Sales and Marketing

Commentary: Follow this step-by-step process and columnist Mel Schlesinger says you’ll be swimming in sales calls.

Commentary: It all starts with a mindset, says EBA Advisory Board member Mark Gaunya. Do you begin each day with a mentality of scarcity or abundance? One is a recipe for failure.

Commentary: Most benefit administration tools have proven to be unsuccessful for the effective deployment of voluntary benefits, says EBA Advisory Board member Tinker Kelly. To overcome a system that is “inconsistent at best,” Kelly suggests a new approach.

Employers from Starbucks to ConAgra have begun partnering directly with academic institutions to create specialized programs for their employees. It’s a new spin on an older system, as benefit managers are trying to evaluate the long-term benefits of helping to pay for their workers’ education.

Commentary: If you want to be successful at voluntary sales, columnist Nelson Griswold says you should concentrate on selling a solution, not a product — much like the Girl Scouts aim to solve your cookie craving.

Commentary: Columnist Jack Kwicien shares how to transform your business by differentiating your processes and services to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

Commentary: Benefit advisers hoping to maintain satisfied clients after the first open enrollment period should avoid these common bad behaviors that could cost accounts in the long run.

There is no distinction between client and prospect for benefit broker Will Glaros, managing partner of the Meyers Glaros Group in Dyer, Ind. — he’s there to help them all.

Commentary: When the discussion about retirement plan costs focuses too heavily on fees, Blogger Aaron Friedman says it's up to advisers to demonstrate the value employers receive in return for the price they pay.

Recognizing that benefit brokers play a key role in the marketing of voluntary benefits, insurers are beginning to offer them more flexibility in the marketing process.