My first sales mentor was a man named Bobby Dodd. Bobby was 100 percent upbeat, 100 percent of the time. Bobby had one leg shorter than the other and wore a corrective shoe. "The shorter leg's purpose," Bobby said, "is so I can walk south on the beach and be the only person walking level."
He also told me time and time again, "You're better than you think you are." No 21-year-old had any more sparkling opinion of himself than me. Bobby was not talking about my ego. He was telling me that we are capable of doing more, being better and improving ourselves. We tend to limit ourselves in the comfort zone making excuses for our lot and defending the status quo rather than going forth boldly, goal in mind.
I have spent a lot of time, engaging and listening to health insurance brokers in regards to making voluntary and worksite benefits part of their core benefits program. The health insurance broker tends to approach voluntary in the same manner as employer-paid benefits. These benefit brokers are almost always disappointed with the results. So let me say to you what one great man said to me, "You are better than you think you are."
Continuing to do the same thing is not going work. Companies are reducing their work force, going out of business and your blocks of business are shrinking. You are flat out giving more and receiving less.
But here are few suggestions. As you read this column Benefits Selling Expo has either just finished or you're currently attending. Find out all you can about accident and critical illness insurance. These insurance benefits can be employer paid or made available as a voluntary payroll deduction plan. They are great ways of lessening employees' pain when implementing higher and higher deductibles and co-pays.
Get in the life insurance business with voluntary individual universal and whole. There are strong money purchase programs by a number of carriers, guaranteed to issue. There is a huge need for individual life insurance. The guaranteed interest rates, not to mention strong commissions, make these products a winner. So my advice to you is to stop the insanity. Quit holding your breath over whatever Washington does or does not do. Increase the breadth of your business and your income. Keep at it. As Bobby said, "You are better than you think you are."
Jim Christenson, CEBS, is field vice president, Northeast team, for Allstate Workplace Division in Plymouth Meeting, Penn. He can be reached at jim.christenson@allstate.com.
