There's no doubt about it: There's strong demand among bothemployers and employees for voluntary/worksite products. Buyingintentions are strong, and the untapped market potential is vast.PPACA, the movement of employer-paid products to voluntary, and theintroduction of new product forms have all been discussed. But whatabout brokers? Will they continue to increase their sales to meetthat market potential?

Over the years, an increasing percentage of employee benefitbrokers have begun selling these products, although the majoritysold relatively few cases. Fifteen years ago, Eastbridge surveysrevealed that about 40 percent of them offered voluntary products.Over the last four years, that percentage as reported by Eastbridgeand Benefit Selling Magazine has consistently ranged between 90 and95 percent, and hasn't changed over the last 18 months. In otherwords, growth in voluntary/worksite sales is no longer coming fromnew brokers entering the market. All of the EBBs the industry canattract are already on board the train.

The chart shows the change in sales (new business annualizedpremium) for each high-level segment since 2000.

We know that much of the EBB sales growth in the early years wasdue to new entrants. We also know that since 2010, the number ofnew EBBs entering the business has slowed or even stopped.

The conclusion is obvious. EBB productivity has switched intohigh gear. Since the early discussions of the Patient Protectionand Affordable Care Act, broker comments and our surveys havedocumented the belief that brokers would soon be getting veryserious about voluntary as a way to offset other revenue declines,and the evidence is now pouring in. EBB sales have increased 38percent in the last four years, with relatively little growth inbroker count. Today, EBBs are moving voluntary into an importantplace in their portfolios, moving beyond simple buy-ups into themainstream of voluntary sales.

In terms of per capita production, EBBs trail classics,specialists and career agents by significant margins, but that isbeginning to change. As their sales approach the industry averagenumbers, the industry can expect continued strong growth.