agents can help their clients solve this problem. Now we need to start using them. [CG]

Lundquist: Some common objections from brokers: It’s too complicated, it takes too long, and policies are too often modified from what was applied for. The first thing I’d say is: Just because something is hard doesn’t mean for a second that it is any less important. The more brokers learn about disability insurance, the more policies they sell and the easier it becomes. They can make sure the prospect knows what to expect if they themselves know what to expect.

Many very successful disability brokers that I know have made the observation: If I knew then what I know now I would have started selling disability insurance much sooner. Many companies today are offering multi-life programs on a guaranteed issue, simplified administration basis. Those multi-life programs can certainly make the process easier.

Another tip is to focus on younger wage earners. When someone is early in his career, his risk of disability over the many years he will work until his retirement is much higher than an older worker who has fewer years of work remaining. That younger worker’s earnings potential is significantly higher than the older worker for whom many of his earning years are behind him.

So the youngest prospect has the most to lose and the highest odds of losing it. Younger workers often have few financial resources to fall back on. And for younger workers, it is typically much easier and less expensive to purchase income protection.

Other benefits to brokers besides doing what is right for clients: There is less competition in the disability insurance marketplace and commissions are lucrative, especially renewals.

Some common objections from prospects: “It costs too much.” This may simply be a reflection of not appreciating their level of risk. Discuss the consequences of disability; ask how they would pay the bills. Ask if they know others who have had cancer, or a stroke, or experienced a bad accident. Use the Personal Disability Quotient calculator. Many wage earners assume that disability insurance is much more expensive than it is. Finally, don’t forget that having something is better than having nothing. Help them get something in place that can be built on in later years.

“I’m healthy.” It is certainly the case that a person can lower his risk of disability substantially by living a healthy lifestyle, keeping weight in line, eating right, exercising and so on. In fact, a person can cut his risk of disability in half. But even the youngest, healthiest person has a risk of disability that is too high to ignore.

“We can get by on our savings and (other sources).” Help them do some math. How much do they need each month to pay the bills? What sources of income would they tap into, how much would be available, and how long would the sources last? Finally, quantify the gap between needs and income sources. Help them learn how to best fill that gap.

Also keep in mind that the average long term disability, once the claimant satisfies his elimination period, exceeds 2.5 years. He needs to be prepared to withstand a disability that can last for several years, or one that may even end his working career.

Helping overcome objections is where stories and passion come most into play. Telling stories about others who have experienced disability and especially getting clients to talk about people they know who have experienced illnesses or injuries can certainly help. Many people don’t think they know anyone who was “disabled,” but when asked if they know someone who has had cancer, a stroke, or even chronic back pain, most everyone will say yes. Our Council for Disability Awareness research demonstrates that when an individual knows someone who has experienced a disability, they think their own risk of disability is higher.

Perseverance counts. Keep asking, keep reminding. As any successful salesperson can attest, the sale is very often made after many attempts. [BL]

Petersen: The DI industry has done a great job of educating insurance professionals that disability insurance is cash flow. More life insurance is sold for asset protection than for a “need for cash.” When insurance professionals who speak about assets as things that are important to insure realize that disability insurance is asset protection, then they begin to include it in their day-to-day sales. The same perception applies to the end buyers, too. People don’t visualize losing income as easily as losing a house, keeping kids in school, wrecking a car, etc. A long term disability will result in the same liquidation of those assets if they are not protected by disability insurance. We must do a paradigm shift in thinking about what disability insurance truly is. It is asset protection! [TP]

Petsche: The biggest obstacle we have to overcome with both brokers and consumers is the perception that “disability will not happen to me.” The best way to overcome this objection is by telling emotional and motivating stories about our experiences dealing with what happens to individuals with and without disability insurance. Also, show the law of averages that relates to disability, because the odds are not in their favor. [TP]

Phillips: The biggest hurdles, in my experience, have been cost, recognition of exposure, and perception of the underwriting process.

Cost is the major objection to many insurance sales. I’ve found that if the advisor gets the client to focus on the amount of annual and total payouts the DI plan could provide in the event of a claim, it helps. For instance, for a 40-year-old business owner who is considering a $5,000 monthly benefit, stress that this is $60,000 per year; and that the total potential payout to age 65 is $1.5 million. In that context, the premium relative to the benefits provided is perceived as much less than if presented monthly.

Statistics abound that provide the realities of the exposure an income earner has to a disability. The Council on Disability Awareness has information available to help point out this exposure, as does the Life Happens site, www.lifehappens.org.

The facts are that the DI underwriting process can be involved and tedious. Accurately pre-screening the client as well as detailing the process and the reasons behind the scrutiny involved must be explained to the client. The amount of potential benefits requires a process that allows carriers to mitigate their own exposures.

But within that framework a number of carriers have come out with a simplified underwriting process that can be less invasive for clients up to a certain age and benefit amount. Exploring that process for the client’s particular situation can be an effective way to cut the time and consideration involved. [RP]

May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month and these industry veterans have ideas that will assist you in taking advantage of this great opportunity to educate your clients!

GEORGE DAVIDSON, Secura Consultants

KAREN GARDNER, MetroDI

GREG JACHELSKI, Financial Solutions Group, Inc.

Q: If a producer has never sold DI insurance, how would you suggest he get started?

George Davidson: Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM) should be a trigger for financial professionals to devote time to assure that all of their current clients understand how important this product is to risk planning.

If DI planning is not part of a client’s portfolio, a broker should clearly discuss the relevance of the coverage and help resolve this issue. If a client has DI coverage, a summary of that plan should be provided to the client and a review scheduled. A producer cannot simply abdicate this responsibility—either do the work or make sure your clients are referred to someone who does!

Karen Gardner: Producers should talk to every employed client and prospect about the need to protect their most valuable asset—the ability to earn an income. In doing that, it is important to understand how a DI policy works, what will be protected, and how a policy would pay if a client is unable to work due to injury or sickness.

Income replacement policies have many options. A new producer needs to understand the benefit each option provides in order to appropriately meet a client’s needs. The definition of a disability can vary greatly between contracts, and not all clients need the most comprehensive definition of disability. Income, education and the ability to work at another occupation should be taken into consideration when choosing the right policy.

What could prevent a surgeon from doing his job is not the same as it would be for an attorney. Some income replacement products provide benefits when an insured cannot do the substantial and material duties of his occupation, and some contracts pay only if a person cannot work at any job. Income replacement insures duties, not titles, so that is why understanding what your client actually does at his job every day is important.

Another important note is that policy conditions and terminology varies among carriers. One carrier  may refer to “own occupation,” while another may say “your occupation” and still another “regular occupation.” This is true for other options and riders that are part of each contract. What constitutes a catastrophic or residual disability varies from carrier to carrier as well.

To effectively sell disability income, new agents must take time to read and understand the terms of a contract before presenting it to a prospect. We often receive phone calls from agents who are on the way to their appointment, wanting to review and/or learn the basics about the proposal they are about to present. That is why we ask every producer to read through the proposal and then call us to discuss it before their meeting with the client.

There are many resources available to help get the message out about the need for DI and to help producers better understand the provisions that are available. Lifehappens.org has many articles and videos that speak about the value of income protection. We also post DI basics on our website for agents to familiarize themselves with products and definitions.

Producers always need to ask their clients: “What would you do if you were sick or hurt and could not work? How would that impact your family and assets?”

Greg Jachelski: Most people are unaware of their need for disability income protection. Those who may have employer-sponsored disability income protection are generally not aware of the benefits they have or don’t have. The fact is that 60 percent of gross, non-bonus income protection may equate a net of only 35 to 40 percent of base income protection after taxes, COBRA and any other benefit coordinations are accounted for. A skilled DI specialist can get that number up to 100 percent.

Q: If a producer has sold DI, but with mediocre success, how would you guide him to the next level?

Gardner: Producers need to know what price point is affordable for their client in order to tailor a product to fit their client. Some producers tend to oversell by adding extra riders when, in fact, a plan with fewer bells and whistles is better than no plan at all.

Our experience shows that managing the client’s expectations from the beginning with thorough field underwriting will help a producer succeed in placing policies. Pre-existing conditions, unusual job duties and income can affect the price and the benefits that are available. If a producer is thorough in his fact-finding prior to presenting a proposal, the plan will be tailored more accurately to the client. In turn, once a plan is underwritten, it will be more likely to be issued as applied for.

When policies are issued with unexpected limitations, exclusions or higher premiums, clients feel they are not getting what was quoted and will often reject a policy. Pre-qualifying income, job duties and health before presenting a quote dramatically increases success rates.

Jachelski: There are a couple of paths one can take. First, I would strongly suggest that brokers become students of disability income protection. Enroll in the Life Underwriting Training Council’s Disability Income Course offered by the American College. These courses are generally available through local NAIFA organizations. Next, review all marketing materials, Powerpoint presentations and articles available from companies specializing in disability income protection. Also, you might try doing joint cases with fellow agents who have successfully incorporated DI product sales into their practices.

The best way to learn and understand the importance of DI protection is to work on an actual case. Start with your current clients and find out what, if any, benefits they have.

One approach I would suggest is to send an empty envelope with only your return address and a stamp to a list of your clients. You will be surprised how many calls you will receive, letting you know that there was nothing in your correspondence. When you talk with them, let them know that “nothing” is what they may receive if they are sick or disabled. Then suggest that you get together with them to make sure they are never in such a situation. 

Davidson: Discipline is the key to successfully implementing any new strategy. You must have a plan and then execute it.

If a producer has an established practice, then the road may be a bit easier. I suggest that an advisor should review his existing client information and filter for five characteristics:

 1. Between 30 and 55 years of age.

 2. Professional, self-employed or employed earning more than $75,000 a year.

 3. Stable employment and earnings for the last two years.

 4. Children still in the home or in school.

 5. Diligent in establishing a secure financial plan.

Call these clients and use a simple, “low key” approach such as:

“John, I’m reviewing my favorite clients’ files and I noticed I don’t have information about your plan should you or Mary get sick or hurt and can’t work. Who has helped you with this planning?”

“John, if anything were to happen to either you or Mary and you were out of work for an extended period of time, do you believe any of the planning we have done together would help during this time?”

Either of these simple questions will open a line of discussion which may unveil an opportunity. Even if this doesn’t generate additional business (which it will), you will have at least informed your client that the planning he has done does not address the important disability exposure.

Q: What advice do you have for brokers on how to take advantage of the DIAM campaign?

Jachelski: Please reread my answer to question two. The insurance sales profession should not be about one’s selling skills only—it should be a “calling.” Primarily, we all must be in this business to help and guide our clients to achieve financial wellbeing.

Keep it simple. Use feeling and finding questions when asking your clients to explain to you just what would happen to their current existence if they suffered a long term disability. Then just listen—don’t speak. You will be amazed at the responses you receive when your clients actually take the time to think about their particular situation.

Be persistent. Ask all of your prospects and clients about their disability income protection: “Do you have paycheck protection?”

Be diligent. In today’s environment, if you do not properly discuss the consequences of a premature disability, you are not only putting your client at risk, you are putting your practice at risk as well. I would strongly suggest that you have your clients sign a “Waiver of Liability Agreement” if they choose not to accept your guidance on disability protection. If you do not have such an agreement available, email me ([email protected]) and I will send you a copy of the one I use.

DIAM is an ideal time to make clients aware that there may be shortfalls in their financial protection. In fact, agents should consider every month DIAM by providing continuous awareness regarding the paramount importance of proper disability protection planning.

Remember: Nothing lasts without a strong foundation, and disability income protection is the cement!

Davidson: One of the major reasons financial professionals fail to successfully move a client to a successful DI placement lies in the mistake of presenting too early. The practice of showing a client a carrier’s proposal before the appropriate questions are asked (and answered) leads to a confused client who will more often than not decline to move forward.

Proposals are the validation of a plan, not a selling tool. They should not be presented until the need is established, the basics of a solution developed (including a premium budget), and an agreement to seriously examine moving forward has been obtained. By keeping in mind that you should not present too early, you will become more successful in delivering disability insurance solutions that your clients will implement.

Gardner: Because income replacement is such an undersold product, any campaign that brings awareness to the consumer and producer is helpful. Having funny duck commercials has certainly raised awareness about the need for DI.

When I hear the stories about people’s lives shattered by injury or sickness and how having an income replacement policy saved them from financial ruin, I feel strongly about spreading awareness. Having DI awareness month is a good way to educate both agents and their clients.