Sales and marketing

There is a rarely a plan of how "pretend sales goals" are going to actually be met, says EBA Contributor Kevin Trokey. He provides seven cultural issues to consider when selling product.

The pros and cons of a benefit practice offering retirement plan services.

Jack Kwicien on why and how brokerages should be more than just a vendor

Nelson Griswold on why your brokerage business model could spell doom.

Schlesinger on how to have better sales appointments for broker.

Craig Davidson on creating the sales environment you want.

When was the last time you took a good, introspective look at your client base and thought about saying goodbye to a client? For EBA Blogger Beverly Beattie, it’s important to give clients tremendous value and for my clients to know they are fully receiving it.

Client dedication, employee happiness propel FirstPerson CEO Bryan Brenner to EBA’s 2012 Health Plan Adviser of the Year

Four steps for brokers advisers and consultants to add value to their business by Jack Kwicien.

Mel Schlesinger on how to standout from the sales crowd.

One of the most troubling areas that brokers and agents hear from clients is how to address the growing incidences of obesity and diabetes. But the answer is as complex as the problem, says EBA Contributor Susan Rider.

Retirement readiness is just not a buzz word for EBA’s Retirement Adviser of the Year.

Mel Schlesinger on how brokers can sell more in a how-to guide.

Push employers fear buttons to sell and renew business says Craig Davidson.

Consumer-driven health plans have bypassed health maintenance organizations to become the second most common plan design offered by U.S. employers, according to an Aon Hewitt survey.

Thirty-nine percent of U.S. adults do not have life insurance, according to survey results released by InsuranceQuotes.com. And many of the 2,000 Americans surveyed who do have life insurance appear to be underinsured and not as knowledgeable as they should be about their policies.

When asked who plans to be doing the same job, in the same way, three years from now, not one broker raised a hand Tuesday during a session on growth and profitability at the 7th Annual Employee Benefit Adviser Summit.

Having spent my entire career in the insurance industry, I’m not sure how much of an understanding I can claim for other industries. However, it’s hard for me to imagine an industry where the purchasing decision has historically been tied to the “relationship” as much as it is in ours. …

In the immortal words of Albert Einstein, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.” Are you trapped in this pattern? If so, embrace the guiding principle of evolve or perish to take your career to the next level. As I travel the country, speaking with my colleagues at state and local health underwriter association meetings about surviving and thriving in a post-health care reform world —…

There are four words that sum up the tremendous growth experienced by San Mateo, Calif. brokerage Sequoia Benefits and Insurance Services in 2012: "Coming through for people." To Greg Golub, CEO and founder, it is that simple, and it all comes back to impeccable customer service. In a year when other firms struggled to remain solvent, Sequoia brought in 135 new clients and 50 new 401(k) plans, developed an innovative smartphone application and overhauled its online customer service portal.A client-first attitude yields tremendous growth and employee admiration for Sequoia's Greg Golub, EBA's 2012 Employee Benefit Adviser of the Year.