It’s hot outside and everybody’s thinking about how they’re going to get to the beach. Most will want to avoid the highway at all costs and will turn to alternative modes of travel. Take advantage of the fact that alternative modes of transportation are already on your clients’ minds and promote your commuter benefits program now with these four tips.
- Harness the Power of “Beach Thinking”
Everyone from the city flocks to the beach when summer hits. But, no one wants to get stuck in traffic. The New York Times wrote a post about the best busses to take to the Hamptons over a decade ago and that article still appears in the top five Google search results because everyone wants to maximize enjoyment while they’re away from work.
Harness this mentality while it’s top of mind and make NYC commuter benefits a main feature in your marketing agenda this summer. There’s no better time of year than the summer to promote the year-round benefits of commuter savings programs because people are already looking into alternative modes of transportation to get out of the city to cooler temperatures and ocean breezes.
- Advertise a Package Clients Can’t Refuse
Sometimes clients are put off by the amount of record keeping involved in running a commuter benefit program. If you’re already partnered with a benefits company, you have access to paperless systems and other tools that making managing commuter reimbursement accounts easier, so why not make money off a management service and get around this initial barrier with clients?
You can tell clients about your management services before you even talk to them about enrolling in a commuter benefits program. Doing so will eliminate one of the biggest obstacles you may face when selling commuter benefit programs.
If you’re not connected to a support system, now’s the time to partner up. Clarity offers benefit support software for brokers and is committed to helping brokers grow and succeed.
- Show Everyone How They’ll Save
Give clients the proof they need to invest by showing how their employees will benefit and how they’ll save.
For example, the employee that spends $250 per month (pre-tax dollars) on mass transit (e.g., mail and ride LIRR, van pools, etc.) will save about $100 per month with a 30% tax rate. That’s nearly a $1,200 savings every year—enough for a vacation, a big Christmas gift, or half a semester’s worth of tuition at a state school or community college for their kids. The savings would be higher if the employee also paid for commuter parking.
Your clients save by reducing their payroll taxes. The more employees they can sign up the more they will save.
- Offer a Free Initial Consult
The word “free” is one of the most compelling words in the English language as demonstrated by an experiment explained by Dan Ariely in his book Predictably Irrational.
According to Ariely, when charged .15 cents for a Lindt truffle and .01 cent for a Hershey Kiss, more participants will pay more for a Lindt truffle. But, when charged .14 cents for the same Lindt truffle and nothing for a Hershey Kiss, more participants will select the Hershey Kiss.
What’s the point of this story?
You can entice clients by using the word “free” when offering an initial consult to discuss commuter benefits programs, even if a consult would be something you offer as part of how you do business anyway.
As evidenced by the number of FAQ on the NYC Commuter Benefits Page, there are a lot of companies out there that need help figuring out what their requirements are when it comes to commuter benefits, especially in NYC. So, offering them an initial consult that’s cost-effective (better yet, free!) gives them a way to get started and it’s a great way to open the door for more business.
Start Before Summer
There are about 95 days of summer in the Northern hemisphere. Make it a goal to sell more commuter benefits plans in the next three months than you did last year. Apply these marketing tips to get started and connect with a reliable partner to gain access to support software. Starting before summer is in full swing will ensure you have all 95 days to make an impact.
