Make your interactions count. Personalize every experience. More than ever, consumers expect purchasing experiences — even conversations — to be relevant and tailored to their needs and objectives.

Don’t fall into the trap of using canned material or interactions. They’re a dead giveaway, and people will quickly recognize they’re not authentic. Instead, personalize your message.

Individualizing what and how you communicate is one key to personalizing your approach. Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all approach. In fact, as Yahoo CEO Melissa Mayer puts it, “To me, the future is personalization.” And so is the present.

Think about Amazon.com. Visit the site and you’re immediately recognized, then served up recommendations based on what Amazon knows about you from past interactions.

That’s where you come in. In the business of employee benefits, using a personalized approach with your employer clients and their employees is all about building and nurturing relationships — using what you know about your clients to make relevant recommendations.

What are the keys to personalizing the client experience? Here are a few.

Personalize, don’t just customize. You could offer a long list of options to your clients so they can choose what they think will work best. That’s customization. Or, you could shape what you offer based on the relationships you’ve built and what you know about your clients. The second option is your best bet if your goal is to meet your clients’ needs. Personalize what you recommend. And it’s OK if it ends up being a shorter list of more personalized options.
Bring analytics to life. Information is your ultimate sales tool. Use data — including information about a client’s industry, benefit goals, past purchasing history, employee population and demographics, and products currently offered — to adjust the way you work with your clients. You’ll be able to better meet their needs and fulfill their goals.
Nurture client relationships. Make transparency and responsiveness your priorities. Be accessible and provide direct, pertinent feedback. And meet with your clients face-to-face — speaking with them in person helps you discover new needs and opportunities as you work together to develop employee benefit strategies.
Eliminate the script. Make personal connections, and remember you’re working with people, not companies.
Include personalization capabilities in what you offer. Recommend employee benefit programs that incorporate the ability to personalize, such as solutions tailored to the company’s industry, location and size; personalized enrollment options; and local service specialists who can assist with your clients’ unique needs.

Whether it’s in the employee benefit products, services or systems you recommend, personalization can help to build an authentic connection with your clients. They expect nothing less.

Instant Insights /

5 ways brokers can personalize the client experience

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