10 Questions to ask during fact finding

It’s not what you ask, it’s how you ask it  

During initial fact-finding conversations, it can be easy to miss important details in a client’s medical history. Your questions must be specific enough to get the details but broad enough to capture the whole story. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to the perfect set of questions. However, there are strategies to make this process easier.   

We’ve collaborated with advisers and our underwriters to create 10 questions to cover the most commonly missed details that are later uncovered during underwriting.   

Crafting the right questions  

The secret to discovering more about a client’s health is the type of questions we ask. Ideally, your questions should easily lead to another question. So, while yes/no questions have their place, try approaching it from a different angle.  

You may ask a client, “Do you have back problems?” Many times, the client will answer with a simple yes or no. But what about those regular visits to the chiropractor they didn’t think were a big deal? A more effective question could be, “When did you last visit a physiotherapist or chiropractor?”   

Or maybe you ask about their blood pressure. They might say that they don’t have any issues. But what if they take medication for an unrelated issue that just so happens to lower their blood pressure?  

In this case, a ‘catch-all’ approach could be asking what medication they’re taking.   

By asking open ended questions, you reach a more meaningful conclusion and have more space to ask follow-up questions.   

Get more out of your clients  

Getting a clearer picture of the client’s health and medical history is one of the best ways to help them through the underwriting process.  

Here are 10 open ended questions to ask your clients:  

1. What medications do you take?  
2. Have you ever taken any medication longer than one month?  
3. Have you ever had a serious illness or medical episode?  
4. When was the last time you saw a medical specialist? What was the reason for the visit?  
5. What's the longest period you've had off work for injury or illness?  
6. Have you ever had any serious injuries?  
7. Have you had any surgeries (major or minor) that you can recall?  
8. When was the last time you saw a physiotherapist or chiropractor?  
9. When did you last see a psychologist or a psychiatrist?  
10. Do you engage in any dangerous pastimes?  

We’re here to help  

Our Business Development Managers are always here and happy to help. Please reach out if you want to talk more about effective questioning or any other ways to enhance your risk advice process.   

To get your clients insured faster, you can complete a pre-assessment in just five minutes in the adviser portal.