“What do you do for a living?” asks the neighbor. “I destroy relationships” replies the salesman.
By Bill Rusteberg
“What do you do for a living?” asks the neighbor. “I destroy relationships” replies the salesman.
Sales is a competitive business. Rarely is it a created sale. Rather, it’s a replacement sale. “My product / service outperforms anything else in the market!” Or “let me show you how we can save you more money, 50% more, by working with me!”
I’ve destroyed hundreds of relationships in my 40+ years in the insurance business. And, sad to say, I’ve had the same done to me many times over, especially in the early years. But fortunately I’ve been vaccinated so many times I’ve become essentially immune.
Today I was reminded again our business is really all about destroying relationships. A high profile client of ours who is constantly approached by various insurance vendors on a weekly basis received yet another cold call email from an eager salesman with a compelling offer. As a matter of routine, all inquiries like this are referred to me for vetting. Today was no different:
Plan Sponsor to Cold Calling Insurance Person:
Very interesting. Please work through our consultant whom I have copied here.
Cold Calling Insurance Person:
I appreciate the update and response. It is hard to explain over an email so I hope I will get the following information across to in a way that is clear to understand.
Yes, we are able to work with other brokers, advisors, and consultants on employee benefits as a Third Party Administrator. We are also able to help organizations as an insurance broker or benefits consultant.
Our clients find significant value in keeping their benefit administration tasks with us as their broker because we ensure it’s effectiveness, minimizes challenges created by too many moving parts, eliminates the need to hire 3rd Party vendors, and it also drives down cost by not having to pay the costs associated with services like COBRA admin.
We are unique in the brokerage/consulting/TPA space and we are structured to make the most impact when working with groups in all aspects of employee benefits but I certainly understand if that is not an option.
Having said that, I will be happy to present this strategy that drives down employee medical claims by 50% and improves their family’s access to primary care physicians, telemedicine, and (Name Redacted) Urgent Care Centers. This in turn drives down costs, aggregate factors, and it increases employees health and wellness.
But before that is done, we need the opportunity to introduce ourselves and discuss this topic face to face before we start to work with your consultant.
There are a few reasons why we would need to meet with you first before we go through that process that I will be happy to explain on our meeting, and there is no obligation to change or do anything.
Our mission is to assist employers/employees in fixing the number #1 issue facing Americans, and that is their employer sponsored healthcare plan. Because at the end of the day, it’s about the employers and employees who have been getting a raw deal over the past decade because of the hyperinflation in healthcare markets.
Even when employers aren’t willing to change, we are still trying to share our valuable ideas with them. They can even take these solutions to their current agent or broker but we only do that in good faith in the hopes of getting to have a legitimate opportunity to discuss how we can help in all aspects of benefits. By sharing these strategies with competitors, it helps us to meet our ultimate or eventual purpose/goal which is to help Americans get quality healthcare without overspending. Because at the end of the day, it’s about the employers and employees who have been getting a raw deal over the past decade and a half
NOTE: If the vendor in question reads this blog entry (as he will know it’s his email verbatim) please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. You may end up building a relationship rather than destroying one.
