Guest blogger Andy Milburn, head of marketing at Munich Re, shares his thoughts about communicating big changes from the top to the average adviser to the man on the street.
It’s at this point that you usually hear people ranting and raving about all the things that could happen and how they worry about things becoming more complicated and what advice they should give to customers. Is it harder to claim on this condition now or easier? Should the customer keep their older products or take out newer ones which have longer lists of conditions?
Looking at this from a positive perspective, I’m sure most people involved in protection can think of at least one thing they would improve on critical illness products? Right?
What would yours be?
I’ve just asked those team members around today what they would like to see improved on critical illness cover? Funnily enough no-one mentioned improved or tighter definition wordings! Most mentioned improving the understanding of the product among customers, making sure that they know what they have bought, and what they are and are not covered for. Second highest on the list was reducing confusion and making the product less complicated. They kind of go hand in hand. Both are tough challenges.
I’m taking a different view on this consultation. Let’s make this one something that proves that our industry CAN communicate properly on changes of this nature. Why can’t we widen the consultation so that ALL networks, adviser organisations, adviser groups, providers and even consumer groups such as Which? get to consider what we’re doing. In the last consultation, when the final details were announced, providers had a calendar year to implement the changes. That will be the same again this time around. Let’s use that time to implement an effective communications campaign this time. There shouldn’t be an adviser up or down the land who doesn’t know about the changes... impossible task or realistic objective?
I like the idea of doing something people think is nigh on impossible... but to do that would mean that all of those people involved in the consultation would have to buy into delivering an element of the communication campaign, using their people, time and resources. Why don’t we ask the chief exec’s of those businesses if they would support such a campaign? Why would they decline?
The ABI can only do so much to communicate these changes in our industry. They need our help this time around. We’re in – are you?
