For many small business owners, purchasing benefits in the pasthad been about fulfilling a specific need, and benefits were oftencookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all solutions.

Related: 5 eays to start the small business benefitsconversation

Today, as the concerns of businesses and employees evolve, sotoo must employee benefits and those who help business owners makethis important investment. Small business owners are constantlypressed for time, very close to their work, and sometimes hesitantto divulge confidential information.

But this difficult-to-reach group does respond positively topartnership — external support that feels genuine, knowledgeable,and in tune with their business needs, which shows that brokershave an opportunity to demonstrate their value to small businessowners.

Employee benefits is one area in which brokers can showcase thisvalue. Nearly 8 in 10 small business owners consider benefitsextremely important for employee retention andproductivity, and increasing employee loyalty, satisfaction, andproductivity are among the top five priorities for small businessbenefits programs, according to MetLife’s 14th Annual U.S. EmployeeBenefit Trends Study.

Related: Answering the largest challenges of smallbusinesses

In a recent white paper, Three Things Small Business Owners Don’t AlwaysTell Their Benefits Brokers, we explored what irks smallbusiness owners and shared our thoughts on how best to make genuineconnections over matters like employee benefits. Let’s review thesespecifics and insights from real small business owners and experts:

Get informed about prospective clients’ business needs

Small business owners and employers often operate in the worldof “niche,” and they appreciate it when external vendors make aneffort to understand both the broader trends affecting theirindustry and the more narrow issues impacting their particularbusiness model.

So, read up on a prospect by doing more industry- andcompany-specific research (such as reviewing their website),understanding their problems and positioning yourself to add themost value to every interaction.

Kelly Riggs, president and founder of Business LockerRoom, asales coaching and leadership consulting firm quoted in our whitepaper, sums it up: “Business owners want to do business with peoplewho have done their homework.”

Treat prospects like partners

Brokers who become and remain knowledgeable about small businesstrends will have an easier time approaching small business ownersas partners.

Elicia Putnam, former owner of a small ad agency and now founderof the Portland-based Brand Genie, an online brand and logogenerator, is quoted in our white paper saying, “I would love ifsomeone came to me and said, ‘Here’s the issues we’ve seen withother agencies like yours and here’s how we helped them savemoney.’”

Don’t waste a small business owner’s time

Small business owners’ time is at a premium, because they are soinvolved in most aspects of their business. There is not muchattention left for benefit-related issues, but this actuallycreates an opportunity for brokers to help improve the internalprocesses and programs at a small business.

For small business owners, time is money — so make the best useof yours and theirs during any interaction by securing insightsthat inform strategic planning for business growth. And considerputting aside conventional methods of client cultivation for thesepeople whose businesses cannot afford for them to be absent. Putnamtold us, “Oftentimes sales people or service providers would offerto take me out to lunch just to meet, and I hated that.”

Employee benefits are an investment in future success

Many larger employers invest in benefits for the long haul, butsome small business owners consider decisions about benefitsone-off occurrences. The successful broker helps small businessowners see benefits as one part of a strategic vision for futuregrowth and success, rather than one item to check off the to-dolist.

Consider developing a relationship with small business clientsthat moves beyond the transactional and toward a substantialpartnership. David Niu, founder and CEO of TINYpulse, a Seattle-based employee retention and engagement software company, says hewants his benefits broker to be a partner who helps him “understandwhat we should be looking out for as we continue to growaggressively.”

Understandably, small business owners are hesitant to share muchinformation with brokers they consider generic salespeople. It isthe broker’s responsibility to approach prospective small businessclients with relevant and strategic insights about how benefitprograms support the overall growth and future development of theirbusiness.

This genuine approach is defined by the trust and mutualunderstanding that results from self-educating, encouragingpartnerships, respecting a business owner’s time, and showcasingwhat choosing benefits today means for the businesstomorrow.