By all accounts, the sale of worksite/voluntary benefits willremain strong over the foreseeable future. Research provided byLIMRA’s U.S. Worksite Sales survey reported a 5 percent increase inworksite/voluntary benefits in 2014 over 2013 sales.

Eastbridge Consulting Group’s data is consistent with LIMRA’sfinding. Eastbridge noted a nearly 4 percent increase in 2014 withsales rising from $6.644 billion in 2013 to $6.89 billion in2014.

In its 2015 Brokers and Voluntary Benefits--The EvolutionContinues Spotlight Report, developed in conjunctionwith Benefits Selling, Eastbridgereported that the percentage of brokers actively selling voluntarybenefits has also increased from 19 percent in 2014 to 32 percentin 2015.

Surveys of U.S. business executives and employees also project areceptive market for worksite/voluntary benefits.

An EyeMed survey of 552 business executives found that 71percent were inclined toward providing these benefits, with asupporting Gallup poll finding that 82 percent of American workersnow place a higher premium on worksite/voluntary benefits than in2008.

The Patient Protection and Affordable CareAct will be another major driver of worksite/voluntarybenefit sales. As the legislation takes full root, more employersand plan sponsors will be looking for ways to meet their employees’needs without having to assume higher costs.

Worksite/voluntary benefits (i.e., life insurance, short-term andlong-term disability, vision, dental, accident, and criticalillness) do just that. They are a responsible, cost-efficient andemployee-centric way of helping workers customize their insurancecoverage to best meet their specific needs.

For brokers selling these products, however, it is not a matterof business as usual. They require a strategic, well-plannedmarketing strategy. To that end, here are 4 tips.

Use a two-channel strategy

Marketing worksite/voluntary benefits requires a two-prongapproach. First, you need to present the value proposition ofworksite/voluntary benefit to employers. Before they will let youmarket these benefits to their workers, they need to understandthese things:

• Worksite/voluntary benefits are an effective way of shiftinghealth care costs to employees.

• Their employees are looking for these solutions.

• These benefits help alleviate employee stress and in turn,reduce worker absenteeism and improve productivity.

• Businesses that offer a robust worksite/voluntary benefitportfolio to their employees are perceived as “Employers of Choice”which enhances their employee retention and recruitment.

In helping pave the way to bring worksite/voluntary benefits totheir worksite, brokers need also to understand an employer’sworker demographics. This will enable the broker to develop apresentation highlighting those solutions that are most relevant tothe particular company’s workforce.

In a perfect world, all workers would be able to afford and gainthe protections provided by many worksite/voluntary benefits. However, we know that in reality, hard, cost-based decisions willneed to be made.

Therefore, brokers should either lead with solutions that aremost pertinent to a company’s employee base, or lead with solutionsthat are universally-applicable (e.g., dental and vision),regardless of the age of the workers or their salary level.

Second, employees, too, need to understand the roleworksite/voluntary benefits play in their financial well-being.This requires brokers to take a proactive, consultativeapproach:

• Anticipating employees’ questions regarding these variousinsurance policies, their terms and costs, and why they are vitalto protecting themselves and their families

• Providing these FAQs and the answers in easy to understandlanguage

• Being prepared with “what if” scenarios to help workersunderstand how not having certain coverage (e.g., disability,accident or critical illness) could dramatically impact their livesin the event they become disabled, are in a serious accident orface a critical illness)

• Helping employees determine what policies they need most, aswell as how much coverage they need and can afford

Communicate effectively

A common thread running through both the employer and employeestrategy is communication. Having separate, well-developedmarketing materials for both employers and employees isessential.

These materials should clearly communicate the value propositionof worksite/voluntary benefits overall, as well as the individualvalue propositions of each type of coverage.

Having a broad portfolio of competitively-priced, high qualityinsurance solutions is also important. This will enable a broker toprovide the choices needed so that each employee can developcustomized insurance coverage that best meets their individualand/or family needs.

Market early and continually

Keep in mind that timing is everything. Do not wait untilenrollment period to make your marketing push.

Start your worksite/voluntary benefit marketing and educationcampaign early in the year and continue it throughout the year.

Leverage both direct mail and online marketing to raiseawareness.

Use your website and email marketing effectively. This will helpyou soften the market before your fourth quarter worksitepresentation and enrollment events.

While there will no doubt be continued due diligence(consultation and education) during these events, it is likely thatit will be more productive as a result of your having embarked on astrong, ongoing campaign in the months leading up to the enrollmentperiod.

During the enrollment period, make sure you line up your bestteam: strong communicators who are approachable and can discusscomplex products in easy to understand language.

Partner wisely

Finally, all of the above will be meaningless if you do notchoose your partners well.

To implement an effective worksite/voluntary marketing program,you need carriers who are ready to support you with competitiveproducts, effective marketing materials and highly responsive,professional customer service and claims handlingdepartments.

Look to the industry’s top rated organizations; those carrierswho have consistently earned the A.M. Best “A” (Excellent)ratings.

By following these basic guidelines, brokers can capture a shareof the growing worksite/voluntary benefits market, whileconcurrently positioning themselves as consultative salesprofessionals and expanded customer relationships.