At its core, a benefits agency is a sales organization. The other agency transformation areas—portfolio, marketing, and management—exist solely to support the agency's sales efforts. A 21st century portfolio provides the tools a consultative broker needs to solve client problems, bring massive value, and generate additional revenue streams. 21st century marketing supports the sales function by promoting to prospects the agency's value proposition as a problem solver and by communicating to clients the tremendous added value that the agency brings to the client. 21st century management ensures that the promises made by the sales team are fulfilled fully and promptly. Additionally, 21st century management demands high performance, productivity and return-on-investment from both the agency's producers and its administrative staff to maximize top-line revenue and bottom-line profit. But it all begins with selling…consultative selling.

In my Benefits Selling Expo session, "The Winning Hand: Move to Consultative Selling," I'll reveal four simple steps to becoming consultative in your selling. Plus, you'll discover how to:

• Refocus yourself to become almost totally client-oriented;

• Ask the right questions to discover the client's pain points, wants and needs;

• Create an emotional demand in the client for your solution;

• Differentiate yourself in a way that most brokers can never compete with;

• Take control of the broker/client relationship, lock in accounts, and cross-sell with ease.

Instant Insights /

The power of consultative selling

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