Panelists Dennis Hartin, Jim Blachek, Marcy Heath and Ben Connor offered their perspectives on how brokers can “filter out the noise.” (Photo: Thomas Phillips/ALM)

Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, arguably the most successful franchise in the National Football League, applies a number of mantras into his coaching philosophy. One mantra, “Ignore the Noise,” is sure to resonate with brokers and advisors. In a market filled with countless options and constant sales pitches, what can brokers and advisors do to pick the right carrier, payroll processor, vendor or whatever it is they're looking for? During a panel moderated by Eric Silverman at the recent BenefitsPRO Broker Expo, Ben Connor, Marcy Heath, Jim Blachek and Dennis Hartin offered their perspectives. Here are three key takeaways on how brokers can “filter out the noise.”

Unplug

While social media is considered a must in today's marketplace, it can also become a distraction. Heath, founder and owner of Inoventive Solutions, said keeping up with all of the various platforms can have an adverse effect when current and potential clients can reach out through each and every medium.

Hartin, founder and president of Hartin Dynamics, warned that “social media has been a huge resource” but “it can suck a lot of your time.” An unread email could hold a gem for a broker or advisor, but there's only so much time in the day, so social media should be filtered for noise. But just as important is embracing social media because it's not going away, said Silverman, founder and owner of Voluntary Disruption, a division of Silverman Benefits Group.

Don't waste time

Brokers and advisors need to allocate their time carefully. Offers from vendors are unlikely to be in short supply, making the need to filter them out by value a necessity. Blachek, principal and owner of The Benefits Group, says if a product offering looks and sounds like everything else, then he's not going to take the time to talk to them. If there is a unique proposition to a product, he delegates it to a team member to vet it value. With time being in short supply, Hartin looks for transparency and authenticity when working with others to know his time isn't being wasted.

Focus on efficient

Filtering out the noise is all about efficiency. There are a number of tools and technologies that bolster efficiency as a broker or for clients. While reliance on technology has only accelerated in recent years, Blachek finds the human touch to be just as effective. He sends a personal, handwritten note to everyone he meets with. “Don't become so enamored with technology that we forget that we're all people,” Blachek advised.

Silverman employs a similar practice, saying it's all about standing out. Aside from LinkedIn, Connor, CEO of Connor Insurance, says being in lockstep communication with vendors and delegating responsibilities has taken efficiency to the next level.

“Everybody has a struggle with getting bombarded with vendors in tech and carriers and everybody saying they're great,” Silverman said, so brokers and advisors need to assess how to determine what is a distraction, what is worth their time and what can enable them to be more efficient. With a clear identity that is moving in the desired direction, brokers and advisors will be one step closer to success—but first they've got to filter out the noise.

Read more of our Expo coverage:

• Broker Expo keynote: How to create your S-T-A-M-P
• Meeting with the C-Suite: Don't mention health insurance
• Knowing your worth, and other strategies for brokers to build their businesses