Winter 2007 / No. 70
Enrollment: selling vs. advising
The evidence clearly indicates that American workers want more
than a sales pitch; they want advice about their voluntary choices
and options.
At a simplistic level, the “selling” function includes
presenting, closing, applying, and completing related forms.
And as we’ve discussed in previous issues, advising involves
understanding the needs of the buyer and tailoring solutions
that respond to those needs. Again, we now know that buyers understand
the need for the first, but want the second. They want more than
data, more than descriptions, more than calculations. They want
to be heard and understood.
We also know that there has been a lot of progress on the selling
function with call center, Internet, and laptop systems while
there has been relatively little movement on developing better
advisory services, even though there is a strong theoretical
advantage to building such capabilities. Experimentation with
advice remains the playground of some forward-thinking brokers
and a couple of enlightened carriers. But in general, little
has happened.
At the least, we should recognize that advice is desired, even
if we are not going to fulfill that desire. And as we think about
enrollment, we should ask about both functions: selling and advising.
They don’t have to be done by the same methodology or at
the same time. Advice can be delivered face-to-face while the
selling can be done on-line (or vice versa).
But over time, ignoring the need for advice will only increase
the business risks we face.
To see how Eastbridge can help you build an effective and
differentiating enrollment strategy, call us at (860) 676-9633. |
