Broker blog

“It’s free!” Those are words we all like to hear, right? But, they’re also words that can set off alarms in our minds. 

What if I said selling employee benefits to employers isn’t the main goal for brokers? While reading our freshbenies book of the quarter, The Little Red Book of Selling, I was reminded a broker’s role isn’t to sell benefits packages, but to give companies the opportunity to buy benefits for their people.

It’s happening. CVS is buying Aetna for $69 billion, which could make the deal the biggest merger of 2017.

What do you think when you hear the term “employee engagement”? As a broker, you likely start thinking of your clients’ needs to ensure employees are aware and engaged with their benefits plan. A more traditional use of the term may refer to employee commitment levels toward the company purpose and vision. Both are accurate, and the two points are definitely connected.

No, the title of my article is not a typo or a weird loophole. This is a story about real savings, based on having an educated conversation with my doctor. 

Their website claims that the “annual Benefits Forum & Expo offers a one-stop shop for insights into the best benefits strategies and tools available, along with great opportunities to learn, meet with your peers and get a fresh approach to the challenges in 2016 and beyond.”

With over 50 sessions and 100+ speakers the event had something for everyone and did not disappoint. While I couldn’t physically make it to every session, I had discoveries from each one that I did. 

The time comes when you know you need to make changes in your business, but changes can be intimidating. How do you know if the team will accept the new ideas? How do you know if the clients will like it? How do you know the changes will even work?

Well, the short answer is that you don't know, and that's okay. In fact, it can be to your benefit. Not knowing and choosing to move ahead anyway can actually become a competitive advantage for you if you approach it with strategic intent.

Marketing has taken on a critical new role for insurance agencies, and understanding what that role is, how it impacts your business, and what you need to do about it is simply table-stakes for successful businesses. It’s not a nice-to-have anymore, and it’s time to decide that you’re either going to commit to it, or you’re going to become increasingly irrelevant to potential buyers. Your choice.