In the era of the Affordable Care Act, coupled with the rapid pace of expanding technology, the function of the healthcare broker has had to expand to maintain a sustainable base of clients and to attract potential clients.

Now, in addition to thoroughly understanding and communicating the ins and outs of your plans, you as a broker should consider broadening your preparation for client meetings.

Let’s look at three ways to prepare for client meetings.

Initial meetings with potential clients

What’s a broker’s role, anyway?

Assuming that you are meeting with a small business client who has no personnel dedicated to employee benefits, ask the client how familiar he or she is with the role of insurance brokers.

Even if the client has used a broker in the past, be prepared to reinforce the benefits of using your services for insurance coverage:

• You are a liaison between the carriers and smaller employers, yes, but come prepared to speak specifically about the scope of your role: pricing packages for coverage; explanations of benefits to employees; and solving coverage, cost, and time issues for small businesses.
• Discuss ways you add value beyond the standard role of brokers, such as: managing the mounds of paperwork involved in coverage and claims, assisting employees if a claim is denied, and even assisting the client with compliance issues.
• Talk about the pitfalls if no broker or agent is involved in the company’s selection of health insurance plans. This can include negotiation issues with carriers, employee confusion, and more.

What to prepare to reinforce in every client meeting

How accessible are you?

Small business clients want to spend their time on their product or service, not benefits. The clients want to be able to rely on you to act as a substitute employee benefits manager. Accessibility becomes a key issue.

• Come to the meeting prepared to be flexible about your availability. Consider being available to work outside regular business hours if that better meets your clients’ needs.
• Offer multiple ways to assist employees directly if that is what the client needs.
• Advances in technology make it possible to hold a meeting using Skype or a similar webcam-based device embedded in smart phones and on computers. Let the client know that you are happy to employ this technology to schedule meetings more conveniently for the client and/or their employees.
• Be sure that your website is up to date. Introduce clients to your website with an on-site demo that walks them through the ways that your website can make their job easier—for example, by answering an employee’s insurance questions, outlining steps for a claim, or solving one of the company’s coverage issues.

Help clients plan for future coverage

What happens if my business needs change?

Small business staff are focused on staying profitable and sustainable. You can assist them by relieving them of the burden of worrying about future issues related to health insurance coverage.

• Come prepared to discuss how your service as a broker and your insurance plans can continue to support the needs of the company and its employees, as well as the constantly changing landscape of healthcare coverage.
• Let clients know how annual re-enrollments work. And, encourage them to review their company’s health insurance coverage needs annually, ideally before re-enrollment time, so that the plans offered during the new enrollment period continue to be tailored to the needs of that client.

It’s a good idea to always come to client meetings prepared to clarify your role, reinforce your availability, and help clients plan for future changing needs. These simple preparatory steps will win over new clients and demonstrate that you are the trusted partner they were looking for.