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The phrase most commonly used to introduce the concept of new employee onboarding is probably, "You only get one chance to make a first impression."

Iwould rather be poked in the eye with a sharp stick than sit through a humdrum and aimless sales presentation that goes nowhere. What needless pain that is. There is something to say for sales momentum and pursuing a goal in everything you say and do.

For the benefit professional who hates making cold calls or following up on direct mail, networking can be the next best alternative. But, like any marketing strategy - and yes, marketing is necessary - networking requires consistency of action over a period of time. Too many benefit professionals join a local Chamber of Commerce, go to one or two events and fail to generate even one appointment and then never return, believing that networking is a waste of time and energy.

In all sectors of the financial services industry, there is an almost maniacal quest for "alpha," or performing above the norm. Careers, fortunes and even companies are made or broken on their ability to deliver alpha.

With millions of baby boomers on the brink of retirement and the effects of the economic meltdown in 2008 that left many employees with depleted 401(k) account balances, helping employees manage their money into retirement is a growing concern for employers.Once employees make the move from accumulating to drawing down their assets, the focus shifts from maximizing the growth rate of those assets to maximizing the ability to sustain income from them over long periods of time.

Amid the nationwide noise of budget debates and court battles over the constitutionality of health care reform, Vermont has gone largely unnoticed as its legislature uses the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's state exchange requirement to set the stage for an eventual switch to a single-payer health care system. Bob Gaydos, president of the Benefits Group of New England, spoke with EBA about his efforts to slow down the fast-paced bill that, as of press time, had already passed in the House and was a week or two away from passing in the Senate. "There's no doubt it'll pass at this point," says Gaydos. "You've got to applaud the governor on a well-played political hand."

It's like taking gourmet cooking lessons, but continuing to eat at drive-throughs. It's like buying a highly praised book and leaving it on the shelf. In a similar fashion, your clients' wellness programs might not reach their potential if they are unable to engage employees and change behavior.

The New Year began with a wince for many employers around the country as they saw their health insurance premium costs increase once again, some by double-digit percentages. The recession, medical cost inflation, and uncertainty over health care reform dealt a punishing blow to employer-sponsored health care programs, forcing the majority of organizations to pass some of the cost increases on to their employees. Still, despite the trying times, some employers were able to hold their rates steady.

Last September, Carter Express, a logistic, freight and transport firm based in Anderson, Ind., accomplished something that every self-insured employer wants to do. It saved 23% on an employee's surgery for prostate cancer. Plus, not only did the company spend nearly $12,000 less, but the employee was happy with his surgical experience.

You're good at this business - everyone says so. But are you good enough to be the Employee Benefit Adviser of the Year?