Talking about captive insurers can be intimidating, especially in cold-contact scenarios. Knowing where to begin can feel like finding a new location without a map. Success lies in knowing who to contact. Targeting businesses in familiar industries and understanding their specific needs can help independent agents like you make the process more focused and productive.
This article explains how to identify businesses most likely to benefit from captives. It also discusses the characteristics of ideal clients, how to customize your outreach, and strategies for overcoming common challenges in cold contacting.
You might feel like Sysiphus is continuously rolling a rock at the top of a mountain when it comes to cold contact, or you might feel like it’s a continuous uphill battle. Thankfully, reaching out to similar industries you’ve already worked with is an easy way to leverage your expertise.
Captives provide insurance solutions for businesses seeking cost control, transparency, and flexibility. Once you understand what makes a business a good candidate, you can position captives as a logical next step for their operations.
When cold contacting prospects, focus on industries or businesses that align with these characteristics:
Why this matters:
Start with what you know. Focus on industries you’ve successfully served in the past with success. You can cold contact with an email like this:
“Subject: [First Name], An Insurance Solution for [Industry Name] Hi [First Name], I’ve worked with several [industry] businesses like yours and understand how rising insurance costs and specific policies can stifle growth. Thankfully, there’s a better way to take control. With captive insurance, businesses like yours can:
For example, one [industry] business I worked with reduced their insurance costs by 25% in the first year using this approach. I’d love to discuss whether captive insurance could help your business achieve similar results. Would you be available for a quick call next week? Click here to schedule a time, or reply to this email with your availability. Looking forward to connecting! [Your Name]” |
Your experience in these sectors will build credibility and make it easier to demonstrate how captives could fit their needs.
Cold contacts work best when they don’t feel cold. You know their pain points. Are they dealing with rising premiums? Are they expanding and taking on new risks? This intel can help you craft a more personalized message.
Credibility is everything in cold outreach. Mention your past success within their industry or highlight your expertise in captives. Be honest and transparent about the benefits and drawbacks of captive insurance. You gain more credibility when you aren’t hiding anything from potential clients.
Look for owners who:
You can ask questions such as:
Your goal in cold outreach is to open a dialogue. Use questions that prompt prospects to share their frustrations, such as:Look out for and listen to those who:
Prospects should have:
Like with any cold contact, you can't expect everything to go in your favor. Here are some challenges you'll likely face and how to address them:
Many misconceptions about captives have perpetuated themselves over the years. Many prospects think captives are only for large corporations or overtly risky. Break these down in simple terms:
Not every prospect will be ready or willing to go toward captive insurers. And that’s okay! Captives don’t work for everyone, anyway.
Rejections are learning opportunities that allow you to refine future approaches. You can always leave the door open for future conversations by providing resources or offering to revisit the topic later.
While cold contacting potential clients can already be intimidating, there are ways to make it easier for you when you have access to materials.
Prepare case studies from similar industries showing how captives solved real problems.
You can provide free resources such as what’s offered with Captive Coalition’s Learning Center to explain captives in an easy and palatable way.
Cold outreach is rarely a one-call close. Develop a follow-up sequence that builds on the initial conversations.
Cold-contacting businesses about captives doesn’t need to be intimidating. By focusing on industries you better understand, you can educate and offer captives to potential clients.
Captive Coalition can provide you with educational and other resources. To start, look at our guide on how you can help educate your clients about captives with confidence.
At Captive Coalition, our sole purpose is to educate independent agents about captive insurance so that they can best serve their clients. Our members have access to tools and email templates, including those used for cold emailing businesses.
To access the email templates and other exclusive materials like our tools and 30-day guide, become a member of Captive Coalition. That way, your best clients can have more control over their insurance costs.