The latest Aflac WorkForces Report claimed 51 percent of brokers “are only slightly, or not at all confident about the future of their firm and their industry.” For those who haven't diversified their product lines, moved more into services, increased fee income, or moved into voluntary in a big way, they should be concerned.

Many point to Obamacare and its potential impact on medical commissions as the culprit. And while it's true most brokers have only recently heeded the well-publicized changes, the larger trends have been visible since the turn of the century.

One picture of benefits, taken late last year, showed that traditional employer-paid benefits represented a minority of current offerings, with most employers having already moved to voluntary/contributory designs. In this sample, employer-paid plans represent no more than 36 percent of any benefit. Only the ostriches didn't see this coming.

The Aflac data suggests panic is setting in among many brokers. Whether that's true or not, it's undisputable most traditional benefit brokers haven't really seized the voluntary opportunity. While more than 95 percent of these brokers report they have voluntary products in their portfolio, it turns out many of them sell very little, or only sell in defensive situations.

By one measure, less than 30 percent of these brokers have truly integrated voluntary into their account-selling strategy. It's probably a safe bet that those 30 percent are not among the 51 percent who responded to the Aflac survey. The?30 percent pounced on the opportunity, one that appears to present a greater opportunity than the traditional employer-paid lines of business. These brokers are the panthers among us.

The good news is that it's not too late to make the transition. But for many of these people, partnering will probably have to be an integral part of their entry strategy. And the good news is that today, a broker can partner for any capability or resource she lacks internally.

All that's needed is the will, the will to move from ostrich to panther.

Instant Insights /

Are you the ostrich or the panther?

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