For any clients who have given up smoking, typically for at least a year – the cost of cover could be reduced substantially, often by as much as half. 

But always get the new policy in force before cancelling the old one, just in case any other issues come up in the new underwriting process. 

10) Embrace your weaknesses

As somebody once said to me many years ago: "We don’t have weaknesses, we just have areas for improvement."

And that could apply to all us. 

However, if a certain part of the market isn’t your key strength – and you’re honest enough to admit that it probably never will be – consider building a relationship with an expert who knows that part of the market inside out. 

I see this type of relationship developing far more often these days where protection advisers introduce to PMI experts (and vice versa) or investment advisers hire an outsourced protection expert to basically become their in-house protection department. 

Not only can this improve the overall service and advice offered to clients in some situations, but it can also save them a lot of money.

Kevin Carr is chief executive of Protection Review