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Referrals: Building your referral network. Download this free white paper to learn

James Gramp

RBI Senior Sales Coordinator/

Independent Agent: James Gramp

With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is the other half of the RBI phone answering dynamic duo! 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 over a year, and has worked at RBI for 2 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.

Referrals: Building your referral network

Download this free white paper to learn today

RBI Senior Sales Coordinator/Independent Agent: James Gramp


Referrals

Good referral sources in your community is often just a matter of finding or sponsoring local events.

Have you ever wondered how some agents are so successful by only working off of referrals?  Being a recruiter for RB Insurance Group over the past few years, I have spoken with tons of agents all across the country, and also having access to our very own Medicare Encyclopedia, AKA Charlie Ferrell (RBI’s National Sales Manager), I think it’s safe to say that I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade.

Don’t spend a dime on a lead ever again

One of the biggest problems agents in our industry have is how to generate leads without breaking the bank. Trying to recruit agents back when I first got started in this industry, I would pitch RBI’s marketing services (read this article about RBI’s services!) and every once in a while the agent would say, “well that’s nice and all, but I strictly work off of referrals.”  Now I finally understand how they were able to build their referral network.

Not sure where to start? Start here!

In this white paper I give ideas of good locations that you can reach out to as well as a couple specific examples of how I approach businesses with the goal of establishing a relationship that will see your Medicare book of business grow.  I’ll walk you through exactly how and what I say to build your referral network. You’ll be on your way in no time!

Download this free white paper and watch your business grow

If you’d like to learn how I approach community marketing and what exactly I say to centers of influence to generate referrals, simply give us a call or leave us your contact info below and you will be able to download this paper right to your computer!

Let RBI teach you how to “own your own backyard” with Community Marketing. To get contracted today, follow this link or give us a call at 1-800-997-3107!




USA Senior Care Network
AEP
New Agent

Referrals: Building your referral network. Download this free white paper to learn

James Gramp

RBI Senior Sales Coordinator/

Independent Agent: James Gramp

With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is the other half of the RBI phone answering dynamic duo! 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 over a year, and has worked at RBI for 2 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.

Referrals: Building your referral network

Download this free white paper to learn today

RBI Senior Sales Coordinator/Independent Agent: James Gramp


Referrals

Good referral sources in your community is often just a matter of finding or sponsoring local events.

Have you ever wondered how some agents are so successful by only working off of referrals?  Being a recruiter for RB Insurance Group over the past few years, I have spoken with tons of agents all across the country, and also having access to our very own Medicare Encyclopedia, AKA Charlie Ferrell (RBI’s National Sales Manager), I think it’s safe to say that I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade.

Don’t spend a dime on a lead ever again

One of the biggest problems agents in our industry have is how to generate leads without breaking the bank. Trying to recruit agents back when I first got started in this industry, I would pitch RBI’s marketing services (read this article about RBI’s services!) and every once in a while the agent would say, “well that’s nice and all, but I strictly work off of referrals.”  Now I finally understand how they were able to build their referral network.

Not sure where to start? Start here!

In this white paper I give ideas of good locations that you can reach out to as well as a couple specific examples of how I approach businesses with the goal of establishing a relationship that will see your Medicare book of business grow.  I’ll walk you through exactly how and what I say to build your referral network. You’ll be on your way in no time!

Download this free white paper and watch your business grow

If you’d like to learn how I approach community marketing and what exactly I say to centers of influence to generate referrals, simply give us a call or leave us your contact info below and you will be able to download this paper right to your computer!

Let RBI teach you how to “own your own backyard” with Community Marketing. To get contracted today, follow this link or give us a call at 1-800-997-3107!




USA Senior Care Network
AEP
New Agent

Spotlight on Outstanding Community Referral Sources

James Gramp

James Gramp

Sales Coordinator / Independent Insurance Agent

With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is the other half of the RBI phone answering dynamic duo! 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 over a year, and has worked at RBI for 2 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.

Spotlight on Outstanding Community Referral Sources

Sales Coordinator/Independent Insurance Agent: James Gramp


My focus for this part of the year is on the Dual Eligible population, something you would know if you read my last post (shame on you if you didn’t!), “Your Best Month Yet.”  The most successful ways I’ve reached this population are Direct Mail and Community Marketing.  Both methods are very effective but today I’ll be focusing on community marketing by building outstanding community referral sources, especially in the Dual Eligibles/Low Income Subsidy (LIS) market.

Community Referral Sources - do your homework!

To gain community referral sources, do your homework!

Do your homework: Prepare for the meeting

Effective referral leads are worth their weight in gold.  Think about it: they’re almost always referred to you by someone they trust, which helps you break through the most important barrier between you and making the sale; earning trust. If you want to succeed in gaining community referral sources, and then in appointments from these referral relationships, you must build a name for yourself as the “Medicare Expert” in your community. The first step is to obviously have the knowledge to be an expert. This means not just the ins and outs of Medicare, but also research the focus group you’re targeting. For instance, I’m targeting Dual Eligible/Low Income Subsidy members, and locations in the community that interact with them. I need to research both. Hint: If you don’t know where to start for your target market, call us! That’s what we’re here for.

Where’s Waldo? Find the Decision Maker

There’s a lot more to community marketing than going to provider offices/food banks and asking if you can put up a flyer in their office. The trick is to find and educate the decision maker or influencer, that is, the person or people that interact with the potential members on a daily basis. Community Referral SourcesThe influencer will be doing the actual referral, so they need to know what you do. How do you help seniors save money? The answer in my case is by helping enroll members in the ‘Extra Help’ or the state Medicaid (AHCCCS in AZ) program. Influencers also need to understand that your consultations are 100% free of charge. You do not want to go in to a networking meeting looking like a typical salesman looking for your next sale — that’s a great way to get shown the door. You want your “pitch” to be centered around the value you bring to the table: the education and extra financial help you provide your clients.

Show me the money! What’s in it for the influencer?

Not only do you have to show the benefit you provide to your clients, you also have to show the decision makers or influencers the benefit they have of working with you.  A lot of what you say at this point is specific to the type of facility. Take a dental office, for instance. Dental office patients who are on Medicare and Medicaid qualify to enroll in Dual Special Needs Plans, which can give them up to $xxxx.xx in dental coverage as long as that particular doctor ins “in-network” for that carrier.  If these potential members enroll, you’re literally putting money in their pockets that they can only use to fix their teeth.  In my appointments with dental office influencers, I make this statement: “Not only do I help my clients save money with these federal and state programs, but for my clients that qualify I can get them on a plan that gives them $xxxx.xx in comprehensive dental coverage. That would be additional dollars to your top line with minimal effort on your part. If I can get your patients more money to get their teeth fixed would you refer your patients that have questions about Medicare/Medicaid to me?” Patients will be more likely to schedule appointments for major work if they don’t have to cover the costs out of pocket, and the dental office will see this value. The decision for the influencer is very straightforward at this point, because I have shown them how the referral relationship will impact their bottom line.

At RB Insurance Group, we pride ourselves on our ability to help the Dual Eligible population! Our staff has personally enrolled thousands of individuals in Dual Special Needs Plans.  Trying to get into the D-SNP market? Watch this webinar! Give RBI a call today to get contracted and learn about the incredible opportunity you have to truly make a difference.


2022 AHIP
2020 ahip discount certification
OEP

My community marketing story: Special Olympics Utah

Community marketing was one of the easiest, but also one of the most challenging things I did when I was actively writing new business for my agency in Utah. As an agent selling Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements, Dual Special Needs and now final expense products for the past 10 years, I’ve found that being actively involved in my community was rewarding spiritually, but also in the sense that it helped me market my business.

Community marketing is a fairly simple concept. It means getting yourself in front of as many individuals who could use some advice about their health insurance coverage options as you can. The best part is connecting your business with your interest in giving back to your community can still be compliant with the Medicare Marketing Guidelines.

It’s fairly inexpensive to market yourself to the community. You may have to pay for a booth at informal events like senior expos or join a group, but it has a great return on the investment if your volunteering leads to even one sale. Community marketing requires a bigger investment of time and energy, so be forewarned: Staying with it for the long haul can be tough, and not always having the advice and guidance you give lead to a sale can be discouraging.

Members participate in the Unified Relay Across America in anticipation of the Special Olympics World Games, held July 25-August 2. Image courtesy of Special Olympics Utah’s Facebook page

Medicare and other health coverage options for children and young adults with physical and intellectual disabilities

I volunteered with special Olympics Utah when I first got started in the business after an appointment with a parent whose son had Down Syndrome. She told me there were a lot of parents like her who had no idea what programs were available for their children for health insurance other than Medicaid. In fact, Medicare serves individuals over the age of 18 who also have a physical or intellectual disability. One thing led to another, and that Saturday I showed up for an event was a timer for the 100-yard dash. I watched the kids and teens all afternoon, and they introduced me to their parents.

I went to several Special Olympics meetups in the next few weeks and was introduced each time as The Medicare Guy because I knew a lot about Medicare and Dual Special Needs Programs that I could share. Whenever I got a phone call about “Where can I take my daughter to get her teeth cleaned?” or “Where can I find hearing aids for my son?” I had the answer. I knew which DD case managers did the best job of helping their clients manage things like adult day care and how to apply for community grants to help them pay for the cost.

I met a lot of people and listened to many stories as I helped out with events. Sometimes I couldn’t do anything for them other than listen and help them figure out what the best fit for their health and financial situations were, but the fact that I helped them breathe a little easier means a lot to me.  I never walked away without asking people to refer their friends and family to me for their own questions.

There’s nothing better than saving someone $300 per month when they make $,1000 or less or helping a family find the right coverage for their special-needs children. You will be their friend for life, and they will tell all of your friends about you.

Call RB Insurance at (800) 997 3107 or email me to learn more about serving Medicare’s many members through community marketing. Click here to subscribe to our blog for more insights on how you can build a portfolio of products to market yourself and build your Medicare book of business.

Dual eligibility is your sales opportunity

Seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, otherwise known as dual eligibles, are truly an untapped market. It’s estimated that approximately 8.3 million people in the United States are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid, including low-income seniors and low-income individuals with a disability who are 18 or older. CMS recently reported that 11 percent of these dual eligibles nationwide are enrolled in a Dual Special Needs Plan, which agents can sell year-round as part of their portfolio of products.

Dual Special Needs Plans are a type of Medicare Advantage plan administered by private carriers like United Healthcare and often include extra benefits not covered by Medicare or Medicaid such as Dental, Vision, Hearing Aids, OTC and non-emergency medical transportation. In addition to these needed extra benefits, having a Medicare Advantage Special Needs plan simplifies things for the enrollee — he or she will have to worry about just one card instead of three to access health benefits and prescription coverage, and he or she will have just one customer service line to call should there be an issue. Another selling point is that Special Needs plans offer care coordination so clients have help managing multiple or chronic conditions.

One of the best ways to reach out to dual-eligible prospects is with community marketing. Community marketing simply refers to getting yourself in front of as many individuals who could use some advice about their insurance options as you can. Whether it’s volunteering at a food bank or a Special Olympics event (something I enjoyed doing when I lived in SLC), people see that you really care and are much more likely to send potential clients to you when you give back to your community and let people know you are there to help. So many families are looking for a helpful guide because they often don’t know where to start when it comes to benefits.

You can focus your marketing efforts at key places I’ll list below if you are interested in selling dual-eligible plans. Remember I’m just giving you a starting point — I’ve known agents who have expanded their community marketing beyond what I have here. Also, some carriers expect you to let them know you are marketing to potential beneficiaries in HUD or Section 8 housing.

Here are the Top 10 places for dual-eligible marketing and Lead generation:
1. Section 8 housing
2. County housing authorities apartment buildings or HUD housing
3. Senior centers
4. Area agency on aging or counseling groups
5. Faith-based organizations or churches
6. Food banks or pantries
7. Support groups for foster grandparents
8. Thrift stores like Goodwill
9. Senior expos and health fairs (Check out Senior Broker Trainer Tom O’Neil’s post on marketing yourself at these events)
10. Non-profit organizations supporting those with disabilities (Click here to read my community marketing story with Special Olympics Utah)

For more specific information about marketing to dual-eligible seniors as part of your senior insurance business, give me a call at (800) 997 3107 or email me with your questions. I’m happy to give you more specific advice for your market.