It's hard to imagine that we've reached the end of the year. It seems like this year began just a couple of months ago. And what a year it has been. Just think of all the political, economic, social and business changes that we have witnessed. It's been challenging on many fronts, and for that reason alone, a number of our readers will be happy to see 2009 fade into history. But during this holiday season, we also have so much to be thankful for. For many of us, this is a time to give thanks and to reflect on what we have done and what we can do better, both in our personal lives and in our business practice. So with this thought in mind, let's think about how to make 2010 the best year yet in our professional lives.

At this time of year, many astute benefit advisers begin to think about what they achieved this year and the goals they want to set for the upcoming year. It's a great time to reflect upon what we can do differently to improve results and to make adjustments in operations to respond to the changes in a very dynamic and recently tumultuous marketplace. Clearly that job is considerably easier if you have a written business plan for your business. Since we know that the majority of you do not have written business plans, perhaps now is a great time to consider the creation of a written document for your business. It's as good a time as ever, and it will help you to get mentally prepared and organizationally focused for 2010. So give it serious consideration. If you need assistance, give us a call.

OK, let's first take a deep breath and think about what role you play with your current clients. Yes, we realize that you are their benefits adviser. We understand the industry that we all are in. Over the last couple of years, you have read in this column about striving to be a "trusted adviser." After all, that is the pinnacle of business relationships. We have strongly advocated utilizing benefits strategic planning as a process or methodology to elevate your stature with your clients. And benefits strategic planning will in fact help you to accomplish the transformation of your practice. We addressed this issue at the Adviser Summit in Atlanta in September, so I will not belabor the point here. Let's just agree for the moment that becoming a trusted adviser is very beneficial and certainly a goal to which we should aspire.

But where is your relationship with your clients today? How would you define it? Perhaps more importantly, how would your clients define it? After all, if you don't know where you are, how can you map a course to get to where you want to be? Having difficulty getting your arms around this? Let's see if this will help.

Level one

The most basic form of a business relationship is that of vendor. It defines where a product or service provider falls in the supply chain. A vendor responds to RFPs. They provide quotes, respond to service requests and take orders. Invariably vendors state that they provide great service, which they may in fact actually deliver. Often vendors feel that providing superior service is their key differentiator. But from the client's perspective, they expect their vendors to provide great service. And it's the client's expectation that the vendor provide this level of service just to "get in the game." A vendor is there when a client is ready to evaluate a new product or service offering. Over time, their products and services become viewed as commodities. Is this sounding familiar? A vendor relationship is one that is more reactive. It is not strategic, but rather tactical. As a vendor, you are not "on the inside" as decisions are being considered or alternative options are being evaluated. Having a very solid vendor relationship is great, and most businesses, regardless of the industry they find themselves in, have this type of relationship. But is this what you aspire to? Is this the best that your firm can do? We think you can do much better than this, and in the case of some clients, probably you are already doing so.

Level two

Moving up the pyramid, the next most desirable form of relationship is that of credible or authoritative source. In this type of relationship, you have already proven yourself to be a very reliable vendor. You are a proven commodity. You have performed consistently, and your client can count on you to be responsive. As a result, your client knows that you will come through on their behalf, even when they call you on short notice. Perhaps you have even developed relationships with multiple parties at the client's business. You feel comfortable with your relationship with key decision-makers at the client, and you hope that they value your services. You are involved in certain tactical decisions. Your client may involve you directly in the process of evaluating new product or service offerings. In fact, you may actually assist them with the selection of new products and the carriers or vendors to be utilized. You may actually be part of the process for a finite period of time and help bring the matter to closure. You are viewed as one of their most dependable resources, and you are rewarded with a significant portion of the client's business. You, in turn, are likely to view this type of client as one that you can count on, and you may even begin to see some referrals from this type of relationship. Clearly, this type of relationship is better than being a vendor and many top-flight benefits advisers find themselves in this position.

Level three

Further up the pyramid of relationship categories is that of problem solver or counselor. Your relationship with a client is deeper and more permanent. Your client is likely to involve you in some strategic issues. Presumably, you possess pertinent knowledge about your client's business issues and perhaps you understand the current industry trends, key drivers, and human capital management challenges they face. In this type of relationship, you are always thinking about your client's business from a strategic perspective and you are proactive in bringing them new strategies to manage their business operations. As a result, you gain visibility at multiple levels in the organization, and have access to the C-suite as a result. You are likely called upon by your client to assist with the creation of an RFP, and you may be involved in helping them vet proposals and vendors. You help initiate the process and are likely involved every step along the way, including evaluation, negotiations, reference checking, contracting and implementation. In this type of relationship, your client views you as a valuable business asset.

Level four

At the top of the relationship pyramid is the role of trusted adviser. Your client's senior officers take you into their confidence. They openly discuss their business issues and they seek your counsel before strategic decisions are framed. They want your input right from the outset, since they are confident that you can save them precious time, money and errors since you clearly understand their business issues. You are viewed as their business consultant first and foremost. You remain a part of the decision-making process and never exit it when a project is completed. You are still part of the discussion about what comes next. You are part of the problem assessment, and you proactively develop and provide solutions, in some cases before the client knows that a problem is emerging. Your relationship with this type of client is unique and very often you are insulated from competition since no one can replicate your relationship or standing with this client. You ultimately provide more products and services to this type of client and you retain this client relationship much longer. Your business will be more profitable, predictable and command a higher valuation. This is the pinnacle of relationship success.

So what kind of client relationships do you want? What action will you take to move up the relationship pyramid? You really need to give this very serious thought since it will drive everything about your business and your future financial security. When contemplating the results achieved in 2009, think about the clients that you have lost or the RFPs you were not successful in winning. What could have been done differently? It may have nothing to do with your technical knowledge about benefits or your insurance expertise. More than likely it had everything to do with the types of relationships that you had and the client's perception of your value to their business.

Now the holidays are upon us, and in all likelihood you will take some personal time off. We wish you all a terrific holiday season full of all the good things that life has to offer. And while you have some time to reflect upon your life and professional ambitions, think about the quality of your business relationships. As you begin to contemplate your goals for 2010, think about how you will add greater value to your relationships and how you will differentiate your practice. Focus on understanding your clients' business issues first, and the appropriate benefits solutions will logically follow. Consider developing benefits strategic plans for each client. Evolve your interaction to become much more consultative. Seek to instill this approach in your firm's corporate culture. And by all means, focus your energies on becoming a trusted adviser.

Next month, we will start a multi-part series focused on strategies to increase sales management effectiveness.

Kwicien is managing partner at Baltimore-based Daymark Advisors. He can be reached at jkwicien@daymarkadvisors.com.

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