Eric Silverman – Voluntary Disruption – SIV #057 Shownotes
"Don't call it Voluntary Benefits!" - Eric Silverman
I’ve known today’s guest Eric Silverman for a long time now. We have never worked in the same hierarchy. In fact, we worked on opposite sides of the country. Instead of working together, I got to know Eric through appearing on numerous panels together, and winning company-sponsored trips and attending conferences. The more I have gotten to know Eric the more I respect him.
Eric was named the 2017 Adviser Of The Year by Employee Benefit Adviser.
He is a huge supporter of the Success Is Voluntary website and podcast! I am thankful that he has used his vast connections to introduce me to several of our recent podcast guests!
If you are in the Voluntary Benefits space, and you participate in social media AT ALL, you have seen at least one article or post from Eric.
We certainly don’t see eye-to-eye on everything in the Voluntary Benefits … I mean Enhanced Benefits industry. However, I have always admired him, his positions and beliefs. He is constantly trying to disrupt the status quo. I never want to close off my thinking by digging into my position without understanding the other side of the argument. Eric has opened my eyes to many things and I thank him for that.
As you listen to today’s podcast, my guess is that there will be somethings Eric talks about that might not sit quite right with you… And that’s great! Eric would love to start a conversation with you and listen to your point of view.
Buckle your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
Things Eric And I Talked About
- He started as a college intern at age 19.
- Despite his success, his dad still asked him what he was going to do for a living when he graduated.
- Eric is trying to single-handedly change the name of the entire industry.
- He doesn’t like “Voluntary Benefits”
- He doesn’t like “Worksite Benefits.”
- He HATES “Ancillary.”
- All these imply that what we do isn’t important, it is secondary at best.
- Word choice is critical. Words have great power. ⁃
- Eric reminded us that everything we do is voluntary… (Who knew?)
- Enhanced benefits support health insurance.
- The need to create a strategy with specific programs that truly enhance the current benefits.
- This helps avoid a product dump to get to a commission grab.
- This limits overbuying and overselling.
- This limits double coverage.
- This protects both employee and employer from wasting premium dollars.
- Won’t usually sell “off the shelf” products.
- How does he disrupt an industry that has been around for 100+ years?
- He does the opposite of everything he did before.
- He has no sales team.
- He refuses to compete against his broker partners.
- He will not take a case that doesn’t have a broker attached to it.
- He shares his bonuses with his broker partners.
- He refuses to know where he stands with any carrier on getting to the next bonus (he doesn’t want it to sway his decision.)
- He remains carrier agnostic.
- Brokers are fed up with:
- Multiple carrier reps from the same company calling on them muddying the waters.
- Agents that are interested in a product dump to get to a commission grab.
Where To Connect With eric
your turn
Did you learn anything? Did you get mad? Maybe you start nodding your head and saying to yourself “That’s right Eric!” Did you do a little bit of both?
Let’s start the conversation. Just leave a comment below and I will make sure that Eric has a chance to respond..
Until then, I wish you great SUCCESS! I’ve heard it’s VOLUNTARY…
