RBI’s Senior Sales Coordinator: James Gramp

About the Author: With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is an integral part of the RBI team — we’d go so far as to say we’d be lost without him! An Arizona native, Jim manages agent relationships for the East Coast and specializes in the RBI agent tools, especially the Agent Market Edge. Jim has been a licensed health insurance agent for 2 years, and has worked at RBI for almost 3 years. An accomplished bassoonist, he is known around the office for his amazing musical skills. In addition to keeping busy around the office, Jim frequently contributes to our blog, bringing a new agent’s perspective to the RBI online presence.

Annual Enrollment Period Checklist: Are you Ready to Sell?

Can you believe that it’s almost August already? It seems like every year the Annual Enrollment Period creeps up on us faster and faster.  Don’t be that agent that is scrambling to finish his AHIP and carrier certifications in September and then wants to know why he can’t pick up sales materials because he’s not showing up as “Ready to Sell.”  Without further ado I present to you, my personal AEP checklist.

AHIP

It’s that four letter word we all love to hate.  Unfortunately it’s just one of many requirements to sell Medicare Advantage and it’s also the first step you should be taking in order to prepare for the Annual Enrollment Period.  Now, if you’re one of those agents that doesn’t sell MA then I have news for you, you’re leaving money on the table.  In a previous blog post, I talk about why agents should consider adding Medicare Advantage products to their portfolio, just follow the link above to read more!

Haven’t taken your AHIP yet?  Look no further, follow this AHIP link to receive your $50 discount… But wait, there’s more!

100% AHIP Reimbursement

Annual Enrollment Period

  1. Use RBI’s AHIP link to take the 2018 certification
  2. Contract with 2 MA carriers through RBI
  3. Make 5 MA sales with RBI carriers
  4. After the plans become effective, receive a $125 check in the mail!

OR

  1. Use RBI’s AHIP link to take the 2018 certification
  2. Contract with Bright Health
  3. Make 1 Bright Health sale during the Annual Enrollment Period
  4. After the plan becomes effective, receive a $125 check in the mail!

Carrier Certifications

If you didn’t quite get your fill of online testing from the AHIP, there’s always carrier certifications as a nice dessert.  Not sure when the specific carriers are launching their certifications?  Follow this link to our 2018 Master Certification page where you will be able to see if and when the various Medicare Advantage carriers plan on releasing their certifications.

Be sure to knock out carrier certifications as they become available.  The reason for doing them right away is, if you’re not marked as “Ready to Sell” with a carrier, you will not be able to pick up any marketing materials or sales kits for the upcoming AEP.

Do I need to Add any Products to my Portfolio?

Now is the time when carriers are releasing benefit information for the 2018 plan year.  In fact, Aetna, Humana, and United Healthcare have already released first look benefits for the new plan year.  Curious to find out how these carriers are looking in your market?  We’re always one call away!

Is my FMO holding up their end of the Bargain?

Now is also the perfect time to evaluate whether your FMO is holding up their end of the bargain, they should work for you.  If your Field Marketing Organization doesn’t provide anything in the way of marketing support, it might be time to re-evaluate your relationship.  Check out this blog article from RBI Director of Marketing, Justin Bever, where he talks about how your FMO should be working for you.  These are things I consider when choosing who to put my Medicare business with:

  1. Sales Training + Coaching
  2. Marketing Support
  3. Compliance Support
  4. Accessibility

Develop a Marketing Plan for AEP

The most successful agents don’t go into the busiest time for Medicare brokers without a plan of attack.  At RBI, we routinely develop marketing plans with our agents the M.A.P.S. way.  We call it the M.A.P.S. method because we believe that your marketing plan should be Measurable, Actionable, Profitable, and Scalable.  Check out my blog post that I linked to above to learn all about the M.A.P.S. method for success.

A few things your plan might include:

  • Direct Mail campaign
  • Educational/Sales Events
  • Establishing Community Referral Networks

A lot of agents I speak with only look for referrals from their existing book of business but are totally ignoring a HUGE opportunity when it comes to getting referrals within your community.  The easiest place you can start is your very own doctor’s office.  If you’ve ever wondered how an agent is able to be successful in this industry without breaking the bank by purchasing leads, here’s your answer: Community Marketing.  Not sure how, or where to start?  Check out my blog post, “Building Your Referral Network” and download the free white paper where I demonstrate how to get started!

Annual Enrollment Period

Sing it with me now, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”  I know, I know, it’s way too early for Christmas songs.  In all seriousness, the most successful agents don’t go into the Annual Enrollment Period without a plan, and if you’ve done it right you’ll be singing along with Andy Williams after AEP is over.

Don’t let another AEP pass you by without meeting your sales goals!  RBI has the tools, marketing support, and most importantly, the expertise to turn you into a “Sales Champion.”  Give RBI a call today to learn all about how we do things differently than our competitors. 1-800-997-3107.

Aetna certification
2019 Humana certification
Short Term Home Health Care
2019 United Healthcare