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My Transition from Employer-Paid to Voluntary Benefits
By Jim Haboush, Regional Sales Director, Southwest, Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions
Feb. 27, 2013
Transitioning from group to voluntary benefits can be an intimidating task. After years spent selling group benefits, jumping into the voluntary market certainly can make you feel a bit like a fish out of water. But, despite the uncertainty that comes with making any big transition, the experience can, and in my case, has, turned out to be quite rewarding.
Overcoming obstacles
I’ve spent nearly all my career selling employer -paid benefits, so the transition to “pure” voluntary has been quite a ride. I’ve noticed some brokers have a poor perception of voluntary products due to some bad experiences with big named carriers.
One broker in particular, Anne Sperling at Daniels Insurance, was skeptical, but once she learned more about voluntary benefits, and about Trustmark, she felt much more comfortable with our process and products and began to aggressively market them.
Realizing the Benefits
Anne’s biggest transition came when we found opportunities that required employee engagement and not just a product sale. Mixing a product like Critical Illness with a new high-deductible health plan not only provides a financial safety net for the employee and their family, but also gives the organization the ability to educate their employees on how it works and how best to utilize the new medical plan.
The key to a successful enrollment is tied to employee engagement, which drives participation. Positioning the importance of the engagement with a benefit counselor to the decision makers can make all the difference in the world on how an enrollment goes.
Undoubtedly, there is a lot to learn in making the transition to voluntary benefits. However, the change can be successful when you realize some of the advantages that voluntary has to offer. Gaining this knowledge, changing some of the ways we approach things and seeing how voluntary benefits can have a positive impact for clients was a rewarding experience for everyone involved.
Take a closer look
A case that Anne and I worked together for San Juan College perfectly illustrates Anne’s transition into the voluntary benefits market. It’s a great illustration of some of the hesitancies people face about jumping into the voluntary marketing and how moving past those hang ups can have wonderful rewards. I invite you to view the case study and consider some of the ways that working in voluntary can be a positive experience for yourself and your clients.
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