This month's post is written by Joy Justus, SVP at ThinkHR, and originally appeared in The Strategic Broker, Issue 2.

How many times have you seen a sales person show up and throw up on a client or prospect with a features and benefits focused pitch that is not relevant to the audience?

Every sales person is guilty of this amateur move at some point in their career, and I was certainly no exception 20 years ago as a rookie carrier rep.

When you hand a prospect one of your brochures, you can be more effective in conveying the value and driving engagement if you ask the right questions first to identify HOW the client or prospect could best use your solution tailored to their specific situation.

Start by asking open ended, probing questions until you uncover one of their challenges, below we'll use HR pain as an example. After you uncover this “pain,” proceed by presenting your value proposition. Then, watch their faces light up and the magic that will follow. And remember to ask for the BOR!

HR Challenge #1 – No HR department or understaffed HR department

Under staffed HR department
No HR professional (just an office manager who wears multiple hats and holds HR responsibilities)

HR value proposition and solution:

“At [YOUR AGENCY NAME] we work with employers who are understaffed and/or do not have a dedicated HR professional. Often, the office manager/owner/accountant is wearing multiple hats and is responsible for HR procedures.

As your broker, I will provide you with a solution which expands the capabilities of your existing HR department. One of the many resources I provide you with is [INSERT YOUR HR SOLUTION]. It helps with everything from basic compliance to leaves of absence (i.e. workers’ comp, FMLA, etc.) to hiring/firing practices and so much more.”

HR Challenge #2 – multi-state/multi-location employers

Multi-state employer who needs to stay abreast of state-level employer compliance requirements
Employer who has multiple location managers who manage people, but whose primary role is not HR management (ie: hospitality, restaurants, retail, auto dealers, etc.)

HR value proposition and solution:

“At [YOUR AGENCY NAME] we work with employers who have multi-state locations and they struggle to stay current with changes.

Some of these employers do not have locations large enough to warrant a dedicated HR professional on site so they rely on the General Manager to handle all HR responsibilities. While this arrangement is a necessity, it also raises liability concerns. We have a HR solution in place that will help you. Our services include: [INSERT YOUR HR SOLUTION]

Example: a team of expert HR professionals your managers may call or email for immediate help regarding important HR matters – think if this as an HR lifeline for each of your locations.
Example: easy to use, online employee training with a catalog of more than 200 courses covering OSHA, safety, harassment and HR management.
Example: alerts notifying management of key employment law and HR compliance matters at both state and federal levels

HR Challenge #3 – Limited or no training and development budget, worker’s comp claims

Limited or no employee training budget or program (common with municipalities, non-profits and schools)
Workers’ comp and safety concerns in the workplace

HR value-proposition and solution:

“At [YOUR AGENCY NAME] we work with employers who desire a formal training and development program, but who simply don’t have the time or resources to execute on the strategy.

As your broker, we recognize the importance of a training program and how such programs can favorably improve your overall risk containment strategy. Our program helps you ensure that your employees are properly trained in areas ranging from HR management to OSHA, safety and harassment prevention. Our solution is an easy to use online platform that delivers training courses to all employees with a catalog of more than 200 courses."