21/07/2026
How to frame questions,
work with orphan clients and
keep your pipeline full
Dig deeper with orphan clients
Orphan clients often are added to the pile, and we spend little — if any — time building relationships with them, especially if they hold just an older, paid-up life policy. I found that taking the time to reach out and engage resulted in discovering new insurance needs for children and grandchildren. It can also lead to significant consolidations of investment assets and connections in various directions with their family tree, such as parents, children, grandchildren, and even in-laws and children’s spouses’ families.
—Craig Alan Lilley, CFP, CLU, 24-year MDRT member
Better balance, better care
We must not become victims of our own success. When we are too busy, the quality of service we offer can decline. It is important to manage our time, choose clients wisely and maintain balance in our lives. If we take care of ourselves, we can better take care of our clients.
—Jeffrey Winata, six-year MDRT member
Framing questions
I use the STAR behavioral interview method (situation, task, action, result) to frame questions with clients. I don’t just ask clients, “What do you need?” Instead, I use in-depth questions to reveal the family’s true situation and potential risks, such as “What scenario are you most worried about in the future?” and “If an accident happens, how long can the family’s current cash flow sustain it?” This approach allows me to customize a protection plan that truly suits the client’s life, rather than being limited to the product itself. I often play the role of mediator with spouses by listening to the demands of both parties neutrally and finding a balanced solution that satisfies them both.
—Lingjia Liu, nine-year MDRT member
Map out the money
People often don’t have a grasp of what money is coming and going. I work with my clients to have distinct purposes for their various accounts. Usually there is a mother account — typically a checking account — that income goes into. From there, money flows out to other checking and savings accounts. These could be an operating account that pays regular monthly bills, a tax account to accumulate money for taxes, a long-term savings account for retirement, etc. Then, I create a visual flow chart to help them envision where their money goes and how it is used. It takes time and collaboration to tweak it and get it right, but once it is, clients get very excited about it.
—Jennifer P. Mann, MBA, CFP, 22-year MDRT member
