Beyond the Spreadsheet: Why Brokers Must Evolve — And Tips for Getting There

Imagine walking into an employee benefit renewal meeting, only to find your client already holding a spreadsheet from another broker. It’s got the same carriers you’re about to propose, the same plan designs, and the same tidy columns.

In that moment, you’re not competing on numbers. You’re suddenly competing on value.

If all you’re bringing to the meeting is the spreadsheet and all you have is information for a transactional relationship, you’ve already lost the battle.

The Game Has Changed

Today’s employers aren’t looking for someone to merely negotiate with carriers or help manage the chaos of open enrollment. They’re juggling rising healthcare costs, workforce fragmentation, compliance pressure, and employees who expect benefits to feel as intuitive as the apps on their phones.

They don’t need another vendor.
They need a strategic partner.

From Transactional to Transformational

The traditional broker model doesn’t cut it anymore. The days of the once-a-year plan dump and a couple of calls from carriers are gone. The data backs this up:

• 66% of employers are actively reevaluating their benefits partnerships to better align with changing workforce needs. (McKinsey)
• Brokers who offer tech-enabled, year-round solutions are 5x more likely to retain clients. (LIMRA)

But what does “transformational” really look like?

As discussed in Empyrean’s new ebook, “Retention, Referrals, and Revenue: Smart Strategies for Benefit Brokers to Grow and Keep Business Today,” transformation for employee benefit brokers means shifting from a reactive to a proactive approach. Here's how:

• Use enrollment and engagement data to uncover trends, gaps, and wins.
• Provide mobile-first, always-on access to benefits year-round, not just during open enrollment.
• Introduce predictive analytics or AI-powered tools to help clients reduce admin burdens and empower employee decision-making.
• Bring new ideas to the table, like flexible lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs), family-building programs, or multi-generational benefit designs that align with today’s workforce needs.

Transformation isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing things differently and showing your clients that you can help them evolve, too.

Anyone Can Deliver Benefits. Employers Want Results.

Being the broker who “gets it” means you help your clients:

• Reduce HR burden through self-service platforms.
• Increase employee retention with benefits that resonate across generations.
• Improve engagement and trust with personalized communication and data-driven guidance.

That’s not a wishlist. It’s already happening with brokers who’ve evolved their approach to be strategic partners to employers. Real examples from our ebook include:

• A newly merged workforce that achieved 70% adoption of mobile use.
• 83,000+ employee engagements driven through an app that centralized their benefits.
• A 3,000-ticket drop in HR inquiries for one client.
• An 7% boost in employee retention thanks to a smarter, tech-forward benefits approach

Here’s the shift: You’re no longer simply selling access to carriers. Today, you need to help employers build benefit strategies that work, meaning they’re measurable, personalized, and scalable.

Want the Playbook?

If this sounds like the kind of impact you want to have but you’re not sure where to start, Empyrean’s new ebook is for you.

“Retention, Referrals, and Revenue: Smart Strategies for Benefit Brokers to Grow and Keep Business Today” breaks down the strategies top brokers are using right now to:

• Build stickier client relationships.
• Win more referrals.
• Grow faster with tech-forward tools and real-world proof points.

You can’t win tomorrow’s business with yesterday’s playbook.
It’s time to evolve.

Download the ebook here and start future-proofing your client strategy.