Entries by

Medicare agents: You can master the sales process

August 25, 2015 in /by

hink back to my college days and the success of my friends who graduated with law degrees and MBAs, I feel proud of them and admire the hard work they put in to complete intense curricula. Part of me wishes I completed my degree with them.

I left Georgia Institute of Technology (Go Yellow Jackets!), the MIT of the South, in the middle of my junior year as a dual major in electrical engineering and information and computer sciences. I was and still am a nerd of the highest order, but when I entered sales as a profession shortly after I left college, many of my friends questioned my decision.

How to overcome fear of rejection in Medicare sales

August 18, 2015 in /by

I was taught by my high school psychology teacher that we’re born with only two fears — the fear of falling and loud noises. The rest of our fears are learned. From my experiences as a senior insurance advisor and personal sales mentor, there’s no doubt what the No. 1 fear is in our profession: Fear of rejection.

Sales professionals measure minutes between rejections: The phone calls to secure appointments, the “No thanks” they hear before they demonstrate their products and the “I changed my mind” even after what seemed like a successful sale. And yet fear of rejection creates a conundrum, a paradox, dare I say a contradiction for those of us whose very living depends on hearing the word “No.”

Referrals maximize your Medicare book of business

August 4, 2015 in , , , , , /by

Probably the most effective way to find your next client is by looking to the clients you already have.

Referrals are the Holy Grail of building your Medicare book of business. The credibility and trust you have built with one client automatically transfers to your new one, so you start from a hero status, not at ground zero, if your first client is a raving fan. Closing rates on referrals have always been high, too, which means generating referrals maximizes your investment of time and energy into your business. And yet most agents still don’t ask their clients for referrals!

Acquisitions and reforms: Learn to adapt to changes in Medicare Advantage

July 28, 2015 in , /by

Over the past few weeks I’ve received hundreds of emails from senior insurance advisors all over the country with questions about recent sea changes in Medicare. A quick review: Yes, in a few years first-dollar payment Medicare Supplements (like the popular Plan F) will no longer be available to consumers. Continuing a long-term trend, some of the biggest carriers in the industry have been acquired by other carriers. Some agents have also gotten much smaller renewal checks due to unexpected charge-backs dating all the way back to 2008.

Multiply your revenue just by organizing your Medicare book of business

July 21, 2015 in /by

Last week I encouraged you to build and organize your Medicare book of business. This week I want to show you how a well-organized book of business is the best way to maximize your return on that investment of time and energy.

Let’s be honest — gathering up all of your clients’ information and entering it into an Excel spreadsheet or CRM is tedious and time consuming. For the DIY crowd, I suggest breaking your Medicare book of business down into small pieces by entering 10 clients a day until you’ve included everyone. For agents with an expansive clientele, think about paying a college student or your industrious child a fair hourly rate to do the data entry.

Build, don’t buy your Medicare Book of Business

July 15, 2015 in /by

The No. 1 request I would hear from agents during my many years working for senior health insurance carriers, especially as AEP crept closer around the corner, was “Can I get a list of the clients I’ve sold to?”

Sure, it seems like a reasonable request, but it always astonished me why agents didn’t already have this information at their fingertips. When I think of how easy it is to keep up with clients versus how hard it is to get their contact information from a carrier, I see that it should be a top priority for agent s to manage their Medicare book of business.

Inject AHIP discount and other AEP prep savings into your senior insurance business

July 7, 2015 in /by

Ever since the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 created the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), I have viewed October 15 to December 17 as a season of harvest. Sure, the savvy agents among us know there are plenty of year-round selling opportunities, but the surge in enrollments in mid fall definitely constitutes a harvest.

What do you need in order to bring it in? The right tools!

Four simple ways to power through AHIP 2016

June 24, 2015 in /by

When are you going to start your 2016 AHIP certification?

While the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, AEP, is still months away, I consider right now to be decision time for the training agents must go through in order to be Ready To Sell. What you do in the next few days and weeks will set the tone for how things will go over the next several months and into 2016 for your senior insurance business.

Want to be ready to preserve your current book of business and write new opportunities? Then today is the most important date on your calendar.

Medicare Advantage sales success is still possible!

June 16, 2015 in /by

Each AEP I encounter a wave of new agents who want to know if there is still success to be had in the Medicare Advantage industry. My answer to each of them is an enthusiastic “Yes!”

I understand there have been changes and challenges as the industry has evolved, but I believe they have actually created an even greater possibility of success for the senior insurance advisor who has the right perspective.

I believe you need three things to be successful: The right opportunity, the right timing and the right people.