Life insurance is a serious business. You’re dealing with people’s futures, their families, and, let’s be honest, their deeply rooted fear of their own mortality. That’s a lot of responsibility! Sure, you’re a master of face-to-face conversations. You can explain the benefits of whole life versus term with the confidence of a game show host. But when it comes to emails, explaining coverage, and client communications, your words have to do the heavy lifting without you in the room. And if those words aren’t clear, engaging, or—heaven forbid—grammatically correct, you could be sending clients running faster than if you had just told them their premium doubled overnight.
You might be thinking, “I don’t need to be a writer—I sell policies, not poetry!” Fair point. But consider these situations where your writing skills can make or break a deal:
Emails to Prospects – If your message sounds like a robotic sales script, it’s getting ignored.
Policy Explanations – Clients need clarity, not confusion. If they can’t understand their coverage, they won’t trust you.
Marketing Materials – Whether it’s a website, a brochure, or a LinkedIn post, sloppy writing makes you look unprofessional.
Claims and Follow-Ups – If you can’t explain next steps in a clear, reassuring way, you leave your clients worried about their future.
The good news is writing is a skill that can be developed. If your writing isn’t quite what is should be, here are a few simple writing tips to help you improve.
Keep It Simple, Not Scary
Avoid jargon. If your client needs a dictionary to understand your email, you’ve lost them. Instead of saying, “The policy contains a graded death benefit provision, meaning the full benefit is not payable until after the prescribed waiting period,” try “Your policy pays a smaller amount if you pass away in the first few years, then the full amount after that.”
Write Like You Talk (But with Fewer Ums)
You don’t need to sound like a legal contract. Use a friendly, professional tone, just like you would in person. Imagine your email is a conversation, just without the awkward pauses.
Proofread Like Your Commission Depends on It
Typos and grammar mistakes make you look careless. Nobody wants to trust their financial future to someone who confuses “there,” “their,” and “they’re.” Run spellcheck. Better yet, read it out loud—your ears will catch mistakes your eyes won’t.
