During a recent lunch with an industryprofessional, we both spoke wistfully about the good ol' days whenagents and brokers actually sold productsand services based on need. I'm sure if an industrynewcomer heard us, they'd roll their eyes at us old farts.

But think about it. When the ACA was being hotly debated, therewas a very strong sense that ye olde agent and broker weren'timportant to the process. Just go to healthcare.gov and sign up.Easy!

Now, we all know that was ignorant, and the president himselfhas said as much in recent months. I wonder how people who passlaws that impact our lives didn't realize how important we are tothe process. They don't buy insurance like the real world. Whatdo they know? Fair enough, but I think it's more than that. Ithink it's because somewhere along the way, we became order takers.

Everybody wants the cheapest premiums for major medical. Yourvoluntary carrier is advertising their newest DI product, so that'swhat people ask for. It's easy to give them what they want withouttaking the time to find out if it's really what they need.

I'm a fan of benefits communication programs, but in many ways,I think they help devalue your role in the process.

My wife gets a Diet Coke at McDonald's every day. I sometimesfind myself in the drive-thru lane getting it for her. The personwho takes my order doesn't provide a unique service. If there wasan interactive menu that allowed me to select items and swipe mycard, I would order that way, and just “pull around to the secondwindow.” The human order taker provides little real value to thetransaction.

In fact, I just bought movie tickets on Fandango and haven'tplaced a call to Papa John's in years. I just click on the app andI'm done. No humans necessary.

When you and I become the order takers, we devalue our role. Noone needs an order taker, but everyone needs a professional whoconsults, guides, and helps them make the bestdecision.

When it comes to my family's security, I not only need a guide,I pray that guide knows their stuff. An app isn't much good tome.

Our challenge is to step up and take the role of professional.Instead of simply signing someone up because they saw a commercial,let's ask questions and find out what they need. It not only servesyour client and their employees, it makes you immeasurably valuableto them for years to come.