Understanding Client Pain Points

When I started in insurance, I thought selling policies was the hard part. I was wrong. The real challenge? Keeping clients for the long-term. Here's what took me 12 months to learn: 1. Birthday calls changed everything ↳ Not emails. Not texts. Personal calls. ↳ 87% of my clients renewed after that simple touch 2. 6-month review calls ↳ Most agents wait until renewal ↳ I catch concerns early and solve them instantly 3. The golden question "Who else in your life needs this level of protection?" The results? • 92% retention rate • 3.4 referrals per client • Zero cold calling needed Because here's the truth... Getting new clients is expensive. Keeping existing ones and turning them into referral machines? That's how you build a sustainable book of business. My retention rate used to be 68%. Now it's consistently above 90%. All because of these 3 simple changes.

I’ve trained hundreds of sales reps over my career. Here’s the exact framework I use to write good cold emails from start to finish: 1. Lead with the pain not the pitch The goal of a cold email is to start a conversation, not close the deal. It’s to reflect back a real pain your buyer is already feeling often before they’ve articulated it themselves. No one cares about your product. Especially not in the first touch. They care about themselves and their problems. The biggest mistake I see reps make is trying to close too early. They shove value props, case studies, feature sets, and “we help companies like…” I always come back to this: “No pain, no gain, no demo train.” You’re not here to educate. You’re here to trigger recognition. To make them nod and go: “Yeah, we’re feeling that.” 1. Write like a human The best cold emails don’t have long intros. No “hope this finds you well.” Just a clear, honest attempt to connect over something they care about. Let’s say we’re targeting agencies running 10+ client accounts. Here’s how I’d start: “Hey — I saw you’re managing multiple clients. Curious if you’ve had to deal with deliverability issues lately, especially with the new Google/Microsoft changes. Is this on your radar?” That’s it. No pitch. No product. Just a relevant question that hits a live pain. You don’t need clever. You need to be clear. 1. Structure matters (but keep it stupid simple) I’m not into formulas. You don’t need a 7-step framework to write a good email. You need to understand the buyer and speak to them like a peer. Think about it like this: Line 1: Show you’ve done your homework. Line 2: Bring up a real, relevant pain. Line 3: Ask a question that invites a reply — not “yes.” If your email looks like a blog post, you’re doing it wrong. The goal isn’t to explain. The goal is to start a conversation. 1. Use follow-ups to build narrative (not nag) Most follow-ups sound like this: “Just bumping this to the top of your inbox.” “Not sure if you saw my last message.” Useless. Instead, think of your cold email sequence as a way to diagnose pain over time. Email 1 brings up the initial problem. Email 2 digs into what happens if it doesn’t get solved. Email 3 introduces that you might have a solution, if they’re open to it. Each message earns attention and adds value. Follow-ups shouldn’t be annoying. TAKEAWAY Conversations > conversions. Relevancy always wins.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝗜𝘁 For years, insurers have relied on the "law of large numbers"—hire hundreds, expect most to fail, and hope a few top performers stick. This model is not just inefficient; it’s unsustainable. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: 80% of new agents quit within the first year.  Firms burn thousands per hire in acquisition costs, only to see mass attrition. And Gen Z won’t tolerate a career model based on high failure rates. If the industry doesn’t evolve, talented young professionals will go elsewhere—to fintech, wealth advisory, or digital consulting roles offering better stability, tools, and a clearer path to success. 𝙎𝙤, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 ? 𝟭. 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁  ❌ Most firms still hire in bulk, hoping a few will survive.   ✅ Fix: Shift to quality ,with clear success criteria and invest in them properly. 𝟮. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 "𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝗯" 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲-𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆  ❌ Gen Z doesn’t want just a commission job ✅ Fix: Reframe the role to a business with a purpose, yet flexible carrier paths 𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜 & 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴  ❌ Gen Z won’t waste time on cold calls and outdated networking ✅ Fix: Train agents in social selling, AI-powered lead generation, and automated client nurturing. 𝟰. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁  ❌ New agents struggle to survive on 100% commissions, leading to high first-year dropout.  ✅ Fix: Offer hybrid pay models to create financial stability. 𝟱. 𝗡𝗼 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀  ❌ Firms oversell the dream but hide the high failure rates, leading to disillusionment.  ✅ Fix:Be upfront about income variability, early struggles, and long-term rewards. . 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙖 𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙈𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙡 ✅𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺  ✅𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟮 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 ✅𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀  ✅ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 Are insurers ready to stop playing the volume game and start recruiting for real business success? IMHO, that’s a major reinvention of mindset. Attached is a Recruitment Funnel study I completed with available market data. Connect or DM me if you'd like to discuss this.

Insight into #AgencyChannel Trends and Implications for Insurance Companies. [ Agency Recruitment Data Nov 2024 ] Agency Dominance by #LIC: LIC conducts 98% of its business through its agency channel. However, its agency strength has declined till November 2024, reflecting a lack of recruitment, increased attrition, or structural challenges. Private Players and Agency Channel: Private insurers rely less on agents (~22%) due to their diversified distribution strategies, including bancassurance, digital platforms, & direct sales. They are growing slower too. Some banking-backed insurers have zero agency presence, relying heavily on their promoter banks for business. Certain private players, however, are witnessing double-digit growth in their agency channel strength, indicating a deliberate investment and focus in this traditional distribution model. Reasons for Exits Declining Profitability for Agents: Reduced commissions due to regulatory changes or competition from alternative channels (e.g., online). High operational costs for agents (e.g., marketing and travel expenses) versus low income. Shift to #DigitalChannels: Increasing adoption of online platforms reduces the need for physical agents. Customers prefer self-service portals for convenience and cost-effectiveness. Banking Dominance (#Bancassurance): Banks, as captive distributors, provide an efficient channel for private insurers, marginalizing the role of agents. Why high #attrition? Lack of support and training for agents. Insurers' laxed intent to retain - discontinuation of Hereditary commission and scrapping of section 44 ( eligibility earn longer even if agency discontinued after 5 years' of active working) Aggressive sales targets lead to burnout and frequent exits. Regulatory Challenges: Licensing and compliance requirements discourage new entrants into the agency model. Competition from Big Players: Private companies & aggregators with large budgets for branding and marketing attract potential customers directly, bypassing agents. Future outlook : Dependency Risk on Bancassurance: Capped Sourcing: If regulatory caps are imposed, insurers heavily reliant on bancassurance may face significant challenges. it could lead to reduced growth and scalability in absence of agency strength #Resilient Channel: Agencies offer direct customer engagement, building trust and long-term relationships, which are critical for persistency. Lack of a strong agency channel limits penetration in rural and semi-urban markets. Impact on Market Share: LIC’s declining agency strength weakening its market dominance, giving space to private insurers to grow their presence in rural and underserved markets. Private players investing in agency models may create a sustainable change. Profitability and Retention: While bancassurance provides high initial sales, agency channels contribute significantly to renewal premiums, a critical metric for long-term profitability.

I told a founder to make 3 changes to their GTM. 6 weeks later: +120% conversion rate +40% revenue lift No new product. No extra ads. No headcount increase. Just brutal focus on execution where it actually matters. Here’s exactly what we changed 👇 ➤ 1. Stop selling the platform. Start selling the pain. Original landing page: “We help HR teams streamline employee feedback with AI automation.” Nobody wakes up thinking: “God I need an AI feedback platform today.” So we flipped it: New above-the-fold: “Too much attrition? Here’s why 47% of employees leave silently—and how top HR teams fix it in 30 days.” → Specific pain → Time-anchored promise → Role-targeted hook We made the problem felt before they scrolled. Result: 3x more time on page. 65% jump in demo interest. ➤ 2. Kill the weak CTA. Add a “low-commitment ask.” Original funnel: → “Book a demo” (only CTA) Most visitors weren’t ready to talk yet. So we gave them a ladder: → “Take the 2-minute Attrition Risk Quiz” → Instant feedback → Then offer the call People hate being sold. But they love being evaluated. This quiz positioned the founder as a diagnostic expert—not a desperate closer. Result: Conversion went from 4.1% to 9.3%. ➤ 3. Rewrite cold outbound to weaponize proof. Original email: → “We’d love to show you how our platform helps HR leaders improve culture…” Too vague. Too weak. New cold email: “Hey {first name}, One of our customers had 3 exit interviews last quarter. After using our micro-feedback loop, attrition dropped 60%—and team sentiment jumped. Want me to send you a 60-second teardown?” No pitch. No demo ask. Just curiosity + proof + a specific next step. Result: Open rates steady, replies doubled. Founders overthink product. But often, GTM tweaks have faster ROI. You don’t need a new feature. You need clearer pain, stronger hooks, and better CTA psychology. Want brutal clarity on your startup? Skip years of wasted effort and stop making expensive mistakes. Get direct advice on your deck, fundraising, GTM, or founder challenges. Book a no-BS 1:1 call with me here: https://lnkd.in/gWV8DT56 💬 Drop your most burning question in the comments. ♻ Repost to help a founder stop chasing growth with broken GTM. 🔔 Follow Anshuman Sinha for more Startup insights. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Marketing #LeanStartups #VentureCapital

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 I continue to hear feedback from the carrier side of the industry regarding confusion with solution provider offerings. Having worked on both the carrier and solution provider sides of the insurance industry, I've seen firsthand the misunderstandings and missed opportunities that arise when each side doesn’t fully grasp the other’s goals, challenges, and unique solutions. One of the biggest challenges facing solution providers is clarifying their unique value proposition to carriers. Here’s a quick playbook for solution providers aiming to close that gap: 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 Before stepping into a carrier meeting, it’s essential to move beyond your standard pitch. Take time to understand the carrier’s specific pain points and strategic goals. This doesn’t just mean presenting your solution’s features but framing them directly around the carrier’s unique needs. 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 When multiple vendors are providing similar solutions, the carrier’s choice often boils down to “who understands our challenges best?” Make your focus the problem you're solving, not just the technology behind it. Share real-life case studies or success metrics that align directly with the carrier’s priorities. 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫 Solution providers who position themselves as partners—invested in the carrier’s success—can achieve far more sustainable relationships. Demonstrate that your team is here to evolve alongside the carrier, providing support as their needs and the market change. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 “𝐖𝐡𝐲” 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 Carriers, like any client, want to know why you’re in this industry. When you communicate your mission—whether it’s simplifying claims, improving customer experience, or advancing digital transformation—it builds trust and establishes you as a purpose-driven partner. This is where your passion for the industry and problem-solving expertise can shine. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 Clarity in execution and ROI is critical. Carriers want to understand what to expect from onboarding to outcomes. Break down each phase of implementation, offer realistic timelines, and communicate ROI metrics to foster confidence in your solution. By viewing solution-provider relationships as collaborative partnerships and focusing on empathy, understanding, and tailored solutions, we can transform our approach—and our impact. When both sides are aligned, it’s not just about sales—it’s about true innovation and lasting value.

The number one mistake I see insurance sales professionals making is the same reason why so many insurance buyers are frustrated with our industry. Overpromising and underdelivering. Selling just to sell is a surefire way to guarantee poor client satisfaction and retention. If you sell solely on price, you’ll lose on price. If you sell solely on having better resources, you’ll lose when your competition comes out with the new shiny solution. Having a truly client-centric approach means understanding the business’s unique issues and challenges, and creating a 360 degree approach to risk management. This means asking the right questions. This means not just HAVING the resources, but knowing which ones are impactful for the specific client & knowing how to apply them. This means understanding the risk financing continuum of cost vs. control and helping your client make informed business decisions on how to retain and transfer their risk. Too many advisors are playing the volume game instead of the quality game. No wonder why so many insurance buyers are frustrated! If you want to win on purpose, you have to HAVE a purpose. (Hint: it can’t just be to sell something)

Most cold emails fail in the first line. Not because of bad copy, but because the hook feels like it was written for everyone. “Hope you’re doing well” is a scroll-past. You need to show why this message is for them - in the first 3 seconds. 👉 Here are 5 cold email hook frameworks we use to get 20-30%+ reply rates: 1️⃣ Trigger-based hook (timing) Use real-world signals to anchor your message in why now. - “Noticed you just hired 3 new AEs - are you expanding outbound?” - “Saw you recently switched from Outreach to HubSpot. Curious how onboarding’s going?” ↳ Shows you did your homework and aren’t spraying templates. 2️⃣ Pain-first hook (relevance) Lead with a pain point the prospect already feels. - “Most RevOps teams I speak to are struggling to keep deliverability above 80%.” - “Are you seeing a drop-off between discovery and demo show-up rates?” ↳ Buyers don’t care what you do - they care about the pain you solve. 3️⃣ Competitor hook (context) Call out the tools they’re using - or the ones they’re leaving. - “Teams using X often hit limits with multi-inbox rotation. Have you seen that too?” - “Noticed you were on Mailchimp. A lot of founders are switching to tools built for cold outreach.” ↳ Everyone’s trying to optimize. Show you understand their current stack and challenges. 4️⃣ Proof-based hook (credibility) Open with a relevant win that mirrors their world. - “We helped<B2B SaaS client> book 47 meetings last month using a 4-sentence email framework.” - “Cut CAC by 26% for a team selling into CFOs - similar to your audience.” ↳ Social proof builds instant trust when it feels specific and relatable. 5️⃣ Curiosity hook (open loop) Create tension with a question or stat that teases value. - “You’re probably missing ~40% of warm leads in your CRM. Here’s how we found them.” - “There’s one email structure we use to get 3x replies. Want the breakdown?” ↳ Curiosity drives the scroll. Just make sure you deliver on the hook quickly. Your hook is the subject line of your email body. If it doesn’t earn attention, the rest of your email doesn’t matter. Which of these are you using right now? Drop your favorite cold email opener below - happy to give you feedback.

Every rep on your team can explain what your product does. Half can explain the benefits. Maybe three can explain why it matters to the person they're talking to right now. That's the problem. Almost nobody connects the dots to show buyers why any of this actually matters to their specific situation. Features: Our platform has advanced analytics.  Benefits: You can track performance metrics in real-time. So What: And...? Why does that matter to this particular buyer? Kimberly Pencille Collins from #samsales Consulting laid out a framework during a Sales Assembly course this week that forces you to answer six questions before you're allowed to send an email: Question 1: What challenge is this buyer facing? Not generic pain points. Specific, day-to-day frustrations for this persona in this role at this company size. Question 2: Why is it happening? This is where you prove you understand their landscape. Not just what's broken, but why it's broken. This is your insight moment. Question 3: What happens if they do nothing? Cost of inaction. Make the status quo intolerable. What do they lose by staying put? Question 4: What do you actually do? Not "we make your life better" - tangible, concrete, specific. Are you consultants? Tech? Services? Tell them. Question 5: How does this solve the problem? Connect what you do directly back to the challenge you laid out in question one. Question 6: So what does this mean for them? This is where most reps stop too early. You've explained the solution, now connect it to their actual life. "Your teams will be able to create a playbook of simple plays that keep the pipeline ticking while you nurture difficult buyers." That last sentence isn't a feature. It's not a benefit. It's RELIEF from a specific anxiety that VP of Sales has about pipeline coverage. The exercise creates longer emails initially. You can edit down later. But you HAVE to answer all six questions or you're just throwing features at people who aren't thinking about your solution right now. Kimberly's point: This is your mortar. The messaging you're fed from marketing is your bricks. This framework is how you bring it together and become a consultative seller instead of a walking product brochure. Try this on your next three cold emails. Answer all six questions. See what changes.

How does research impact your cold email reply rate? Most of the time we believe a simple google search can reveal everything about our ICP. But unless you do research and dig down hard enough, You may not fully understand your prospect’s pain and frustrations or hopes and dreams. And those emotions are what push people to respond or even buy instantly. Example: ↳If you’re reaching out to CFOs you need to lead with strong ROI insights ↳For CIOs you need to lead with insights of safety from lost of data or assets ↳HR directors need insights on how much time you can save them to fill a role Different ICPs have different problems and desires. If the research gets you at least 1 reply out of every 10 cold emails, that's okay. The easiest shortcut to get this information right is to interview someone in a similar role as your ICP. How do you research your prospects' pain points? #coldemail #sales