Over the years, service has been key to differentiating businesses in many industries, from automotive to retail to hospitality. With a growing number of options for the customer, service is often one of the best ways to truly set yourself apart from your competition. The modern-day benefits broker is no different.

The role of today's benefits broker is much more consultative than it's been in the past. With more players in the insurance market and expectations higher than ever before in terms of technology and administration, listening and providing thoughtful counsel to customers about all their options is critical.

A big part of this consultative approach includes the level of service you provide. Nowadays, service can mean different things to different people. But I believe there are a number of key ways you can provide outstanding service as a means of enhancing and growing your relationships with your customers while building a profitable business.

Related: 10 tips to improve your customer service

First and foremost, be responsive. This is something I've prided myself on over the course of my career. The key is setting a consistent expectation and adhering to it. Do you want to respond to customer questions and requests within a couple of hours? Or, is 24 hours more reasonable? By the end of the day? Whatever timeframe you land on, just know that responsiveness matters. When a customer knows they can count on you when it matters most, that goes a long way in building and sustaining lasting relationships. In some cases, you won't have an immediate solution to your customer's request. But, in my experience, that customer wants to hear from you and wants to know you're working on it. Responsiveness matters.

I also believe persistence pays off. Your customers are busy. They are in back-to-back meetings, traveling for work and face the same demands and deadlines you do. All of these things add up to a hectic workday. Always be persistent and follow up with your customers. For example, make sure you follow up a few times to get the customer's approval and sign-off on those key documents you sent last week. Be persistent without being bothersome. If you have customers who rarely reach out, make a point to check in with those customers regularly, even if it's just a quick phone call. For those customers who never seem to have enough time, make sure you're setting strict agendas for your meetings and be intentional about how you use your customer's time. Your persistence in staying on track and on a schedule will ultimately pay big dividends.

In my experience I've always found that forming a personal connection with customers helps establish long-term, trusted relationships. I personally have been very fortunate and have seen instances where my colleagues work with multiple generations of a family brokerage house, of relationships that begin as businesses and evolve into friendships. This, of course, is a gradual process, but it starts with showing a genuine interest in your customer.

In addition to demonstrating knowledge of their business and specific marketplace, make it a point to learn about their life outside of work — their families and outside interests. You might even be surprised with how much you have in common with your customers. I recommend approaching every customer relationship with the thought that it will ultimately be long-term. Forming a personal connection with your customer is a crucial first step.

Finally, I believe listening with intent has always been an underrated skill. So many people miss out on this simple, yet hugely impactful, skill. I find many people hear what customers are saying in a meeting, but very few are listening and fewer yet are listening with intent. If you want to establish yourself as a true service leader, start listening with intent and you'll find your counsel will be much more effective.

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, differentiating yourself is key. There's still no better way to do that than to focus on service. A broker who's focused on service is an advocate for his customer, is always one step ahead of his customers and their questions, and will consistently go above and beyond what's expected.

If you embrace the qualities, skills and ideas above, I believe you will see sustained success. Service is important. I've seen it many times over the course of my career, especially in my current role. If you thoughtfully and strategically embrace responsiveness, persistency, forming personal connections and listening with intent, you too can become a service leader in our industry.

Alex Moral is the Senior Vice President of Trustmark Voluntary Benefits. Alex initially joined Trustmark in July 2006 as Vice President and Actuary. Prior to joining Trustmark, Alex worked for American United Life, Horace Mann Life, GE and AIG. He has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of the Philippines and a master's degree in actuarial science from Ball State University.