Why did you decide to reach out to minority markets?

Some markets (Hispanic, Chinese, Korean, African American) are growing their wealth faster than the greater population. We see them as underserved relative to the rest of the U.S.

What types of activities are you participating in with these clients?

We're very focused on the end customer, so we can really understand what's getting in the way of their doing business. I met with about 20 different firms—big, small, Hispanic, Korean, Chinese, Indian. They were focused on a different set of customers than the typical firm. We asked what they were looking for in the way of products, services, features and distribution. For them, it was about service and how we treat our distributors and ultimately our customer. They wanted to make sure their voices were heard at the table and that our materials were easy to understand and geared toward the markets we're trying to help.

What unique needs have you found among minority clients?

Being able to speak to someone in their language is very important to them. The next thing I noticed is a need for financial literacy. One of the groups I met with are employees of mid to large employers, and they're very interested in having help in basic needs of how to, say, put life insurance into their estate planning effectively. These customers need education, since many products we offer are more sophisticated than you would find in other countries. You can imagine coming into the States and suddenly having to deal with IRAs, financial plans and 401(k) plans—people were interested in having help across the board.

What obstacles do you face in serving these clients?

In the Korean market, for example, most insurance customers are comfortable getting their information from a friend. They've become very used to captive insurance agents. When you compare the captive agent who comes in with an insurance-based attitude with someone with a broader interest, there are clearly some opportunities.

What are you doing to surmount these obstacles?

We are working with our producers to make sure that materials are available in the appropriate language and are appropriate to the culture. We want to use pictures people can identify with. Many of the cultures we're dealing with are very family-oriented and are making sure they're doing right by their parents and kids, instead of making sure they can afford a new Mercedes-Benz like other clients. It's that kind of cultural awareness that we're really trying to be responsive to. In our contact centers, we are gearing up in several languages. We're setting up events with distributors that will focus on financial literacy. We've been adding folks too—from a chief growth officer to customer contact and everyone in between.