Don't sugar coat the importance of life insurance with clients

Planning for the unexpected is a part of our job. Talking about life insurance can feel awkward or uncomfortable, particularly in front of potential beneficiaries. That said, I’ve found that those conversations can sometimes get easier when family members are present.

Involving family members in those serious conversations can help clients to see the big picture more clearly. Having their loved ones in the room should remind clients of the necessity of this type of planning.

Having life insurance conversations requires first taking a big picture look at clients’ goals. Understand clients’ needs, hopes and fears before even bringing life insurance options into the conversation. Probing them to find out what their good and bad potential life and financial outcomes look like can open a window of opportunity to have the harder conversations. Then, find out why they feel so strongly against purchasing life insurance and go from there.

In many cases, clients simply do not want to spend the money when they may end up not needing the coverage. My clients often express hesitation about the high cost of premiums. I tell them that’s fine, but try to demonstrate to them that they need the coverage and work with them to creatively problem-solve to make sure that we cover all of their bases.