Who hasn't had a new account stalled because the completion of the announcement letter to employees was unfinished.

There is a saying that a problem ends when it becomes a procedure. Here is a procedure used my many of the top workplace benefits producers.

When the sale is made and the discussion turns to enrollment procedures and how to announce the program to the employees, pull two prepared letters out of your file with this word track:

"We have two announcement letters that we recommend, a short version and a long version. It is essentially the same letter, but the longer one goes into a bit more detail concerning some of the benefits and enrollment options."

"I can e-mail the text of the letter to you for inclusion on your stationary, but we have another option which may work out better for you. We have the resources to print these for you if you would like. All I would need is a couple sheets of your stationary and we will print the letter you choose on your stationary and run it by for signature. Then we will print them in color back at our office. Do you have a preference for the short or long version?" (leave the sample announcement letters if more time is needed for a decision regarding which one to use but you should secure the stationary right then while you are in the office)

Announcement letters are one of those pesky details that are best handled right up front, preferably by you. Your client is busy with a lot of matters other than your program and it easy for the announcement letter preparation to get put in the "do-later" category.  If that happens you are forced to delay the enrollment until a professional introduction of the program can be completed, start the enrollment without any announcement letters, or try to put some heat on the employer to get to the letter, none of which are good options.

You can review and download two sample announcement letters, along with a collection of other downloadable resource material, at our member's only website: www.workplacebenefits.org/mdownload.htm.

How will the announcement letters be distributed?

Letters can be mailed to the employee's home by you or the employer, or included with paychecks, and today they might be posted on the employee's part of the company's website or sent via e-mail. What is sometimes an issue is when the employer has a privacy concern, Here is a suggestion from John Hanes who stopped by our office a few weeks ago with some very good sales ideas. "Mr. Employer, how does this sound" I will bring back the number of announcement letters you need all prepared in envelopes and even with the postage attached. All you will have to do is put the mailing labels on and drop them in the mail box."

Sincerely,

Walt Podgurski, CLU, CES (wpodgurski@aol.com)