Human behavior and employee benefits

Let's look at a few examples of how humans are human. These are general statements, and may not apply to everyone. But think about how these behavioral factors might affect your efforts to bring clients to a decision about employee benefits.

• People tend to react to an emotional push.

• People like being part of a club and knowing what others are doing.

• People want reinforcement that they are making the right choices from people like them.

• People like to follow a step-by-step process or, in some cases, even be told what to do.

• People would prefer to keep doing something familiar rather than make a choice to do something new (even if it's the right thing to do).

• People want simple and people want quick. Too many choices—and too much information—can shut people down.

Quick tips

What can you do to help guide client decisions? You can make a conscious effort to operate according to the principles of behavioral economics—and it doesn't have to be difficult. The principles can actually be rather intuitive, which means some who draw on them may not even know they're doing so.

Put yourself in your clients' shoes. Consider how you'd like to be communicated with, and then use these tips to better communicate with your clients.

1. Use authentic language — Connect with your clients. Steer clear of jargon, and be positive and transparent. Appeal to emotions, and remember that people want to do the right thing.

2. Keep it simple — Be clear and use easy-to-follow steps in verbal and written communications. Don't complicate it with education or too much detail.