DI INSURANCE
Creativity in DI sales
“We’re cutting
through some video
meeting fatigue with
BombBomb, a paid
service that lets us
drop videos into
inboxes.”
Ohio National Regional DI Sales
Directors, Alicia Keane and Patty Ball,
each bring over 20 years of insurance/
financial Industry experience. They
share insights and support the DI
market in the Northeast and South
Central regions of the U.S.
Income protection has taken on greater significance in the wake of COVID-19. Once an
afterthought for some clients, the concept is top of mind as they have seen millions losing
their livelihoods amid the pandemic’s economic disruption.
While these clients are more eager to discuss solutions such as disability income (DI)
insurance, they’re also more reluctant to have the conversations in person because of
social distancing. Producers recognize this and are using technology to keep the lines of
communication open and embracing familiar tools like video conferencing. For others it’s a
chance to rethink parts of their pre-pandemic business model. In any case, their goal is the
same: deliver a DI message to clients who are now more willing to receive it.
Making the most of video meetings
Even before the pandemic, producers were using video conferencing apps like Zoom every
day for cross-country and crosstown meetings alike. Physicians and business executives with
busy schedules were more likely to carve out time for a video meeting than an in-person visit.
With so many people working from home, agents have found they have more time to discuss
the benefits of DI coverage.
Video meetings offer some unique benefits to enhance the DI conversation. For example,
two-way screen sharing allows both producer and client the chance to pull up documents
that might not be readily available while meeting face-to-face. In real time they can review
needs assessments and go over budgeting spreadsheets. Producers can ask clients to visit their
employee benefit portal, open their group long-term disability plan summary and identify
ways to add more income protection.
Redirecting resources and rethinking past practices
When regional territories span multiple states, valuable time is often time stuck in traffic.
Producers may find what they save in gas more than covers the cost of trying new methods
to reach clients and prospects. We’re cutting through some video meeting fatigue with
BombBomb, a paid service that lets us drop short DI videos into agents’ inboxes and provides
metrics to see how many recipients open the email and play the video. We
can measure engagement in the field beyond the number of in-person
meetings we had in a given week. In one case, the video re-engaged a
producer who is writing more business with us again.
Social distancing has producers taking a fresh look at how they do
business. Not every firm wants to permanently revamp the approach
that made them successful in the first place, but some are taking
the opportunity to experiment. Agencies with large teams are
mobilizing their workforces remotely, reducing overhead
costs to navigate the challenges. Electronic applications and
signature capture technology keep cases moving. Even after
it’s safe to return to the office in large numbers, many may
choose not to. No one saw 2020 coming, but producers who
adapt and evolve can take advantage of new opportunities in
whatever new normal we settle into selling DI.
www.nailba.org 31