When was the last time you watched someone’s eyes light up when you mentioned policy exclusions, aggregate limits, or automated underwriting?
Here’s the thing–insurance is fundamentally about stories. Every policy represents a narrative of protection, and every risk assessment predicts how someone’s story might unfold. Yet we’re often so caught up in the technical complexity of our industry that we forget how to tell these stories in ways that resonate.
Regardless of your role in the industry, your success hinges on one critical skill: making the complex feel accessible and the technical feel human.
Why Stories Stick When Statistics Slide
When we hear a story, our brain lights up–not just the language centers but areas responsible for experiencing the events themselves. This explains why a potential client might remember a story about a restaurant owner whose business was saved by business interruption coverage long after they’ve forgotten the specific policy limits and deductibles.
The 3-Step Structure for Insurance Communication
Every compelling story follows a structure, and insurance stories are no exception. Aristotle identified a story’s basic plot structure as having a beginning, middle, and end (setup, confrontation, and resolution).
Here’s how to apply this classic framework to your technical communications:
1. The Beginning/Setup–In insurance terms, this means painting a picture of the current challenge or inefficiency your audience faces. Don’t just list problems–help them feel the frustration of a broker waiting weeks for underwriting decisions or the anxiety of a policyholder navigating a complex claims process.
2. The Middle/Confrontation–In our industry, conflict often comes in the form of market disruption, regulatory changes, or evolving customer expectations. Make your audience feel the stakes. What happens if they don’t adapt to automated processes? What’s the cost of sticking with legacy systems when competitors are leveraging AI?
3. The End/Resolution–Here’s where your offering enters. Show how your audience becomes the hero in their own story, enabled by your solution to serve their customers better, make smarter decisions, or create new opportunities.
Making Technical Concepts Tangible
Insurance is full of abstract concepts that benefit from concrete comparisons. The key is choosing metaphors that illuminate (rather than obscure) your message.
Explaining excess and surplus lines coverage? Don’t get bogged down in admitted versus non-admitted carrier distinctions. Instead, describe it as the specialty shop that carries exactly what you need when the big-box store comes up empty–a place where unique risks find their perfect match.
Discussing predictive analytics? Skip the algorithm explanations and focus on the concept of a foggy window that gets clearer the more data it processes, helping underwriters see patterns invisible to the human eye.
Reviewing policy exclusions? Avoid the laundry list approach that makes coverage sound restrictive. Instead, frame exclusions as the fence around your garden–they’re not there to keep you out but to clearly define the space that’s fully protected within those boundaries.
Storytelling for Different Audiences
For Wholesalers: Focus on transformation stories that show how new products or services can help retail partners better serve their clients. Use before-and-after scenarios that highlight the competitive advantage your offerings provide.
For Retail Agents: Center your narratives around client success stories. Demonstrate your understanding of new insurance solutions to position yourself as a trusted advisor (rather than just a product peddler).
For Carriers: Emphasize stories of innovation and market leadership. Demonstrate how embracing new tech or approaches can position you ahead of competitors and better serve evolving customer needs.
For Insurtechs: Craft stories that show partnership rather than disruption. Illustrate how your innovation enhances (rather than replaces) existing industry relationships and processes.
Final Thoughts
The next time you find yourself explaining a complex insurance concept, resist the urge to dive straight into specifications and features. Instead, ask yourself: What story am I really telling here? Who is the hero, what transformation are they seeking, and how does my solution help them achieve it?
Don’t confuse listing features with telling stories. Features are ingredients; stories show the meal being enjoyed.
Every industry develops its own language, but stories should be accessible to your entire audience. When technical terms are necessary, weave definitions naturally into the narrative.
‘Regardless of your role in the industry, your success hinges on one critical skill: making the complex feel accessible and the technical feel human.’
Authentic stories acknowledge challenges and setbacks. Showing how problems are overcome builds credibility and trust.
Different audiences need different narratives. The story that resonates with a tech-savvy insurtech founder won’t necessarily connect with a traditional carrier executive.
The ability to connect through story isn’t just a nice-to-have skill–it’s your competitive advantage. Your technical expertise opens doors, but your stories build bridges.
Dwyer is a senior account manager at Direct Connection Advertising & Marketing. Visit directconnectionusa.com to learn more.
