With the current economic climate still anything but stable, Matthew Reeves explains how advisers can re-energise sales by offering dental benefits
Many of us will remember 2009 as a year in which we faced financial uncertainty at unprecedented levels, both as an economy and as a business. This has made 2010 a year of ‘re-alignment' for many companies and, as a result, most have been made to look carefully at the benefit packages they offer their employees, their value for money and their usability.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact it gives brokers the ideal opportunity to re-energise their sales strategies and push forward the benefits that will not only help their clients fulfil their duty of care, but also offer the additional services to supply a real-value option. The following tips are designed to give advisers a number of new sales angles to appeal to the individual needs of each client, based on what they value most highly.
It is fair to assume that the upcoming general election has not escaped anyone's attention. This is a time when, historically, standards and access to dental care come under scrutiny and also to the forefront of people's minds. Access to NHS dental care is consistently targeted at election times. Who can forget Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's promise that everybody would have easy access to an NHS dentist within the next two years, back in 1999? Plans are consistently made to improve this in the future.
This therefore, presents a real opportunity to brokers as increased levels of media exposure will ensure more businesses are aware of the current issues within dentistry and potentially see more value in dental as a benefit for their employees.
Improved access to NHS dental care does not necessarily mean that it is going to be the most suitable option for everyone. While NHS dentists now use a target-driven system designed to see higher patient volumes, private dentistry focuses on quality of care and preventive treatments and is becoming more and more popular as a result. Not only can a corporate dental benefit therefore provide a financial incentive to employees, it can also ensure that they receive the very best in preventive care.
Flexible benefit schemes have become more popular in recent years as they allow companies to offer a wider range of benefits, while leaving the choice to the individual employee. Dental payment plans are an ideal enhancement to any PMI plan because they can not only be added to existing cover that has been organised in the past, but can be easily implemented as part of a new healthcare platform.
Dental payment plans are also great as part of a corporate wellbeing package because it is something everybody can use. Some dental payment plan providers, such as Denplan, are now able to give employees more freedom in the way they use their cover - not only covering them for dental injury and emergency, on top of their routine treatment, but even offering money back for NHS charges. In this way, dental can be a great deal more attractive to employees than some other wellness benefits and far more widely used.
With the increasing popularity of dental plans in the UK, brokers also have the opportunity to use dental as a selling platform for other benefits. By providing the most comprehensive and value-for-money dental plans, advisers' clients will trust them to help enhance their offering in other areas. However, it is essential that brokers, find a supplier that can offer value, service and expertise before you have the confidence to recommend it to your clients.
As most IFAs will already know, dental problems can not only affect people's ability to eat, sleep, work and socialise effectively, but may contribute to lifelong oral and general health problems. In fact, many health problems have early-warning signs in the mouth, which are detectable by a dentist, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The earlier the signs can be detected, the greater the chance of successfully treating the problem. There is even a link between gum disease and infertility in men and low birth-weight babies in pregnant women.
Regular dental check-ups can reduce the risk of gum disease, mouth cancer and loss of teeth, as well as preventing dental emergencies from occurring and ensuring a lifetime of good oral health. This is why it's so important that companies encourage their employees to look after their oral health through regular attendance at the dentist.
Worryingly, recent research by Denplan revealed that cost is the number one reason why four in 10 people in the UK are not attending the dentist. This is a troubling statistic when considering the current economic climate and the fact that changes in dental decontamination and sterilization guidelines look set to increase the cost of dentistry even further. This is where offering dental as a company benefit can really play a vital role.
It's not all bad news, however. The fact remains that 69% of adults regularly go to the dentist and it would be difficult to find a wellbeing benefit with a higher take-up than dental.
Furthermore, 76% of employers believe that providing a dental payment plan contributes to their employee's overall wellbeing and many would rate their dental plan only beneath their pension schemes and PMI plans when it comes to value and usability. People lucky enough to have a dental benefit funded or part-funded through their work are also far less likely to cancel or delay their appointments.
No broker worth their salt would recommend that their clients do business with a company without being sure of the level of service they will receive, not to mention the best knowledge and expertise available. Expert dental companies, unlike general insurance providers, can not only provide experience that is based on the latest developments in the dental industry, but also products that are specifically tailored to promote preventive dental care.
It is however, equally important that the broker have a good knowledge about the dental industry if they intend to sell dental plans to their clients in a professional way. Dentistry is a fast changing market place, and there are big changes on the way in 2010. Some providers offer value-added services such as broker specific newsletters to give all the latest dental news and product information.
It is clear that while there are still big challenges to selling corporate benefits in the current marketplace, wellness benefits are certainly becoming a bigger focus for many companies. The tips above not only show that there are lots of reasons to be optimistic for the future, but also give you the tools and information to encourage and motivate your clients to take up a dental plan for their employees. It's up to you to take up the challenge.
Matthew Reeves is corporate channel manager at Denplan
