The best broker relationships are built between selling seasons

Several years ago, I started noticing something that has stayed with me.

I’d be talking with a broker about an employer opportunity, and somewhere in the conversation another vendor’s name would come up. It usually wasn’t because they’d launched a new product or offered the lowest price. More often, the broker would say something like, “They’re great to work with,” or “They’ve done a good job educating our team.”

Those comments have changed the way I think about broker relationships. They remind me that long before you’re competing for business, you’re competing to become one of the organizations a broker naturally thinks of when they’re helping an employer solve a problem.

That’s become increasingly important as the broker’s role has evolved. Employers expect brokers to help manage healthcare costs, evaluate new solutions, improve employee engagement, and navigate an increasingly complex benefits landscape. The brokers who are successful are constantly learning, and they naturally gravitate toward partners who help them stay informed.

Some of the most valuable conversations I’ve had with brokers had nothing to do with a product. We could have been talking about healthcare affordability, questions employers were asking, or trends we were seeing in the market. We’d compare notes, exchange ideas, or share resources that might help with an upcoming client conversation.

Looking back, those conversations probably mattered more than I realized at the time. They built familiarity, and familiarity eventually became trust.

I strongly believe that education is one of the most valuable things I can offer brokers. Providing updates on consumer-directed healthcare, sharing employer-ready resources, or providing perspective on emerging trends makes brokers more confident in front of their clients. Over time, they begin to associate your organization with useful expertise rather than simply another solution.

That same mindset carries into the best partner relationships I’ve seen. The organizations that work well together stay in close communication, compare notes from the field, share ideas, and develop resources together. They aren’t coordinating because a sales opportunity has appeared; they’re doing it because they know they’ll serve brokers — and ultimately employers — better when they’re aligned.

I’ve also learned that there isn’t a single definition of what brokers and consultants need. Some are focused on growth. Others spend most of their time helping existing clients navigate increasingly complex benefit decisions. The best conversations usually start with curiosity: What’s changing in your business? What are employers asking you about? Where could we be more helpful?

Those questions don’t just lead to better conversations — they lead to better relationships, because they show a genuine interest in understanding the broker’s business.

Trust grows from those conversations, but it’s reinforced in much smaller ways over time. Following through when you say you will. Sending the resource you promised after an event. Remembering a conversation from months earlier and checking back in when something relevant comes across your desk. Responding quickly when someone needs help.

When an employer asks for guidance, brokers rarely think first about who sent the most emails or had the biggest conference presence. They think about the people who have consistently been knowledgeable, responsive, and easy to work with.

For me, that’s always been the most rewarding part of this role. Helping partners build stronger relationships with brokers isn’t about increasing the number of interactions. It’s about making each one useful enough that the next conversation comes naturally.

The business has a way of following from there.

Contact us to learn more about partnering with Alegeus.