Changing to meet the needs of fraternalists.
"Joining Hands To Touch Lives-Fraternalism for the Family and Our Nation'
ESTNIK
SPJST Herald
Official Publication Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas, Founded 1897 BROTHERHOOD
HUMANITY
BENEVOLENCE
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 to: SUPREME LODGE, SPJST, P. 0. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76503 December 4, 1996 ISSN-07458800
VOLUME 84 NUMBER 47
Something new in marketing
Payroll deduction program benefits buyers and sellers Attracting new members is an active process. It begins with the sales representative identifying a prospective member. Usually, that's followed by a face-to-face meeting between the sales representative and the prospect. The purpose of that meeting is twofold. The first is to determine the needs of the prospective member. The second is to show how life insurance and membership in the SPJST can help to satisfy those needs. While that may sound easy, it takes adequate preparation on the part of the sales representative to make an effective presentation. It also takes time. The SPJST took all of these factors into consideration in designing its new Payroll Deduction Sales Program. Group Enrollment "It's a great idea whose time has come," says SPJST State Field Representative Keith Gatewood, who led a Payroll Deduction Program workshop at the SPJST Home Office on November
8. "As every good sales representative knows, the chief objective of prospecting is to position yourself before qualified individuals to whom you can present and sell membership in the SPJST. "The Payroll Deduction Program takes that idea a step further in that it enables a qualified sales representative to see more prospects in a shorter amount of time. "Basically, we're talking about enrolling new members in a group setting such as a small business or school. Nothing about our insurance products have changed. Nothing about our underwriting standards have changed. What has changed is the marketing thrust," states Mr. Gatewood. As he explains, successful group presentations can yield handsome returns for those sales representatives with the initiative to make the contacts and the presentations. "Let's say that a local employer with thirty employees recognizes the importance of fraternal insurance and
All Aboard! Employees of Optical Designs, an eye care center with offices in Taylor and Round Rock, will be among the first to benefit from SPJST's new Payroll Deduction Program which went into effect in November. Pictured, from left, front are Optical Designs Owner Mike Maki and Lodge 29, Taylor Sales Representative Albin Machu. Pictured, from left, back are Marie Ann Ripple, Tammy Maki, Denise Tolbert and State Field Representative Keith Gatewood. Not pictured is Optical Designs employee Terry Reeder.
asks you to make a presentation before the group. As a result of your presentation, 15 employees sign up. "And it gets better," Mr. Gatewood continues, "Let's say that seven of those employees would also like to insure their spouses and children. This one presentation, as an example, could generate 20 or more new members. "And everybody benefits. The new members get their coverage and membership in a local lodge. The sales representative gets the commission. And, the local lodge gets the new members and an increase in premium refund." There are also some attractive advantages to the employer. At no cost to the business, the employer is able to provide employees with on-the-job insurance counseling and an expanded menu of employee benefits. There is no government paperwork involved; and, in the case of groups of five or more, the insurance premiums can he deducted directly from the employee's paycheck.
8. The payroll clerk sends one business check to SPJST for all of the deducted insurance premiums. Successful Case Study What sounds good in theory really works. Albin Machu of Lodge 29, Taylor, was the first sales representative in the state to put the plan into action. On November 21, he completed a sales presentation to five employees of Optical Designs, an eye care center with offices in Taylor and Round Rock. Applications for the employees and their families are now being processed "Up front, you've got to have the confidence and cooperation of the business manager and/or payroll clerk," explains Mr. Machu. "In this case, Mr. Maki. who is the owner, already had some background about the SPJST. He knew that we were a strong organization with an established track record to hack us up." As to the actual sales presentation, "Mr. Machu refers to it as a "positive learning experience." "There were a lot of questions about insurance and the SPJST in general," he says. "The SPJST is not like every other insurer out there. We're a fraternal organization. With that comes some important selling points — our local lodge and an active youth program," he explains. "I tried to get that across. I believe it made a positive difference."
"The SPJST is not like every other insurer out there. We're a fraternal. With that comes some important selling points."
The Enrollment Process In addition to making the sales presentation, there are eight basic steps in the payroll deduction process. Each of these steps was covered in detail for those who attended the recent workshop: 1. The employee decides to participate in one of SPJST's fraternal insurance programs through payroll deduction; 2. The employee completes the insurance applications and payroll deduction authorizations; 3. The sales representative mails the insurance applications to the Home Office; 4. The sales representative turns in the payroll deduction authorizations to the payroll clerk; 5. The payroll clerk sets up the employee's paycheck with the appropriate insurance premium deducted along with the other regular deductions; 6. The employee receives his paycheck with the appropriate insurance deducted along with the other regular deductions; 7. The money is held in the business checking account until the SPJST's billing statement is received; and
Lodge Support Vital Mr. Gatewood gives high marks to the membership of Lodge 29, Taylor for supporting the Payroll Deduction Program. "Before a sales representative can be eligible to market the payroll deduction program, the SPJST requires that the local lodge approve the plan. "Going into a group sales presentation, it's very important for the sales representative to know that all qualifying candidates for membership in the SPJST will be accepted by the local lodge." Lodges and sales representatives who would like more information on the Payroll Deduction Program are encouraged to contact their local state field representative or the Insurance Department at 1 (800) 727-7578. Telephone numbers for field personnel are listed on page two of the Vestnik. —SPJST-