BIP Spring 2025

The difference between success and missed opportunities A lack of coachability can turn a perfect setup into a costly mistake. Here’s why trusting the process matters. By Eric Silverman

taxes and then tells them how to do it. Nor does anyone micro manage a mechanic. There’s a method to the madness. Be coachable. People who are not coachable take advice, nod their heads and tell you what you want to hear. And then, sadly, do the exact opposite. That will never set up a success ful partnership.

A while back, I had an hour long call with a broker looking to increase voluntary revenue. We laid the groundwork for our collaboration, and both of us were enthusiastic. Then came the first test: a case with all the makings of a guaranteed success. The company was unhappy with its voluntary carrier and sought a change. We presented a dual carrier, best-in-class strategy with enhanced benefits at half the incumbent’s cost. By tran sitioning them to other well known, A-rated carriers, the solution seemed like a win. Our initial strategy setup is virtual. The adviser typically ar ranges a call with the employer, during which we present directly to the client via screenshare. While the broker agreed to this approach, he decided at the last moment to go it alone. We reminded him of our initial discussion, revisiting what works and what doesn’t. From experience, we’ve found that 99.9% of the time, ask ing a traditional health broker to master the intricacies of enhanced benefits is a challenge. Without specialized knowledge, they often struggle with common sales objections that arise when presenting a tailored enhanced

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benefits strategy. You can guess what happened. The broker went ahead on his own but couldn’t handle the employer’s questions or objec tions. The employer ultimately stuck with its carrier. We invested time, but the real loss was the broker’s. He missed a golden opportunity to help his client, its employees, himself and us. Instead, he prevented us from doing what we specialize in — the very reason he hired us. Being coachable No one hires a CPA to do their Eric Silverman owns Voluntary Disruption, a non-medical employee benefits technology, communications and engagement firm with in-house distribution and enrollment capabilities that serve advisors, brokers and consultants.

Asking a traditional health broker to master the intricacies of enhanced benefits is a challenge.

I’ve learned to say no to busi ness that won’t work as a part nership. Brokers who are stuck in their ways of doing things and block us from any contact with a group end up being a point of stress that ultimately blocks groups from getting the best benefits strategy. So, I po litely say we wouldn’t be a good fit for each other and move on. There’s no such thing as being 99% coachable. You’re either all in, or you’re not. That 1% resistance where you disagree with the subject-matter expert is often the difference between a sure thing and a slammed door.

Spring 2025 bip magazine 21