Broker blog

How often do your groups experience changes in carriers or plan designs? It’s commonplace in today’s benefits landscape. But, how do you help your groups diminish frustration points that come along with such changes?

Last fall, one of our brokers came to us with a unique challenge in this area which led us to a great strategy conversation – one of our favorite things to do. 

What’s the main reason employers choose to use an employee benefits expert? It’s to help them select and offer the right benefit plan for their needs. But, there’s SO much more to becoming a trusted benefits consultant to your clients. 

What makes you stand out to current and prospective clients? As a former HR Director, I’m sharing 3 tips that will keep you in the driver’s seat as a trusted guide for your groups…

1. Actively listen

There are 2 ways to work with clients… 

Are you one of those people who LOVE mid-year reviews with your clients? You like getting to consult without it being a negotiation over every nuance of the medical plan renewal price. 

Or do you HATE mid-year reviews? You think you’re supposed to bring new ideas and you don’t know what to say this year. So, you stress about it. Or worse, you just don’t do them.

Like many of you, we attend quite a few employee benefits conferences every year, but Q4Live is one of our favorites (click here to see our Top 10 List). This conference is about personal development and networking for advisors committed to professional growth.

Do you notice how quickly our employee benefits industry is changing lately? From “Medicare For All” to reference-based pricing, consolidation of agencies to value-based insurance design - there are new products, services, and ideas. And, they’re coming at us faster than ever before with no end in sight. 

When was the last time you ordered from Amazon Prime? It’s great to have a need delivered to your doorstep instead of going out to hunt it down. As easy as it is, there are millions of people who haven’t made it a habit.  

The same can be said for Telehealth. It’s easy. It’s everywhere. Most people have access to it but haven’t even tried it. 

A version of this article was originally published in Employee Benefits Advisor and shared on  Q4intelligence Crushing Mediocrity blog.

“What groups are a good fit for freshbenies?” Do you ask this question? It’s one I hear A LOT. My short answer is that just about any group is a fit for freshbenies. While true, there are more definitive ways to answer the question. 

Today, I’m sharing 3 real-life examples of very different groups and how freshbenies met specific needs.