Q: How should I address objections?

“Look how much the daily cups of coffee costs – have you ever added up what you send in a week or month?

“If your client only put half of this amount into a protection plan, they would be surprised how much cover they could have.”

* I want to shop around.

Shopping around is a good idea to make sure your client gets the right cover but an adviser will make sure they consider the cover available in the market and what products best suits their client’s needs.

Providing protection cover can be complicated and an adviser can help a client make the best choice as they understand the value of the products and what would best suit a client individual needs, according to Ms Gilchrist.

She said: “Your client can do this themselves but cheapest doesn’t always mean getting the best cover.”

* I don’t want to think about death/losing my job.

Nobody wants to think about the worst but unfortunately it is a fact of everyday life.

Once an adviser gets talking about protection, Ms Gilchrist said it is easy to see the value and put aside the unpleasantness of thinking about illness.

She said: “Peace of mind and security will replace any doubts once cover is in place.

“With unemployment now exceeding 2.6m, it is better to be prepared.”

Ms Colley said it was understandable that clients do not want to think about unpleasant scenarios but not thinking about something does not mean that it will not happen.

Simon Wilkins, protection proposition manager of Zurich UK Life, said overcoming issues is best accomplished by listening to your clients’ opinions and helping them to think differently – and positively – about the question of protection.

Most successful protection advisers will do this as a matter of course using an effective fact-finding process, he added, capturing a detailed income and expenditure breakdown and therefore understanding where and why the client spends their income – their lifestyle.

The whole protection discussion then takes place in terms of preserving their lifestyle and that of their loved ones if applicable.

If the discussion is had up front, Mr Wilkins said often clients will not feel the need to object when you present your recommendations.

Mr Wilkins said: “If you do end up in this position then remember handling objections need not be complicated or confrontational if you adopt a simple step-by-step process.”

Step 1 - Acknowledge the objection

It is important to recognise that however valid or invalid any objection may seem to you, it will always be valid in your client’s eyes.