Re-enrollment is the "bird-in-hand" opportunity that can get lostamid the focus paid to new product sales. (Photo:Shutterstock)

You've made the sale and the employer has said, "Yes, let's addthe newly proposed voluntary benefit." But of course, we haven'tsold anything until we get employees to elect. The most successfulbrokers make sure that when selling a product into a case, theyinclude the enrollment method to be used.

Regardless of which method is employed, there are a couple ofoverarching factors that are important to the successfulinstallation of a voluntary program—but often wind up being anafterthought.

Related: Voluntary benefits: Control theconversation

Bonnie Brazzell and Nick Rockwell,Eastbridge Consulting Group, Inc.

The first steps toward success will come from the benefitscommunication strategy. The Eastbridge Enrollment Practices ofVoluntary Carriers Spotlight Report found several standardpractices in enrollment communication. Among them is thoughtfulconsideration for the type of employee population being enrolled;utilization of multiple touchpoints and multiple mediums; andbeginning communications at least 30 days in advance of theenrollment.

Effectively employing these best practices requires a concertedenrollment strategy and an agreement to working conditions betweencarrier, producer and employer. The growing trend of employerinterest in having personalized employee-level communication addscomplexity to pre-enrollment communications.

Another area of growing importance surrounds the out years foran installed product. What will be the approach to re-enrollment inthe following year? Re-enrollment is the "bird-in-hand" opportunitythat can get lost amid the focus paid to new product sales. It'simportant to understand that some carriers leave more of theresponsibilities of re-enrollment to the broker, while others ownmuch of the process themselves.

Additionally, the same report found that more than half ofvoluntary carriers have some additional layers of case review forre-enrollment. These may include underwriting approval, EOIrequirements, or alternate enrollment methods. More carriers arenow open to additional guaranteed-issue offers at subsequent annualenrollments. Being in tune with a carrier's re-enrollment approachcan help you better predict a product's growth potential beyond theinitial open enrollment.

Aim to launch your cases with a highly integrated communicationstrategy that supports a robust initial enrollment. Then, couplethat launch plan with a solid expectation for how a carrier'sre-enrollment strategy will influence case growth. This combinationwill be essential to getting the most from a sale.