Your Clients and Prospects Aren’t Fixing Small Problems — They’re Solving BIG Ones
Have you ever had a seemingly great case stall? Maybe your client hesitates to sign the application you've worked tirelessly on, or perhaps you've secured approval, but now they’re ghosting you. You’re left calling one outbound after another, feeling like you're shouting into an empty abyss.
If you’ve experienced this, don’t worry—you're not alone. Even the best producers go through this, and in most cases, the reason your prospect is ghosting you is simple: they see the issue as a small one. Without a sense of urgency, in their mind, it can always be dealt with tomorrow, next week, or… never.
Here’s the thing: Financial professionals often tell me that they have an “urgency problem” when it comes to closing insurance sales. But here's the truth: urgency isn’t the real issue—it's merely the effect of a much deeper problem.
Let me explain. I was once in a tennis lesson, getting absolutely pummeled at the net. My doubles partner and I were helpless against a relentless barrage of fast balls, so we turned to our coach for help. We thought the problem was the other team hitting those devastating winners, but here’s what the coach told us:
“If you want to stop losing points to a team hitting winners, just go back to your previous shot.”
In other words, the problem wasn’t the winner itself—it was the earlier shot that set everything in motion. The winners were theeffect of a poorly executed hit earlier in the game.
And that’s exactly what’s happening with your sales process. Urgency isn’t the issue—it’s the effect of a bigger problem: your client doesn’t perceive the issue as significant enough to act on. They don’t believe they’re solving a big problem, so they don’t feel the urgency to act.
The Key to Solving This Problem: Shift Their Perspective
So, what can you do as the producer?
Start with a bit of introspection. Doyou truly believe that income is worth protecting? Do you understand the devastating impact of a loss of income? Picture this: what if their income stopped, even for just a few months? Would they be able to maintain their lifestyle? Could they cover their bills using savings? For how long?
The truth is, the problem of losing income is HUGE. Even the best savers and planners would burn through their savings in no time. Imagine you’ve diligently saved for the first 20 years of your career, only to watch it all disappear in a year or so. And now, at 45 years old, you’re forced to start your retirement savings all over again—can you still reach your goals?
You need to first believe, with every fiber of your being, that income is crucial to your client’s financial future—and it’s worth protecting, and protecting well. Once you’ve grasped this, you can shift the conversation to help your client see just how massive this problem truly is.
Use an Illustration to Make the Problem Real
One illustration I like to use to help my clients understand the problem is the concept of a ladder. I explain that financial planning is like climbing a ladder, and each rung represents a different level of capital in their financial plan. The conversation goes something like this:
“If your income stopped, even for just a little while, where would you go first to pay the bills? What account would you tap into?”
Most of the time, the client will say their checking account. Ask them how much they typically keep in that account, and how long they think it would last while paying the bills.
“Your checking account is like the first rung on the ladder. Many of the clients we work with could last a month or two using that account, but what happens next? If you burn through that account, where do you go next?”
They’ll often say their savings account would be next, and it might cover them for a few months at most.
“Now, what happens once you’ve depleted both the checking and savings accounts? What’s your next step?”
By this point, they usually start talking about dipping into qualified or non-qualified retirement accounts to make ends meet.
But here’s the problem: most people aren’t prepared for a sudden loss of income, even for just a few months. It’s only a matter of time before they’re draining their retirement savings and jeopardizing their long-term financial goals.
The Bottom Line: Income is EVERYTHING
Now, do you see why the lack of income is such a massive problem? If you truly believe that income protection is critical to your clients’ financial well-being, you can help them understand just how dire the consequences of a lost income could be.
The issue is not urgency—it’s the failure to recognize that without a solid income plan in place, your clients are risking their entire financial future. Once they understand the scale of the problem, urgency will follow. They’ll know they need a solution, and they’ll act accordingly.
So, do you believe that income is worth protecting? And are you ready to help your clients see the importance of safeguarding their income for their future?