I’ve connected with likeminded individuals at conferences, on phone calls, via email, LinkedIn messages, and everywhere in between. These connections have led to insightful conversations and opened the door to unmatched opportunities. I’ve built my career harnessing the power of the healthcare and employee benefits industry network and I’d like to share a few tips for tapping into this wonderful community.:
Take the Meeting
Even if you know there won’t be a business need, take the meeting. I present this piece of advice with an asterisk, as we know you cannot take every meeting that someone invites you to, offering to pitch their product suite. But when you can? Say “yes” more than “no”.
Even if you two are not a good fit, you never know who this new acquaintance might introduce you to and vice versa. The employee benefits industry is a lot smaller than most people think.
Meet Face to Face
Face to face meetings will always trump video calls. Of course, in-person meetings are not always possible. We live in a post-COVID world, and your network might be spread across geographic lines and time zones. However, when you can, get together in person.
Nothing beats the human connection and camaraderie that you gain from a face-to-face interaction. In person, there’s no timer in the corner, like there is on a video conference — making it easier to go off-script and learn more about the person than just how they can benefit you. It’s a great way to make friends, which brings me to my next point...
Make Friends with Your Enemies (Competitors)
We all know the saying, “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer”. I believe this to be true. Though others in the employee benefits space may be competitors, the real enemy we are all facing is BUCA.
Viewing (and treating) competitors as allies can benefit you. For example, friends that can acknowledge their own shortcomings will send you business because they like you and like your product. Of course, there will always be competitors who insist on being enemies. They might try to poke holes in your solution in an effort to highlight theirs. In either case, staying close to the competition allows you to learn what has made the competition successful (or not) and how you can pivot your own offerings for a more favorable perception.
Competition breeds greatness. Keeping open lines of communication with competitors presents opportunities to share what is working well for you, what is working well for them, and sharpens our skill set to further strip away at BUCA.
Through my career, I’ve gained exposure to game changers sparking genuine dialogues on how we, as a collective group, can make real change in this industry. Community and collective knowledge can lead you to invaluable insights. That's why I urge you to take the meeting, make it in-person, and really listen to the competition.
By: Justin Jobe, Vice President of Sales