Making protection relevant and keeping customers engaged is a vital part of the advice process.
Yet the recent Association of Mortgage Intermediaries’ Protection Viewpoint 2025 research shows that 18% of British adults, and 25% of under-35s, start the protection journey but abandon it. Almost half (47%) drop out immediately after receiving a quote.
There are a number of reasons why customers disengage, the research found, with the price of cover, a lack of understanding about need and benefit and information overload cited as some of the main reasons.
In some cases, customers wanted to revisit the idea in the future or they simply didn’t know what to do next.
While the findings suggest that some customers are entering protection conversations without truly understanding the purpose or value of the products, it’s also clear that advice plays a key role in breaking down these barriers and helping customers get the protection they need.
A PEOPLE PROCESS
Making protection conversations about people not products, using real-life tangible examples, and discussing options earlier in the advice process are some of the ways that can help to reduce drop-off rates and improve conversion, says Jon Fuller, protection distribution director at Royal London.
“Weaving in real-life examples and consistently reinforcing the importance of protection throughout the process helps normalise it as an integral part of the client journey, rather than an afterthought,” he says.
Vikki Jefferies, market development director, retail distribution, at L&G agrees. She says that people are more likely to engage when protection fits naturally into their lives.
“Big moments like moving home, switching jobs or starting a family are great opportunities to check in and explain why protection matters.
“Keeping regular contact at these points makes the process feel less overwhelming and more personal. It also helps customers see protection as part of their wider financial life, not a one-off decision,’ she says.
MAKING CONVERSATIONS MEMORABLE
One of the most striking finding in AMI’s research is that while 82% of advisers claim to discuss protection during the mortgage process only 39% of customers recall ever having the conversation.
This may be due to the fact that buying a house is such an exciting and enormous financial commitment, that everything else tends to fades into the background.
Regardless, talking about protection with genuine belief and conviction is more likely to help customers understand the real value of being covered.
“Protection advice shouldn’t feel like an upsell or bolt on. If an adviser talks about the whole process at the start, noting protection and its value, then the actual conversation (perhaps at offer stage) will be better received,” says Ed Durell, managing director at Cover Direct.
Reinforcing why protection is needed, not just what it does, is also crucial, says Jamie Page, head of protection distribution at The Exeter.
“Arranging a mortgage and helping a client secure their new home should only be part of the mortgage advice conversation,” he says.
“Just as important is helping clients to protect their monthly mortgage re-payments or repaying the debt should they be impacted by ill health.”
Chloe Davies, head of protection distribution at L&C Mortgages, agrees. She says: “The mortgage adviser’s job is to help the person get the home but it’s the protection adviser’s job to make sure they can always stay in it.
“Positioning it in a way that is relatable, meaningful and relevant is really important.”
MAKING PROTECTION STICK
In order to make protection conversations more memorable and encourage clients to prioritise cover alongside their mortgage, there are a number of tools that advisers should focus on when communicating with customers.
Visual aids, emotionally resonant stories, and clear documentation are a good conversation starter says Fuller, while sharing educational content online can also help.
“Video content often proves more engaging than static posts.”
“Video content, particularly brief explanations of products like income protection or critical illness cover, often proves more engaging than static posts,” he says.
Jefferies says using everyday examples also makes the conversation more relevant and memorable.
“Advisers who ask simple ‘what would happen if…?’ questions help customers picture how protection could support them and their family. It turns a policy from something abstract into something that genuinely matters,” she says.
CHANGING THE NARRATIVE
The research shows that although there is certainly demand for protection products among customers, many still need help when it comes to making a final decision.
Customers want to know why they need protection and how it can help them specifically, not what it does.
Therefore, engaging customers at important life stages and remembering that protection is about people not products is the key to driving up engagement and making the protection conversation more memorable for customers.
Download the AMI Protection Viewpoint 2025 HERE.
