A Harare insurance agent sits across from a small fleet owner. The owner runs delivery vehicles, has a phone full of orders and a confident answer.
“Insurance? I do not need it. Nothing has happened to me.”
The agent starts explaining premiums.
Wrong turn.
Effective insurance sales training teaches agents to move beyond the initial objection and discover the concern behind it. When prospects say they do not need insurance, they may be questioning affordability, the reliability of claims, what a policy covers or their own ability to absorb a loss. Each concern calls for a different conversation.
Your job is not to scare people into signing a form. Your job is to help them make a clean decision with their eyes open.
Do Not Argue With the Prospect
“I do not need insurance” is not the end of the meeting. It is the start of the real meeting.
Many agents panic and begin listing every disaster known to man. Accident. Theft. Fire. Hail. Flood. The client switches off before you finish sentence two.
Calm down.
Start with this:
“Fair enough. What risk do you believe you can carry yourself?”
Then keep quiet.
The question moves the prospect from a broad refusal to a specific business judgement. A contractor may be able to replace a minor tool but struggle to replace equipment that is central to daily operations. A family may manage an ordinary clinic visit but face serious financial pressure from extended treatment.
Now you have something real to discuss.
Do not say, “You are fully covered,” before you have checked the policy terms. Insurance is specific. The policy schedule should show the covered risks, exclusions, start date and any waiting period. Your customer must understand those details before they pay.
That protects the customer. It also protects your name.
Script One: “Nothing Has Ever Happened to Me”
This objection usually comes from a person who has been lucky, careful or both. Do not insult their good record by telling them disaster is around the corner.
Try this:
“I am glad nothing has happened. That is a good position to be in. My question is simple: if a serious setback did occur, which loss would hurt the business or family most?”
Then ask practical questions.
● If the vehicle is off the road for a week, who pays the driver?
● If stock is damaged, can you replace it from cash flow?
● If you are unable to work, what happens to school fees or rent?
A Bulawayo delivery business example
Consider a Bulawayo business using vehicles for deliveries to shops and pharmacies. A vehicle originally insured for private use is later used regularly for commercial deliveries.
The owner says, “I have driven for years without an accident.” That history matters, but the more useful question is whether the policy reflects the vehicle’s current commercial use. Private motor cover may not automatically extend to deliveries, ride-hailing or other business activity.
The agent can say: “Before we discuss a suitable option, let us confirm how the vehicle is actually used.” Accurate disclosure supports an appropriate recommendation and reduces the risk of disputes when a claim arises. Keep the proposal, valuation and policy schedule in an accessible record.
One missing detail can become a very expensive detail.
Script Two: “Insurance Never Pays”
This one is painful because sometimes the prospect is speaking from experience. Sometimes it is a story from a cousin’s neighbour’s brother. Either way, do not wave it away.
Claims concerns deserve a serious response. Customers may have experienced delays themselves or heard about difficulties from people they trust. IPEC complaints reporting has highlighted delays in claims settlement as a genuine concern. Do not dismiss that experience or imply that every claim will succeed.
Say this:
“You are right to ask about claims. I will not promise that every claim is paid. Let us go through what this policy covers, what it excludes, and what you must disclose so there are no surprises later.”
That is adult selling.
Explain that claim problems can arise where policy terms are not met. Depending on the policy wording, drunk driving, unlicensed driving and illegal conduct may be excluded or may create claim problems. Do not hide this because you are desperate to close.
A sale built on half-truths can damage a reputation long after the meeting ends.
The customer needs a complaints route
Trust increases when the client knows what happens if they are unhappy.
Tell them that they should first complain in writing to the insurer. If the matter is unresolved, they may lodge a complaint with the Insurance and Pensions Commission, IPEC, at no cost. IPEC handles complaints against regulated insurers, brokers and agents.
Say it plainly:
“You do have a route if the insurer does not deal with you properly. But our first job is to make sure we buy the right policy and disclose the right information.”
Also verify the insurer, broker or agent on IPEC’s Regulated Entities portal before you recommend or place business. This is a basic habit, especially where a prospect has been approached by someone selling cheap cover from a Facebook post or a WhatsApp status.
Cheap can be expensive.
Script Three: “I Cannot Afford the Premium”
This is where many agents become dangerous. They promise cover before the client has paid, hoping the money will come next week.
Do not do it.
Zimbabwe’s short-term insurance premium-payment requirements under SI 81 of 2023 should be checked when arranging cover. The instrument provides for premium receipt in advance, subject to a stated crop-insurance exception. Agents should never promise that cover is already active without checking payment and policy inception conditions.
If a customer is comparing USD and ZiG premiums, do not turn that pressure into a false promise. Discuss suitable cover and payment timing honestly.
Try this script:
“I hear you. Let us first identify the risk you cannot afford to carry. Then we can look at cover that fits your cash flow, but I do not want to tell you that you are covered before the premium is paid.”
That line may feel slower than a hard close.
It is better business.
A Harare hardware retailer example
Consider a Harare hardware retailer managing staff, ongoing stock purchases and tight cash flow. The owner may regard insurance as another recurring bill while working to keep shelves stocked and suppliers paid.
Do not crowd the quotation with every possible benefit. Ask what would happen if a serious incident interrupted trading or damaged essential stock. Focus on the exposure the retailer may struggle to absorb, then explain an appropriate option and its limitations.
Explain the insured risks, exclusions, premium terms and cover start date clearly. If payment is delayed, confirm the actual policy position rather than presenting the business as protected without evidence. Clear communication now prevents disputes later.
Script Four: “My Business Is Too Small”
Small businesses have smaller buffers. That is often the whole point.
A big company may survive an interruption by moving money between departments. A market trader, welding shop, salon owner or farmer may have one productive asset carrying the whole household.
Ask this:
“If the asset that keeps your business operating were lost, how would you recover and how long might it take?”
Do not assume every small business needs every policy. If a prospect’s turnover and assets are modest, do not burden them with cover they cannot understand or maintain. Start with the exposure that can break the business.
IPEC and development partners have highlighted the importance of insurance products that reflect the real protection gaps facing smaller enterprises. An informal trader, contractor and commercial farmer may have very different exposures. Effective agents adapt the discussion accordingly.
Your work is to match the conversation to the customer’s real daily operations.
Not to read from a brochure like a robot.
The Questions That Get Prospects Talking
Use questions that make the prospect calculate, remember and explain. People trust their own thinking more than your speech.
Ask:
● “What would be hardest to replace if you lost it this month?”
● “Who depends on this vehicle, stock or income?”
● “Has the use of this asset changed since you first insured it?”
● “What did you hear about insurance that makes you hesitant?”
● “Would you rather carry this risk yourself, or transfer part of it for a known premium?”
Then listen for the real objection.
If they say, “I cannot afford it,” do not answer a trust problem with a price discount. If they say, “Insurers do not pay,” do not answer with a payment plan. Diagnose first.
A doctor does not prescribe before asking where it hurts.
Neither should you.
The Sales Process After They Say Yes
The close is not, “Sign here.”
A proper close is a clean handover into a proper process.
Confirm the facts
Get the correct use of the vehicle, location of the premises, value of property and relevant history. Full disclosure is not paperwork for paperwork’s sake. Non-disclosure can lead to claim rejection.
Explain the schedule
Walk the customer through the policy schedule, including covered risks, exclusions, inception dates and waiting periods where applicable. Ask the customer to explain back the conditions most relevant to their situation.
Confirm payment status
For short-term cover, do not describe the policy as active before the premium is received, subject to the crop-insurance exception in the law. The client deserves a direct answer on when cover starts.
Keep the records
Give the client their proposal, valuation and policy records. Keep your own record too. When a claim comes months later, memory becomes a terrible filing system.
This is where insurance sales training separates a quote chaser from a trusted adviser.
What Better Insurance Sales Training Delivers
For insurers, brokers and agency managers, the value of stronger objection-handling is not merely more persuasive conversations. It is better qualified opportunities, clearer product suitability and fewer sales created by misunderstanding or pressure.
A trained team can uncover genuine risk, explain cover and exclusions accurately, document customer disclosures, manage payment expectations and guide clients to the proper complaints channels. These habits protect customer trust and support durable retention.
The Chartered Vendor can tailor practical coaching to your portfolio, whether your team works with small enterprises, families, fleets or commercial accounts. Role-play real objections, review policy-explanation skills and turn follow-up into an accountable process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I say when a customer says they do not need insurance?
Ask, “What risk do you believe you can carry yourself?” Then discuss the specific loss they could or could not absorb. Do not begin by arguing or listing disasters.
Can I promise a client that every claim will be paid?
No. Explain the covered risks, exclusions, disclosure duties and policy conditions. Claim outcomes depend on the policy terms and the facts of the claim.
Can a Zimbabwean client get short-term insurance cover before paying?
Do not promise cover before confirming payment and policy commencement conditions. SI 81 of 2023 provides for premium receipt in advance for short-term insurance, subject to the specified crop-insurance exception. The current regulatory position should be checked for the relevant policy.
Where can clients complain about an insurer, broker or agent?
They should first complain in writing to the insurer. If the issue is unresolved, they may lodge a free complaint with IPEC. They can also check whether an insurer, broker or agent is regulated through IPEC’s Regulated Entities portal.
An objection is an opportunity to build trust when the adviser listens carefully, explains the actual protection offered and respects the customer’s decision.
Strong insurance selling protects the customer relationship as well as the insurer’s reputation. It reduces avoidable misunderstandings, supports better disclosure and creates more sustainable long-term business.
The Chartered Vendor helps insurance sales teams build confident objection-handling, consultative discovery, responsible closing and structured follow-up. Request a customised insurance sales training or consulting proposal to discuss your team’s needs and receive a tailored quotation. What objection does your team hear most often but still struggle to answer?
