Editor's note: Be sure to read the other articles in this series:

• 3 ways to up your benefits communication game
• Your broker peers are embracing the new normal. Are you?

It's a common scenario: Open enrollment is fast approaching, and you're waiting…and waiting…and waiting…for your clients' renewals to be finalized. Then finally, the day comes when your clients approve their plan designs, and all of a sudden it's a scramble to figure out the rest of the year. What's your plan for open enrollment? How will you educate employees on benefits changes? How will you make sure employees are actually using their benefits throughout the year?

We've all been there. But as benefits consulting is becoming more competitive than ever and we're all looking for new ways to prove our value, I'm here to argue that all those dead hours you spent waiting could've been put to better use.

Why? Because while you waited for your clients to get back to you, you could've been proactively preparing your benefits communication strategy for the year. Remember, you don't need a decision to put a plan in place, and if you're waiting for renewals to figure out how you're going to educate employees throughout the year, you're already too late.