There are intuitive underwriting solutions available for the customer of today and with health, occupation and family circumstances changing, these new systems strengthen the customer journey and promotes trust through transparency.
By saving time with quicker processing we should be able to see more customers, and the increase in procurement fees and commission could make way for additional head count.
By having a member of your team focussing solely on processing, you can free up even more time to make sure those protection conversations are not overlooked.
One of the quickest and most streamlined ways of making sure no customer gets left behind is by working with a reputable referral partner. There is an abundance of protection specialists in our industry and since 2020 we have seen a rise in telephone-based protection businesses as everyone moved into home working.
These companies have flourished during our time at home, and it was mainly them that have stayed strong throughout the pandemic.
For example, at SimplyBiz, we have a referral partner who employs all the techniques above to ensure a seamless process from start to finish. Advisers will still receive commission and the customer will have all their protection needs met.
Business protection
With the current economic climate you will find that customers may be cautious about what they spend their pennies on this year, but there are still a few untapped markets in the industry for us to explore and one of the biggest is business protection.
On the face of it, business protection can seem quite complex, but it does not need to be. Ultimately, it is still life, critical illness and income protection but with a shiny business protection wrapper.
A lot of insurers now have dedicated business protection teams who can take you through the basics right through to tax and trusts, so you will always have someone on hand to guide you through the process.
I am sure you will already have self-employed customers on the books, so it is the perfect time to start having conversations with clients about saving some tax with a relevant life plan or safeguarding their income with some executive income protection.
The Financial Conduct Authority is currently consulting on a higher level of customer protection, where we no longer compete on price, in the interest of better customer outcomes. Wellbeing is an area in which we can start to tackle this, and it is set to grow even bigger in 2022.
We have already seen a host of insurers adding ancillary benefits to their policies over the past few years and this number is increasing by the week. In the past, just like CI cover, the more definitions, or illnesses, you covered, the better the plan – but that is no longer the case.
