Salesmen aren’t what they use to be.
At one point in time, a salesman’s sole job was to sell or promote commercial products either in a store or visiting locations to get orders. Once the purchase was made, you never saw or heard from that salesman again. The door-to-door peddler comes to mind or the used car dealer—someone is known for their ability to fast-talk a customer and close the deal.
But with the age of the internet and vast expanses of information available globally—everyone connected through some form of social media platform—those days are, fortunately, all but over.
By today’s standards, by the time we walk on the car lot—if, in fact, we do walk onto the lot in person, rather than virtually—we have already checked numerous consumer guides, participated in chat rooms, and spoken socially through many networks to gather opinions. So walking onto that lot has morphed into not what can you ‘sell’ me, because I’ve already decided to buy, but what am I getting over and above the car I’m purchasing?
Today, as an insurance broker, I don’t ‘sell’ employee group benefits. I offer clients the opportunity to work with someone who will cut through the jargon and communicate both to their management team and the employees on what they are getting, how best to access their plan, make claims, and give them an avenue to call someone when things don’t go the way they thought it would. As a benefit broker, I am now a problem solver—someone who understands issues happen and real-time thinking is imperative to long-term solutions, hence the long-term client relationship. Not only do my clients expect to converse with me, but I expect a certain amount of ongoing contact with my clients, building and growing relationships, grounded in respect and trust.
Because benefits are a group of individual insurance products, grouped together for the overall benefit of a group of people, linked financially through their employer—due to all of those variables, problems constantly occur and working with someone who will work with you to synthesize information to achieve a benefit program your employees will value and appreciate is paramount.
May we never return to the days where you saw the salesman only once.
I look forward to continuing to service your needs as they arise.
Disclaimer: Please note that the information provided, while authoritative, is not guaranteed for accuracy and legality. The site is read by a world-wide audience and employment, taxation, legal vary accordingly. Please seek legal, accounting and human resources counsel from qualified professionals to make certain your legal/accounting/compliance interpretation and decisions are correct for your location. This information is for guidance, ideas, and assistance.
