Ancillary Benefits: Earn More Commission through Consultative Selling

Are you an insurance broker who has seen your commissions drop due to the Affordable Care Act and health insurance providers’ new policies? Struggling with falling commissions and uncertainty about the future of the industry, two years ago 49 percent of insurance brokers were thinking about leaving the industry, while 67 percent said they knew someone who had, according to the Aflac Workforces Report for Brokers.

Finding Profits in Ancillary Benefits

But for those who stayed the course,. Your customers will love ancillary benefits like vision, dental, life, and enhanced disability insurance because it gives them an “extra” to provide to their employees in the face of healthcare cuts. And you will like ancillary benefits for the added commissions and multi-line discounts that make it easier for you to purchase these products from one carrier, saving your customers money and streamlining paperwork and administrative costs for you.

Consultative Selling: The Key to Ancillary Benefits Sales

But it’s important to remember these benefits don’t sell themselves, and a consultative approach is a proven method to closing more deals. Rather than the traditional features-and-benefits approach, consultative selling is a more active sales technique. Initially, it may take some time to establish trust and get your customers onboard with your recommendations. But once you’ve established that relationship, it’s easy to sell them the ancillary benefits to meet their needs and budget and nurture the  relationship through continued service.

How To Shift to Consultative Selling

Consultative selling focuses on identifying your client’s needs and choosing the solution that meets those needs best. “Consultative selling means brokers will need to show that they have a high level of knowledge about the product,” writes Jeff Kolesar in an article published at LifeHealthPro.com.  “That knowledge will create a bond between the buyer and seller allowing brokers to recommend ancillary options once the big medical decision has been made.”

Although healthcare insurance has become difficult and complicated to sell, ancillary benefits haven’t changed in recent years. The options remain straightforward and profitable. It’s all a matter of learning about the different carrier choices and finding the bundled plan that appeals to each customer. With that difficult step done, the insurance sells itself because your client already trusts your recommendation. But how do you get to that point when you’re already strapped for time and trying to make bigger insurance sales, faster? That’s where your insurance wholesaler comes in.

It’s All About the Service

Consultative selling is all about the service you provide as a knowledgeable insurance consultant (hence the name…) for your customers. In his article on ancillary benefits, Kolesar writes, “I recommend leveraging your carrier expertise, where possible. If brokers are strapped for time, they should partner with a carrier that’s equipped to step in and answer questions.”

At DBL Center Ltd., we provide the knowledge of not just one, but multiple carriers, so you can give your customers more options and better prices. We serve as your back office, shopping the various carriers to find the best plans to offer your customers. We share our knowledge. You establish trust through that knowledge and then sell the products. We all win. Your customers get the ancillary benefits they want, we provide white-glove service, and you cash the big commission checks.

Start cashing larger commission checks right away with ancillary benefits:
Get the white glove service you deserve with DBL Center Ltd.