4 ways to make DI sales easier 
As seen in Q3 ‘22 Perspectives magazine

It’s no surprise to anyone reading this that the DI market is 10x smaller than the life insurance market even though a person is 3.5x more likely to need disability insurance. How can we fix this? Here are four recommendations for increasing sales:  

  1. Education. Both the agent and the consumer need a clearer understanding of what and how DI can help them. Most people tend to think a horrific accident must occur with loss of a limb to qualify for a DI claim, when in fact, 90% of disabilities are due to illness, not injury. These products are available when a person is too hurt or ill to work, which could be due to something as common as a back issue.  
  2. Call it Income Insurance instead of DI. By positioning this product as something that’s there to protect someone’s income when they are unable to work, you’re articulating to people what this product will do for them in a worst-case scenario rather than just focusing on the negative. Consider what will happen if your client can’t work and is unable to pay for their life insurance premiums. This product is there to help clients maintain their lifestyle and take care of themselves and their family how they want.   
  3. Sell more inclusive products. Historically most Income Insurance policy holders were doctors, dentists, and lawyers which hasn’t put a ton of pressure on the market to design more inclusive products. However, as more people become aware of Income Insurance, the demand for more flexibility with regards to income, occupation, and the purchasing process has increased. This has resulted in products for people making $20k annually, or products that can be layered on top of existing policies.  
  4. Work with more tech forward companies. It’s time to embrace how technology is making income insurance sales and case management easier. From instant underwriting to digital medical applications, and online case management, technology has made it more seamless than ever to purchase and sell insurance. Gone are the days of chasing down clients to book their physicals or finish their application Now, they can fill out the application on their phones and you can see exactly where they left off in their application if they do happen to get distracted.  

All in all, Income Insurance, or DI, is primed and ready for major growth since it’s now a more inclusive product for mid-market, with less backend work for case managers to handle. It’s a win-win.  

 

Hadi Radwan is a serial entrepreneur, venture builder, and insurtech expert. He is the Co-Founder of Asteya, an insurtech that aims to make income insurance accessible to everyone regardless of gender, income, or age.