Potential customers are constantly asking “What's in it for me?” (or simply WIIFM). Sales people are taught about the “need sale” and the “greed sale.” And they're taught that greed is a more effective motivator. Greed is triggered by answering the customer's WIIFM and teaching the customer how they will benefit.

Traditionally, insurance has often been positioned in an altruistic light. We tell potential customers not to think of the benefit in terms of their own needs, but rather those of others. For example, life insurance depends on buyers who think of others first.

Today WIIFM seems to be a problematic concept in the benefits world. Younger buyers aren't embracing our products.

Millennial and Gen-X employees want lifestyle benefits that help them maintain their way of living. Products such as ID theft protection, legal services, employee purchasing benefits and pet insurance have risen in popularity as a result.

Meanwhile, many of us would say that disability income protection products should be seen as a foundational benefit by employees because, without paycheck protection, many things they take for granted will fall by the wayside. We often support this with statistics that indicate how likely a disability is for the average worker. But employees don't really identify with these statistics. They think disability income products are for older people or chronically ill people — but not them.

Unless there's a vigorous education campaign, supported by a very sales oriented enrollment, disability income products are unlikely to be seen as “must have” benefits by employees.

Perhaps we've been missing the boat in the way we present disability income products. Perhaps we should be emphasizing that they are, in fact, the ultimate lifestyle benefits. What other product helps employees maintain lifestyle as effectively as disability protection? What other product actually creates the money necessary to maintain a lifestyle?

Let's ask people if they want to maintain their lifestyle while recovering from accidents or illnesses that force them to be off from work instead of asking people how long they could get along without a paycheck.

Let's take advantage of the me generation's greatest interests. Let's tell them how we can help them afford what they like to buy even when they're not able to work. Let's illustrate the point with real-life stories about young people who have benefitted through income protection products. Let's teach them that disability income protection is their ultimate “me benefit.”

Instant Insights /

This is the ultimate &lsquo;me benefit&rsquo;

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This is the ultimate ‘me benefit’