LIFE INSURANCE AWARENESS
Impact on life market from page 23
ShirleyAnn Robertson
I posed the same question to ShirleyAnn M. Robertson, a
second generation financial professional who began her
career with Prudential in 1992 under the guidance of her
now retired business partner and mother, Hyacinth E.
Robertson. Working out of her office in Schaumburg, Illinois,
and recognized nationally, Ms. Robertson has developed
her practice working with women, families, ministries, and
small to mid-size business clients throughout the United
States. She has received many industry awards and has been
a Million Dollar Round Table member from 2001–2019.
And she answered my question with enthusiasm.
Staying the course or changing it up
We are living in such a time of uncertainty. The last thing I want
my clients to be uncertain of is if they are leaving a legacy! Will
their significant other be taken care of? Will their kids be taken
care of? Will the business continue to flourish? How will I manage
without my key employee? These concerns stem from both the
family market and my small business owners,” Ms. Robertson said.
Smart producers and marketers are almost constantly tweaking
their marketing efforts, and one might think a major event like a
pandemic would stimulate some major tweaking of those efforts.
According to Mr. Elman, though, the big difference is pace. “We
have not changed our marketing efforts, but we have noticed a shift
in business practices. The pace has slowed down, and our clients
have been patient as we all adjust to a new normal, making our
business practices easier.
“We are living in such a time of
uncertainty. The last thing I want my
clients to be uncertain of is if they
are leaving a legacy!”
Robertson
“While it might have been a
short-term motivator, the pandemic
likely won’t be a long-term motivator
in the life insurance industry.”
Elman
Technology advantages
“We have also found we have more time on our hands with
video calls replacing face-to-face meetings. While I am a little
fatigued from all the virtual meetings, I am also appreciative of the
technology’s efficiency. As clients become more comfortable with
video conferencing, we plan to integrate it into our practice more
going forward, even when the shelter-in-place order is lifted.”
Ms. Robertson said she’s listening more. “Now more than ever,
I’m listening to my clients share their anxieties. My job is to provide
hope — an optimistic perspective. I want to create certainty in
these uncertain times. I remind my clients I’m always a call away.
My office is open, and we are available to help them navigate
through these times.
“While reviewing my client’s life insurance coverages and
benefits,” she said, “I compliment them for protecting their
loved ones. Now more than ever, it’s so important for clients to
understand the significance of owning life insurance. The value
of life insurance is the same today as it will be tomorrow. In the
conversations I’m having with my clients and prospects today, I
remind them of that significance.”
Pre-COVID preparations
For Mr. Dewald, some important changes were initiated pre-
COVID-19 that have had some important ramifications recently.
“About two years ago,” he said, “our relationship with The Marketing
Alliance (TMA) led to a launch of a multi-carrier electronic drop
ticket platform, which is much more than just an application
converter to a digital format. It includes a call center and fulfillment
center where applications and client telephone calls are completed
on behalf of the carrier. The call center keeps us informed
throughout the process. We integrated that into our agency
marketing plan and developed a detailed plan to have all term cases
under $2,500 of premium be via the drop ticket platform exclusively.
This includes broker and staff incentives. Little did we know how
the ‘pre-COVID’ installation of this process would pay such huge
dividends. We now have a very high — 80%+ — utilization of that
platform, which offers nine carrier options to our brokers.”
Impact on life market continued on page 26
24 Perspectives Q3 2020