As a client, going through the application process for life insurance can be tedious, repetitive and confusing. One of the most daunting tasks is the medical history interview, which is lengthy, personal and critical to the application. In fact, some clients become so fed up with this process that they cancel their application, or worse, their entire policy.
These challenges mean that agents have a tremendous opportunity to help clients ease their way through the process. Let's look at a few things you can address to ensure your client's interview is as smooth and painless as possible.
The interviewer
Many clients believe that they are talking to someone fairly high up on the company food chain. In reality, the tele-interviewer is just an employee (usually from a third-party company hired specifically for underwriting purposes) who has only scripted questions in front of them. The interviewer reads the script verbatim and types the answers. This is the limit of their power.
The questions
Many life insurance companies start their script with these words: "In the last 10 years have you suffered from, been diagnosed with or been treated for (insert any number of ailments here)?" Some companies will ask for information that goes further back; others will ask for just a five-year history. It's important that your client keeps this in mind when thinking through their medical history. If the client is 60 years old and had pneumonia 30 years ago, it may not apply. If that same client had pneumonia four years ago, it will apply.
Each question that gets a "yes" brings up a slough of scripted follow-up questions. They can be tedious, very general and repetitive, requiring information that may have already been given in another answer. The interviewer will ask for your client's doctor's information and the approximate dates for ailments and procedures.
Not all of the questions are medical. This is a huge complaint among applicants. It is important to warn your clients that they will likely be asked financial questions and questions about their family's medical history, in addition to the expected questions about their own history. Questions about criminal history and illegal drug use are also part of most interviews.
As an agent, the best thing to do is to get a copy of your company's specific questions. Many companies allow this, and it gives everyone a better idea of what to expect.
The preparation
Time is the No. 1 thing the client must have available during an interview. Although interviewers are often required to say that the call should only take a set amount of time -- say, 15-20 minutes -- the truth is that the only way an interview finishes in that amount of time is if the client is able to answer "no" to every single question. Have your client be prepared to spend at least 30-45 minutes on the phone -- longer if they have a complicated medical history.
As your client prepares, it's a good idea to have them keep notes that list all recent doctor appointments and procedures, including any prescriptions. The interviewer will want their doctor's name, address, telephone number and the dates of appointments, procedures or prescriptions. If the client doesn't know the specific date, they can say the month and year, or they can honestly tell the interviewer that they don't remember.
The answers
Applicants that answer with honesty, patience and brevity get an easy interview. Remember, the interview is not only being recorded, but the answers are being typed by a person who has limited character space available on the proscribed form. This person must record all the answers verbatim, including stories about Great Aunt Sue's experience with arthritis. Answers need to be honest, but also short and to the point. This will help lessen the amount of time an applicant spends on the phone.
Many clients believe they can expedite the interview by quickly listing every illness they have ever had. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Even if every answer is a "no," the interviewer must still ask every question in the order it is listed. So, the best thing a client can do to shorten an interview is to listen carefully, answer carefully and provide only the information the interviewer specifically requests.
Guiding your client's expectations through this process will help them to feel more confident in the entire application process. And, when a client feels adequately prepared, he or she is more likely to stick with the agent and the company for future policies, giving you a customer for life
Kerry Chafin is a freelance writer based in the Kansas City, Mo. area, and a former tele-interviewer for life insurance companies. She can be reached at kerrychafin@gmail.com.
