A prospect asks, “How much is a $250,000 life insurance policy?”
You could give them a number and hope it sounds affordable. But that number tells you almost nothing about whether the coverage fits their life.
What are they trying to protect? Who depends on their income? What could they comfortably pay every month? What happens if the first option you discuss comes back more expensive than expected?
For life insurance agents, these questions are where the real work begins. Your value comes from helping someone make a decision they understand—and can sustain.
Find the problem before presenting the policy
“I need life insurance” is the beginning of a conversation.
One client wants their spouse to keep the house. Another wants to leave money for children. Someone else simply wants their family to avoid scrambling for funeral expenses.
Those goals require different discussions. Before recommending coverage, ask:
- Who would be financially affected if you died?
- What expenses would they need help paying?
- What coverage do you already have?
- How long would that financial need last?
- What premium would fit comfortably into your budget?
Then listen long enough to get a useful answer.
A client may initially say they want to cover the mortgage, then explain that their spouse couldn’t afford childcare without them. That changes the conversation. You now have a clearer picture of the responsibility they want to protect.
Explain the tradeoffs in ordinary language
Agents spend so much time around insurance terminology that it can start to sound like everyday English.
It isn’t.
A client may nod when you mention a conversion privilege, cash value, or a graded benefit without understanding what any of those features mean for them.
Translate the details into practical consequences. If you’re discussing term coverage, explain the coverage period, the premium schedule, and what options the particular policy offers when that period ends. If you’re discussing permanent coverage, explain the premium commitment and distinguish contractual guarantees from values that depend on assumptions.
Use the actual policy terms. Avoid broad promises that sound reassuring but leave out the conditions.
A useful check is to ask, “How would you explain this option to your spouse?” Their answer will tell you more than “Does that make sense?”
