MPAF61 – Ken Smith on Critical Illness Cover: The USA versus the UK

Critical Illness Cover in the USA developed along a different path to the UK.

In this week’s episode I talk to Ken Smith, a pioneer in the US critical illness market.

We discuss the differences in the products between the two countries. Chat about how American companies market them. And debate whether the UK can learn any lessons from the US critical illness cover model.

That's all right here in Episode 61 of the Marketing Protection and Finance Podcast.

Who is Ken Smith?

Ken is director of health product sales with Assurity Life Insurance Company in Lincoln, Nebraska. He has over 35 years of insurance experience in both field and home office positions.

He was one of the organisers and president of the Critical Illness Working Group, and he is a past president of the National Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Ken is  one of the leading experts on critical illness sales in the United States.

He's author Sales Lessons from the Masters and speaks hundreds of times each year to US insurance agent groups.

Links and Show Notes.

For links to the books and apps mentioned by Ken, please visit http://rogeredwards.co.uk/MPAF for the show notes.

What is the Marketing Finance and Protection (MPAF) Podcast?

It’s the Podcast for Financial Services Professionals looking to share business ideas and inspiration in the world of Marketing, Protection and Finance.

The MPAF Podcast is a 30 minute audio show you download from http://rogeredwards.co.uk/MPAF, iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Each week I’ll be interviewing financial services providers, advisers, experts and journalists.

Interviews to listen to in the car, on the train or on the treadmill.

The main focus of the podcast is on what we can do to make protection and finance more accessible to the consumer and how financial services professionals can develop and promote their businesses.

We’ll look at financial services products, interesting business models and campaigns with an emphasis on the following:

Marketing – talking about how financial services professionals can develop and promote their businesses using traditional marketing tools but focussing on modern content marketing and social media techniques.

Protection – talking about life insurance, critical illness, income protection and other protection products

Finance – talking about pensions, platforms, savings and investments

My aim is to make sure that you will get one or two big business ideas that you can apply to your own business. Whether it is a sales idea, advice idea, product tweak or simply an app that is worth looking at.

I’m your host, Roger Edwards. A marketer for 25 years now in business to help you with your business strategy, marketing and social media. I’m the ex-MD of Bright Grey and Scottish Provident and before that held many executive marketing roles.

Please subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes and I’d be grateful if you would leave a review. http://rogeredwards.co.uk/itunes

Fancy Appearing on the Show?

Would you be interested in appearing on the MPAF Podcast? Are you working on a new proposition, campaign or a business model you want to talk about? Do you fancy drawing out some inspirational business and marketing ideas that MPAF listeners can take away to use in their own businesses? Do please contact me if you want to get involved. http://rogeredwards.co.uk