I recently spoke at the Insurance Marketing and Communications Assn. (IMCA) conference in Denver on the topic of how we as an industry fail to effectively tell our story. I'm not out to offend anyone, but make no mistake: We stink at it.

Part of the problem is that our industry is inherent upon having to say “No.” It's how we make our money and one of the reasons we have such a bad rep. A 2011 study by GfK Custom Research North America shows that only 39 percent of Americans “trust” insurance companies, behind only the government and financial services companies. And because trust is what we sell—we fail.

It's not that we're not trying. According to Kantar Media, advertising dollars spent on insurance products rose to more than $5 billion in 2011, more than double what was spent in 2000. But funny characters and engaging personalities, while entertaining, rarely connect on an emotional level with our consumers.

Why do people need insurance? Protection. Security. Peace of mind. More often than not, they need it at the most emotional points of their lives: rebuilding after a catastrophe, starting a business, recovering from injuries or accidents, and so on.

The hurdles to telling an effective, hits-you-at-the-core story are well known and difficult to overcome:

The C-suite: Conservative, risk-averse executives don't typically stray too far from convention
Competition: Most companies are more concerned with hitting numbers than they are about moving the ball forward for the greater good of the industry
Time and space: It's hard to tell any story in a 15- or 30-second TV spot or in a print ad, and in this fast-paced digital world, if you're not grabbing someone's attention within seconds, they're moving on
Media: Good news doesn't usually sell papers or make headlines
Lack of public education: If the general public actually understood what insurance provides, they probably wouldn't dismiss us so easily.

We work in an industry that is central to people's lives, and it's time to focus the dialog on that very fact. The “why” is important because it impacts everything we do—from recruiting new talent and gaining consumer respect to educating legislators and regulators and helping retain and grow business.

If people believe in the “why,” they'll have a better appreciation for what we do. So consider this a challenge and an opportunity to move forward, together. TED speaker Simon Sinek says it best: “People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Can you identify your company's why?

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Communicate the &ldquo;Why&rdquo;

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Communicate the “Why”