(Photo: Shutterstock)

"Just tell me what I can do to help."  You are an insurance or benefits professional working with business owners. Many of them like you and admire your professionalism. Because you take an interest in their business, they want you to succeed in your business too. They may not be aware of the ways they can help you build your book of business while you and they are helping others,

|
  1. What other insurance products do they buy? They do business with competitors. This can overlap the insurance and benefits space. Your firm will know what they buy from you and might know what they buy elsewhere. Your firm might have provided other products in the past. Find out what else they buy. When are those contracts up for renewal? Can you compete for some of the business?
  2. What other areas of the firm buy your products? Their firm might be owned by a parent company. Your client might own and operate a franchise. Certain products and services are bought through the home office. Others are sourced locally. Can they refer you to their counterpart in another division or to fellow franchise owners?
  3. What services does the firm buy on a national level? Your client might buy some services, but not others. Why? Because the parent company supplies them centrally. Can your firm compete for the national contract? That might be "above your pay grade" but if you can help get the firm a national account, it could be very rewarding to you.
  4. What products or services are new and improved? Your firm might only pay you on new business you book, even if the client is paying fees or premiums annually on products they bought from you earlier. Is there a new and improved version with more features? Would this translate into more benefits for their employees? Should they upgrade?
  5. What happened to their predecessor? People move around in the industry. Sometimes everyone moves up a rung on the corporate ladder. This means everyone has benefited, including the person who left. Did they take a job with another firm? If they are on good terms with their former boss, they might be able to provide an introduction.
  6. What professional groups have they joined? Your clients stretch across a few geographic territories. Many HR and benefits professionals belong to industry groups. They might belong to different chambers of commerce. You are a benefits professional. You have a story to tell. Can they book you in as a speaker?
  7. Can they introduce you to their accountant? The need you address for your client is a need at many other businesses too. If the business is small, they might work with an outside local accountant. The accountant works with other business owners too. If you get an introduction and can get the message across you are honest and ethical, the accountant might refer business in your direction.
  8. Are there other business owners in their family? When you work in the corporate world, you often assume everyone else does too. They might come from an entrepreneurial family. The family business might have divided in two over the years. Are they related to any business owners they could introduce to you.
|

Related: How current clients can help you get new business

There are many ways good clients can help you, once you think beyond the obvious. How many have you discussed with your good clients?

Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, "Captivating the Wealthy Investor" is available on Amazon.

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to BenefitsPRO, part of your ALM digital membership.

Your access to unlimited BenefitsPRO content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:

  • Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Bryce Sanders

Bryce Sanders, president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc., has provided training for the financial services industry on high-net-worth client acquisition since 2001. He trains financial professionals on how to identify prospects within the wealthiest 2%-5% of their market, where to meet and socialize with them, how to talk with wealthy people and develop personal relationships, and how to transform wealthy friends into clients. Bryce spent 14 years with a major financial services firm as a successful financial advisor, two years as a district sales manager and four years as a home office manager. He developed personal relationships within the HNW community through his past involvement as a Trustee of the James A. Michener Art Museum, Board of Associates for the Bucks County Chapter of the Fox Chase Cancer Center, Board of Trustees for Stevens Institute of Technology and as a church lector. Bryce has been published in American City Business Journals, Barrons, InsuranceNewsNet, BenefitsPro, The Register, MDRT Round the Table, MDRT Blog, accountingweb.com, Advisorpedia and Horsesmouth.com. In Canada, his articles have appeared in Wealth Professional. He is the author of the book “Captivating the Wealthy Investor.”