“We have had to expand our core consulting as we're having to get more creative in helping our clients strategize and control costs now more than ever before. We've been very successful in thinking outside of the box and our employers appreciate fresh new ideas that a short time ago they may not have been willing to consider. We are having success with things like voluntary benefits, onsite clinics, telehealth, medical tourism, PBM consulting, referenced based reimbursement and many others.”

– Danny Talley, senior vice president, HUB International Insurance Services Inc.

“Here are a couple of things we are doing to stay relevant:

  1. Get paid for your advice: We are consulting like crazy. Don't want to sign a BOR? Not a problem; but I'm not going to work for free. As my mama always told me, if you don't value your time, no one else will.

  2. The millennials are invading: So, I've hired a rock star producer that is 25 and speaks their language. For millennials, mentoring and feeling imporant is huge. For example, we've started doing “how to” videos where I record my screen and show clients how to do a doctor search.”

– Susan Combs, owner of brokerage Combs & Company

“The average age of insurance agents is in their mid 50s, so I am traveling all over the United States teaching both new and older agents how to use social media, technology and free Internet tools to sell insurance over the phone.”

– Robert J. Russell, Robert J Russell Companies, 2015 Broker of the Year Finalist

“The mentality of just being a broker to your clients is obsolete. Showing up once a year for open enrollment with coffee and donuts and then disappearing behind the curtain for 12 months is no longer acceptable. Employers and consumers demand more. It's no longer just about benefits. As a trusted advisor we must go beyond insurance and consider how we can provide innovation and support the business of our clients. My goal is to develop a cost mitigating and sustainable long term strategy to attract develop and retain key talent for my clients.”

– Jack Tartaro, Human Capital Practice Consultant

“For us, it's personal. In light of the changing face of the benefits industry we are expanding our operation, not shrinking it. With hundreds of clients who already know and trust us we've expanded from the core company FirstWest Benefit Solution to add four other divisions over the last few years: Retirement Solutions, Wealth Management Solutions, Human Resource Solutions and Risk Management Solutions.

Our passionate and collaborative team is dedicated to delivering the best solution. And we do that by nurturing relationships built on trust, communication and performance. We are looking to become a strategic partner, not vendors. It's our personal touch and genuine care that creates enduring relationships.”

– Lyle G. Swenson, benefit consultant

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Paul Wilson

Paul Wilson is the editor-in-chief of BenefitsPRO Magazine and BenefitsPRO.com. He has covered the insurance industry for more than a decade, including stints at Retirement Advisor Magazine and ProducersWeb.