The next handful of columns also covered topics still vital today, including:

• "Why would my employees buy your products?" analyzed why voluntary products represent the best financial security solution for most workers. The closing paragraph stated: "The answer to why would employees buy voluntary benefits is: They need the coverage, and they are not getting answers to their needs elsewhere. Market studies have consistently indicated that employees like the triple convenience of access to products at the workplace, simple underwriting, and the relatively painless process of paying premiums via payroll deduction."
• "What's in it for the employer?" discussed the benefits employers realize by offering voluntary plans, including employee satisfaction, filling gaps in employer-provided plans, and including value-added services to help employers communicate.
• "Why should I give you my business?" focused on the employer's decision-making process. The most effective technique is to present comparisons of value that go beyond product specifics like features and price. The most useful comparisons tell how the program is going to be administered, including the supporting technology, methods of paper-free employee communication and enrollment, billing support and claims processes.
• "Create success through ethics" covered do's and don'ts of preparing presentations. Ethical sales behavior is a great way to build customer loyalty. Putting customers' best interests first and making ethical presentations is among today's biggest issues.

My favorite article from that first year, though, was probably one that espoused using analytics, as described in "Moneyball," to gain a better understanding of the factors which drive success in the benefits market. And of course, today's ability to collect and organize data is a very contemporary topic.