Plant The Seed For Voluntary Sales Success

These methods plant the seed of need in the minds of employees who may not have stopped to consider how cancer insurance, supplemental life insurance or other products you’re offering could benefit them.

They also show that the employer is behind the voluntary products being offered, thus encouraging employee participation. Understanding that the employer has researched and selected the products on their behalf can help employees feel more comfortable as they consider their purchase decision.

The most important component of the voluntary enrollment process is mandatory employee meetings. For success, distribute personalized enrollment forms before or during the meetings. Prefilled forms can help facilitate employee decisions to purchase by illustrating pre-calculated benefit elections and premiums, making the limited time allotted for enrollment meetings more efficient. In addition, personalized forms demonstrate an employer’s endorsement of the products and its concern for employees.

Once the meetings have concluded, be sure the employer requires employees to return their forms, whether they purchase coverage or waive it. Creating an expectation that the enrollment process must be completed helps emphasize the importance of the products and of the purchase decision.

Be sure to stand firm on these important steps to achieve desired plan participation, even when an employer resists. Many may balk at the idea of mandatory enrollment meetings and tell you that their employees don’t have the time to attend. However, having time dedicated to explaining the products offered and providing employees the opportunity to ask questions is crucial to a successful enrollment.

If you allow an employer to limit your access to employees during the enrollment process, the result will be lower participation than desired, and neither you nor your client will be happy about that. But when you demonstrate your role as an advisor to your clients and assure them that you know what will work best for them and their employees in enrollment, you’re improving your chances for sales success.

Establishing a need for the products you offer and ensuring that a specific enrollment process is carried out can make all the difference for a successful enrollment for you, your clients and their employees.

Mark Sylvester is vice president of voluntary sales at Assurant Employee Benefits, Kansas City, Mo., a division of Assurant Inc., New York. Mark may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].