When Pacific Mutual redesigned and relaunched its Multi-Protection Trust (MPT) plan for employers in November 1978, it marked such a dramatic improvement over the previous plan that word spread quickly among clients. This word of mouth led to a massive sales increase that was, at that point, the greatest success in Pacific Mutual’s marketing history.

Pacific Mutual launched the Multiple-Employer Trust—a conglomerate that small businesses invested in to minimize their insurance costs—in 1974. It had helped to expand Pacific Mutual’s group health division, launch new agents’ careers and build their networks. “My MPT clients are my greatest referral sources,” agent Jana Lenz said. “Selling this product gave me the confidence I needed when I first got into sales: It’s an ice-breaker.”

By 1978, Pacific Mutual executives felt that there was room for improvement. “In an era where there had been a return to the small entrepreneur, the market for a product such as ours had expanded and we knew we could do better than we’d been doing,” said Group Senior VP Kim Kimmerle. As a result, Pacific Mutual redesigned the plan.

Pacific Mutual’s streamlined product offered something that its competitors did not: expanded health benefits. Sales exploded—over 1000% from November 1, 1978, to February 28, 1979. Never before had Pacific Mutual experienced so much success so quickly.