Benefits brokers and consultants outline the numerous tactics they're taking to overcome objections due to the state of the economy and the uncertainty over how the provisions of the Affordable Care Act will be implemented—including the possibility that some or all of the provisions of the law might not be implemented at all if the individual mandate is deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Benefits professionals also explain how they combat standard roadblocks such as reticence to leave existing brokers or the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality. If prospects object to new services or existing clients want to cut services because their budgets are constrained in the tough economy, the most unethical thing a benefits professional can do is to give bad advice and try to convince them that more services would be better without first analyzing what actually might be best, says John Kelly, director of strategic partnerships for Ceridian's human resource and payroll businesses.

"It is fundamental not to give bad advice just to generate revenue," Kelly says. "We should help our clients prioritize their spending appropriately, for both today and for the future, because the lack of current investment can jeopardize future growth."