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Prospecting your Book of Business

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Medicare cost-sharing

RBI National Sales Manager: Charlie Ferrell

Charlie started his senior insurance career after a brief 30-year stint in the restaurant industry. In the 12 years since then, he has been blazing trails and setting standards for excellence all over! A native son of Utah, he has been a state manager for RBI as well as a managing general agent for UHC, Coventry, Molina and other carriers! Charlie came to RBI as the National Sales Manager in 2015, and is an invaluable resource for our agents and staff for marketing, compliance, and sales topics! Charlie’s field experience with senior insurance sales has made him an expert in our insurance CRM: Medicare Sales Engine. If all of that wasn’t enough, Charlie specializes in the Dual-Eligible market and is leading the charge behind RBI’s new “Dual Eligibles for Newbies” seminars!

Prospecting your Book of Business

Now that the New Year is upon us and our client are using their plans is a great time to go prospecting. Prospecting you say? But AEP ended a month ago! Use your existing book of business to write more business. There are plenty of additional products to sell. From indemnity products to Medicare Supplement plans to Final Expense. Now is the time to start a dialog about who they know that you can help. If you don’t ask your clients for referrals you are leaving business on the table for others to write.

This is also the best time to contact your new and existing clients that are using a new plan. Get in touch with them and let them know that you value their business and help them use their plan to the fullest. It is much easier to nip a small problem right now before it gets out of control; maybe it’s a different co-pay for a drug they have been taking for a while or the fact that they have to use a different doctor since switching plans. Anything you do right now will cement your place in their mind as their trusted advisor.

We’ve found that new members appreciate calls from their agent after the first of the year to check-in and make sure they have no outstanding questions about their plan or benefits. These calls also allow you to strengthen the bond with your members early in their plan year. To help you out, we have a few tips on topics to discuss with members during the first 2 months. By making the call and using these guidelines, you are able to instill your client’s confidence in you and their plan.

  • Ask if they have any questions about their plan/benefits
  • Review doctor network if appropriate. (Medicare Supplements have no network)
  • Review RX coverage, co-payments and pharmacies (including if they travel)
  • Discuss nurse line available 24/7 (most MA plans)
  • Discuss Extra Benefits (where applicable)
  • Discuss Silver Sneakers/Silver Fit where applicable

Most carriers are now also recommending you call your clients at the 60 and 90 day point as well. Topics are the same as listed above but by now they should have had a chance to use their benefits. If they have not used their benefits, remind them of the OTC benefit (if the plan has one) and how to order their items, especially if the benefit is a monthly or quarterly benefit and if it is a “Use it or lose it” type of benefit.

During your close is the best time to ask for referrals. You can ask for names and addresses but not phone numbers for MA clients. Remind them of the fact that you are not allowed to call their friends if they need help but that their friend has to call YOU in order to be compliant (for MA/PDP referrals). This also reminds them that anyone who calls them may not be following CMS guidelines and further insulates them as your client.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I meet with someone new I always ask them if they’ve worked with an agent in the past and the most common answer I hear is, “yeah, but I haven’t heard from in the past year or two.” The goal of your follow-ups is to not be that agent! The more you stay in front of your clients and help them use their plan, the more business you’ll see stay on the books.

Want even more tips on how to generate more referrals? Give us a call at 1-800-997-3107 and Learn how RBI Works for You. Looking for year-round sales opportunities? Fill out this contract request form, or call our office today to learn more!



CMS call recording

CMS Call Recording Guidelines For 2023

Medicare cost-sharing

2019 Medicare Cost-Sharing

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USA Senior Care Network

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2019 AHIP

2019 AHIP Update Plus $50 Discount!

Prospecting your Book of Business

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Medicare cost-sharing

RBI National Sales Manager: Charlie Ferrell

Charlie started his senior insurance career after a brief 30-year stint in the restaurant industry. In the 12 years since then, he has been blazing trails and setting standards for excellence all over! A native son of Utah, he has been a state manager for RBI as well as a managing general agent for UHC, Coventry, Molina and other carriers! Charlie came to RBI as the National Sales Manager in 2015, and is an invaluable resource for our agents and staff for marketing, compliance, and sales topics! Charlie’s field experience with senior insurance sales has made him an expert in our insurance CRM: Medicare Sales Engine. If all of that wasn’t enough, Charlie specializes in the Dual-Eligible market and is leading the charge behind RBI’s new “Dual Eligibles for Newbies” seminars!

Prospecting your Book of Business

Now that the New Year is upon us and our client are using their plans is a great time to go prospecting. Prospecting you say? But AEP ended a month ago! Use your existing book of business to write more business. There are plenty of additional products to sell. From indemnity products to Medicare Supplement plans to Final Expense. Now is the time to start a dialog about who they know that you can help. If you don’t ask your clients for referrals you are leaving business on the table for others to write.

This is also the best time to contact your new and existing clients that are using a new plan. Get in touch with them and let them know that you value their business and help them use their plan to the fullest. It is much easier to nip a small problem right now before it gets out of control; maybe it’s a different co-pay for a drug they have been taking for a while or the fact that they have to use a different doctor since switching plans. Anything you do right now will cement your place in their mind as their trusted advisor.

We’ve found that new members appreciate calls from their agent after the first of the year to check-in and make sure they have no outstanding questions about their plan or benefits. These calls also allow you to strengthen the bond with your members early in their plan year. To help you out, we have a few tips on topics to discuss with members during the first 2 months. By making the call and using these guidelines, you are able to instill your client’s confidence in you and their plan.

  • Ask if they have any questions about their plan/benefits
  • Review doctor network if appropriate. (Medicare Supplements have no network)
  • Review RX coverage, co-payments and pharmacies (including if they travel)
  • Discuss nurse line available 24/7 (most MA plans)
  • Discuss Extra Benefits (where applicable)
  • Discuss Silver Sneakers/Silver Fit where applicable

Most carriers are now also recommending you call your clients at the 60 and 90 day point as well. Topics are the same as listed above but by now they should have had a chance to use their benefits. If they have not used their benefits, remind them of the OTC benefit (if the plan has one) and how to order their items, especially if the benefit is a monthly or quarterly benefit and if it is a “Use it or lose it” type of benefit.

During your close is the best time to ask for referrals. You can ask for names and addresses but not phone numbers for MA clients. Remind them of the fact that you are not allowed to call their friends if they need help but that their friend has to call YOU in order to be compliant (for MA/PDP referrals). This also reminds them that anyone who calls them may not be following CMS guidelines and further insulates them as your client.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I meet with someone new I always ask them if they’ve worked with an agent in the past and the most common answer I hear is, “yeah, but I haven’t heard from in the past year or two.” The goal of your follow-ups is to not be that agent! The more you stay in front of your clients and help them use their plan, the more business you’ll see stay on the books.

Want even more tips on how to generate more referrals? Give us a call at 1-800-997-3107 and Learn how RBI Works for You. Looking for year-round sales opportunities? Fill out this contract request form, or call our office today to learn more!



CMS call recording

CMS Call Recording Guidelines For 2023

Medicare cost-sharing

2019 Medicare Cost-Sharing

S.S.D.Y. – Same Stuff Different Year – Here’s Your 2019 AEP Checklist

USA Senior Care Network

Save Big: Medico + USA Senior Care Network

2019 AHIP

2019 AHIP Update Plus $50 Discount!

Referrals that Empower: 3 paths to timely results

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Our RBI team includes licensed life and health agents with a combined 50+ years of experience in the field.  As you can imagine, they know how to get referrals that empower not just their business, but also their own personal growth as agents. 


Charlie Ferrell, National Sales Manager, started as a senior insurance agent more than 12 years ago. His expertise is in Medicare, specifically Dual Eligibles and Low Income Subsidy clients.

Rob Bever, Director of Compliance, has more than 15 years in the Medicare/senior insurance market. He has around 1500 enrollments under his belt and specializes in the Dual Eligible market.

James Gramp, Sales Coordinator/Independent Agent, though James has only been an agent for about 2 years, his clients are already raving about his great service!

Bob Bever, Founder, got licensed as a life and health agent in 1978 and has applied his excellent service to his clients and agents alike! His success is the reason we’re all here!


Compliance Tip

Referrals that Empower: 3 paths to timely results

Contributions from the RBI Team



Every agent spends a significant portion of his or her time thinking about, reading about, and planning (or executing plans!) to increase sales. It’s what all of us want as agents because, after all, more sales mean more commissions, which means more security for our pocketbooks and our families. One of the most important ways to get more business is to ask for referrals. But if you read articles about this topic, you’ll notice a theme telling you to ask for referrals, but no one ever tells you how to do this. No more! RBI is here to end this trend.  Our tutorial will teach you to increase your sales with referrals that empower your business to the next level. Here’s our top 3 recommendations, plus our bonus round for agents that want to build a referral system they can “wind up and walk away.”

Referrals that Empower

“Increase your sales with referrals that empower your business!”

Number 1: Learn to pre-qualify clients

Charlie Ferrell, RBI’s National Sales Manager, is fantastic at getting referrals.  We asked him for his best advice on how to build a referral base he doesn’t have to think about every day and his number one piece of advice was to pre-qualify every client before the end of the appointment, whether you sell them a plan or not. Charlie does this by understanding that every appointment with every client is about education. “If you are educating your clients on how Medicare works, it leads seamlessly into asking the question at the end, ‘Have I helped you understand Medicare better?‘” Charlie says. “If I have done my job right, my clients know what their options are, so when I hand them a business card and say, ‘Please give this to anyone that you know who could use my services,’ the response is always positive.”  To implement this strategy, you should make sure that you do a good job educating your clients in Medicare before you present individual plans. You’ll spend a little more time with each client, but you’ll build a strong and loyal client base. This makes asking for the referral at the end of the appointment more natural.

Number 2: Make yourself accessible

“The key to good referrals is ease of contact for your clients,” says Rob Bever, RBI’s Director of Compliance. “With the CMS Medicare Marketing Guidelines, most of my referrals come outside of appointments these days, usually within 1 week of my follow-ups.” What are those follow-ups? Rob says he hands out “piles of business cards” and reaches out to his clients with follow-up letters, birthday cards and other types of letters. He usually get some referrals about a week after his birthday card or other letter reaches his client. “If my clients have 20 business cards on hand and I’ve told them, ‘If you have any friends or neighbors who have been having trouble with their insurance, have them call me,’ I’ll get referrals that way.” The bottom line? Stay in contact with your clients through phone calls, letters and other outreach. Clients can’t refer friends to you if they don’t have a way of contacting you.

Number 3: Emphasis on value

James Gramp, RBI’s Sales Coordinator extraordinaire, says his “ask” always focuses on the value he brings to the table. “If I have done my job in the appointment, the closing statement is easy enough. I usually say something like ‘If you have friends or know someone with questions about Medicare, I’m happy to help. My services are completely free, they can just give me a call.” Jim says he always makes sure to emphasize that he is available for questions, and that he is there to serve his clients’ needs without a price tag.  Pro tip: “Make sure referrals from your clients know that they have to call you due to government regulations. I usually state that explicitly in my appointments so there is no confusion,” James says.

Bonus round: Provide exceptional service and your referrals will come to you

Bob Bever, RBI’s managing member, has been in the insurance industry for over 35 years. His expertise is invaluable for picking up referrals that empower. Here’s his take, “Building your business by referrals really comes down to one statement: be the best agent that you can be. I always leave 4 or 5 business cards with my clients and tell them if they have any issues to call my mobile number. But if you build that expectation you have to fulfill it as well. Be what you advertise. My success came to me because I was willing to answer my phone anytime day or night and provide service to my clients right then.” Bob shares that when you take the time to build a rapport with your clients and then give the best customer service possible, your clients will talk about their experiences. “I still get referrals from some of my clients that I first got in the 1990’s.”

Did you like our referral advice? Do you have advice of your own? Call us at 1-800-997-3107 and tell us how you work to expand your business! If you like this article, chances are good you’ll like this one and this one. Not yet an RBI agent? Check out our list of carriers to get started contracting today! 

Subscribe to the RBI Agent’s Advantage Blog for a weekly newsletter digest of great Medicare content, like the latest in carrier news, tutorials, video roll-ups and more!


2022 AHIP

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2020 Medicare Agent and Broker Compensation Announced | CMS | RBI

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UPDATED 2017: Agents Don’t Work Alone: Build a network of professional friends

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Charlie Ferrell

National Sales Manager


NOTE FROM RBI: Charlie Ferrell, our National Sales Manager, is celebrating a work-a-versary today! On this day in 2015, Charlie made the switch from being an state manager/MGA to working full-time at RB Insurance Group — and we are so glad he did!  If you’ve called RBI for advice, you’ve probably talked with Charlie for help on individual markets, MAPS planning, or even real-time client advice. Today we celebrate Charlie’s amazing contributions to RB Insurance by bringing back one of his earliest blog articles as National Sales Manager. Though it’s newly updated for 2017, the content is as wise and relevant today as…well…as Charlie himself.

UPDATED 2017: Agents Don’t Work Alone

Build a network of professional friends

National Sales Manager: Charlie Ferrell



You may have heard the expression “You can’t be everything to everyone.” That’s just as true in the insurance business as it is in everyday life. In order to serve my clients, I’ve found I need to align myself with others who can fill in the gaps between my Medicare knowledge and expertise.

Breaking Bad Habits:

If you’re like me, you frequently find yourself fielding questions from clients on topics beyond your scope. I’m going to be totally honest with you: when I started getting more clients calls than I could handle on subjects like wills or Medicaid planning, my main referral source for years was Google. At a certain point, however, I started getting tired of hearing myself say, “Let me see if I can find someone who can help you.” There’s nothing I can do about not knowing absolutely everything about senior health insurance and finances, but I felt I could do better than sticking the duty of due diligence on my clients.

Build a network of professional friends

“Networking can be mutually beneficial for agents, lawyers, financial advisors.”

That’s why I decided in 2014 to get smart about networking. I knew it would be more helpful to my clients if I could recommend someone I personally knew and trusted for their financial or legal questions. I also knew I’d be investing in my book of business because networking can be mutually beneficial for agents, lawyers, financial advisors— their clients are probably going to need Medicare advice at one point or another!

Building New (and GOOD!) Habits:

I called a few of my longtime clients and asked them who they go to for advice. They recommended a few highly respected attorneys they had had good experiences with, one of whom deals exclusively with Medicaid planning. He helps families protect their assets when someone needs to go into a nursing home. Another attorney I reached out to specializes in wills and trusts: a perfect solution for me, since sometimes a client needs a simple will. Other clients need the whole package that puts all of their assets into a trust, especially if they have homes in multiple states and don’t want their kids to have to go through probate to spend if it isn’t necessary.

Lastly, I found a CPA to help my clients with their tax questions and financial planning needs. I now feel confident that my network has my clients’ best interests at heart and that I can depend on them returning the favor by sending their respective clients to me. I estimate that 10 percent of my new clients in 2015 came from my alignments with outside experts.

What I Learned:

It’s amazing what you can get when you ask your clients for their input. I noticed right away that my clients were much more engaged, and so were more likely to refer their friends and family to me. For these clients, it was clear that I valued their opinion. Second, I found this exercise reconnected me with some of my clients I hadn’t spoken to in a while.

Personally, I’m excited whenever I can help others. As agents, most of our clients are looking for someone they can trust to help them with life’s difficult decisions. You can be that trusted advisor for Medicare, and you can let others offer valuable advice on finances and legal arrangements. Your clients will benefit, you will benefit, and your new network will benefit as well. The bottom line is these professional relationships are a win-win-win.

Are you ready to get started? Build a network of professional friends to strengthen your business today! If you don’t know how to take the first step, click here to watch our recorded webinar “Finding Dual Eligibles” or call our team of experts today at 1-800-997-3107!


Updated: 3/2/2017; Original post date: 12/3/2015


2022 AHIP

2023 AHIP Certification

2020 ahip discount certification

2020 Medicare Agent and Broker Compensation Announced | CMS | RBI

OEP

MA-OEP is back!

S.S.D.Y. – Same Stuff Different Year – Here’s Your 2019 AEP Checklist

Top Compliance Mistakes in Home Visits for MA Agents

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As RBI’s Director of Training and Compliance, I hear all the time from agents that have gotten into compliance trouble.  So here’s my shortlist of the biggest compliance mistakes in home visits for Medicare Advantage Agents.

Number 1: Failure to collect the Scope of Appointment before presenting the product.

As odd as this sounds, many agents still struggle with the SOA requirements. The CMS requirement is to obtain scope of appointment at minimum 48 hours prior to the appointment whenever practicable. Many agents still fail to complete one prior to the appointment.

Compliance Mistakes in Home Visits

Here’s my shortlist of the 4 biggest compliance mistakes in home visits for Medicare Advantage Agents.

Number 2: Failure to complete a needs analysis.

Many agents view MA sales as an order taking exercise.

  1. Are your doctors covered?
  2. Are you drugs covered?
  3. Is the premium/copay less than what you have now?

While those are good questions to ask, you need to find out what is most important to the member. Find out what services they use most often. Are they worried more about premium or unforeseen costs? Do they plan to travel? If you do this step properly, you will avoid allegations and grievances by vetting them out on the front end.

Number 3: No Cross Sell of Other Products.

I still talk to agents every day that are very wary of cross selling any product during an MA appointment. Cross selling is perfectly fine as long as the products are agreed to on the SOA form. Hospital Indemnity pairs perfectly with MA plans and in many cases can double or more your first year commission on that member. Just remember you can only cross sell health related products. See our blog posts for more info. No Life, burial or annuity sales allowed in the same appointment.

Number 4: Did Not Ask for Referrals

There is a common compliance misconception going around regarding asking for referrals in appointments. In fact, several carriers have been training agents to never ask for a referral in an MA appointment. While soliciting names and phone numbers is prohibited, you can absolutely ask clients to refer their friends and family to you. Many agents leave only one business card and don’t follow up with a letter or even a call after enrollment. Leave at least 5 business cards at every appointment, even if you don’t enroll them and always include a few in any letters you send to your clients. Not only will you get some word-of-mouth marketing, but this ensures that you answer any lingering questions that otherwise may cost you in a disenrollment.

Are you concerned about compliance?  RBI is here to help! Our contracted agents get access to our support team, including Rob Bever, Director of Training and Compliance.  If you would like to get started today, click here to see a list of carriers.  You can also call and speak to the team or Rob directly, at 1-800-997-3107.

Top Ten Ways to Promote Yourself on a Budget

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Top 10

We are all searching for free or inexpensive marketing methods to increase our bottom line. We at the Agent’s Advantage have compiled our top ten low-cost (and no-cost) ideas which will pay dividends year-round. Some immediately, others long-term.

  1. Ask for referrals! You know someone is going to talk to your client’s friends. It might as well be you!
  2. Host monthly educational events i.e. “Medicare 101” at your local senior center, church or apartment complex. Educational events do not have to be reported to CMS. Knowledge sells!
  3. Become an active member of your community and establish yourself as THE Medicare insurance expert. Consider purchasing ad space in newsletters, sponsoring BINGO, or volunteering at a senior center.
  4. Never underestimate the power of social media. Studies are showing that over 56% of adults 65 and older with internet access use Facebook, and that number is increasing. Create a Facebook page for your agency (even if you’re the solo agent!) Post content specifically geared toward your community. Share local events, interesting news updates, feel-good stories, and insurance-related articles that are relevant to your clients. Facebook is a gReferral Leads Quotereat way to stay in front of your clients.
  5. Network, network, network! Join a local business networking group. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, Business Networking International  or Meetup.com. Make connections and get your name out there!
  6. Get to know the media. Cultivate relationships with local newspaper, television and radio reporters. Pass along story ideas and make yourself available as an expert on all things Medicare-related. Ask to be a guest speaker on a local radio show to discuss important senior issues. The media is a great resource for increasing your name recognition.
  7. Promote your clients! Did you recently help a coffee shop owner pick out the perfect Medigap plan? Exchange advertising! Ask them to promote your agency on social media and local business review sites, and do the same for them.
  8. Boost your reputation by asking friends and clients to write honest (and hopefully positive) reviews of your services on social media. Be sure to set up your Google Business Profile.
  9. Built a website and use your logo and URL everywhere. Professional-looking websites can be built easily and expensively (even free!) on sites such as Wix, Weebly, WordPress and Blogger. Not very web-savvy? Check out Fiverr for inexpensive virtual assistance!
  10. Talk to Financial planners about what they are doing for their clients as they age into Medicare. Most Financial Planners budget for medical costs but lack the expertise to find the best fit for their clients.

Remember… he who climbs a tree and hollers is the one that gets the dollars!

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Low Income Subsidy (LIS) and MSP’s for seniors

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Every year I meet two or three people who do not know they are eligible to receive Low Income Subsidy (LIS) benefits to reduce their prescription drug costs. They also don’t know about Medicare Savings Programs (MSP’s) that cover the cost of their Medicare Part B premium. Once I sit down with these folks at the kitchen table and help them see real savings, I know I’ve made a meaningful impact in their life and can add a lifetime client to my book of business who is more than happy to send friends and family my way.

You can save your client up to $300 a month or more by helping them apply for LIS and other Medicare Savings programs. Most programs do not require them to be a full dual-eligible. Individuals who make between 100-135 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) can apply to have their Medicare Part D premium covered and their prescription cost sharing significantly reduced as well as their Medicare Part B premium covered. Click here for a link to your state’s programs.

I recently went on an appointment with one of our new agents in Arizona, and we helped a woman save $325 a month. Taking away her $35 Part D premium and reducing the cost of her prescriptions saved her $225 per month. We also saved her $104 a month on her Part B premium. It gives you a good feeling inside when both you and the client have tears in your eyes because you have had such a profound effect on their lives.

If you can help a senior that is on a fixed income save more than $3,600 per year, it will make a huge difference in their lives. Based on my experience it’s the difference between being able to afford medications or groceries for the month. You can do the right thing and build your book of business by sharing your knowledge of LIS and Medicare Savings Programs. Agents who are knowledgeable of these available programs really have an advantage over other agents who just say “I have nothing for you” or “I can’t help you.”

 

Even though you may not have anything to sell that prospect, helping someone enroll in LIS or a Medicare Savings Program is a very positive way to spread the word about your business. Remember, you’re a senior insurance adviser, so that implies you sometimes offer pro bono advice. The bottom line is referrals are the easiest way to generate leads, so get in front of as many potential clients as you can. You never know where they will take you.

 

Join us on a Webinar on “Low Income Subsidies” Tue, Mar 8, 2016 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST (Updated time)

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5852829410336923137

Your game-changing mid-AEP pep talk

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Between babysitting their existing book of business and chasing down quality leads to create new business, agents are bound to be feeling a mixture of exhaustion and frustration at this point of the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. Can you relate?

Don’t worry. If you’re not seeing the success you think you should as we reach the halfway mark, you still have time to turn things around. 

My advice for agents looking to strengthen their sales practices is to focus on time management and asking for referrals. Make sure you’re keeping as many appointments as you can by planning your day in advance. Be honest with yourself about your work capacity and make wise investments to make sure you don’t fall behind (I recommend reading my recent posts on hiring an administrative assistant or compliant meeting spaces that require less travel to help you further see my point). Before you wrap up with each of those appointments, remember referrals.

Asking for referrals makes a lot of agents uncomfortable because they may have never learned how to do it properly, and some agents just plain forget to ask. It’s a shame because referrals are more than the greatest “thank you” a client could give you — they’re also the easiest leads to pick up.

It’s simple: Referrals are a natural part of the conversation during an appointment. If you’re making appointments with clients in their homes or at a coffee shop to answer questions about a plan or to review any plan changes, you’ve already set the stage by showing your expertise and that you can understand seniors’ specific health and financial needs. Hopefully you’ve made an effort to keep in touch with them throughout the year or have made yourself available for phone calls or emails.

It’s not impolite to remind your clients that referrals are the best way for them to thank you for your efforts. Being an agent is your business — it’s also how you pay for your daughter’s tuition or buy diapers for a little one. Don’t belabor this point as you let them know you appreciate them putting in a good word for you with their friends and family. They will more than likely be able to think of someone if you’ve provided excellent customer service and have helped them meet their needs. This mindset will pay you big dividends for years to come if you convert your new Leads and factor in renewals.

A book of 300 clients is typical for an agent. If each of these clients gives you just one referral because you find a way to request it in your sales practice, you could have 300 fresh Leads.

Remember: Plan your work and work your plan. AEP will be over before you know it. Now get back out there and help everyone you talk to see the true value of your knowledge and services for their health care needs.

Click here to subscribe to The Agent’s Advantage blog to read more of CEO Bob Bever’s special AEP series in your Inbox. You will receive one weekly newsletter during AEP.

Medicare agents: You can master the sales process

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When I think 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.

“Sales?!” they would always ask in bewilderment. “But Brandon, you had so much promise!” Rather than take offense, I was focused on becoming the most excellent sales professional I could be, regardless of whether I was selling security systems, high end jewelry, car service or insurance.

Image courtesy of Georgia Tech Facebook page

Georgia-Tech-courtesy-of-university-Facebook-page

Want to know what the reward of that hard work was? I was soon earning more money than all my friends — including the lawyer — and still do almost 30 years later.  In most organizations, the top sales professionals can make as much as or even more than company VPs and the CEO.

And yet there are sales professionals who barely make a living.

While there are many factors that influence whether sales professional earn 6 figures or struggle to get by, the fundamental difference between these two extremes is mastery of the sales process.

There are only a few university programs that teach students to think of sales as a process they can master. You’re lucky if the organization you work for provides actual sales training. The insurance industry expends most of its time and energy on licensing, continuing education and carrier product training for agents, but offering training on the actual sales process is hard to get from Broker Support. As a result, many agents are Ready To Sell, but not knowledgeable on how to sell.

I want to introduce you to the sales process with this post. You may have heard of a similar sales process from a different trainer because there are multiple versions of it. Here is my outline of the process that can make you a successful insurance professional:

This process likely covers what you’ve been doing instinctively, but refining how you do it will make better use of your time and make you more effective at finding and closing more prospects. That increase in effectiveness will increase your income and allow you to grow your business to 6-figure earnings and beyond.

Stay tuned next week for more on the sales process and RB Insurance’s special offer for FREE access to my 6 Hours to 6 Figures training program.

Want to read more? Click here to subscribe to The Agent’s Advantage. RB Insurance will never sell, rent or share your information. You will receive one weekly newsletter from RB Insurance.

The easiest (and most effective) Medicare marketing practice? Staying in touch!

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Last week I wrote that referrals maximize your hard-earned Medicare book of business and shared just five of the best ways to stay in touch with your clients as part of your Medicare marketing. This week I’m sharing five more tips that should get you thinking about marketing your Medicare business the way big companies think about their campaigns.

Why do you think big companies spend millions of dollars on TV commercials, newspaper inserts and other promotions? They know that building a successful brand requires a consistent approach to reaching consumers. In our world of information overload, you may not notice most of the ads on the sides of your favorite web sites, print magazine pages or even the ads before the latest viral YouTube video, but some of them are bound to capture your attention. My wife just bought a 20 oz. Coke simply because it had my name on the bottle — part of  Coca-Cola’s instantly effective Share A Coke campaign.

Balancing innovation with consistency in messaging is vital to any brand’s success, and that includes your senior insurance business. Having a great product for sale is only a beginning — you  have to reach out to consumers with advertising to succeed. It also takes continuous messaging to enter consumers’ consciousness. What if a big brand like Coca-Cola stopped its marketing efforts after the first try? It would have wasted precious time, energy and money. So will you if you don’t commit to marketing your Medicare business!

It’s possible your clients have forgotten you just three weeks after giving you apple pie and ice cream at the kitchen table when you went over Medicare Supplements with them. It’s much more likely they have forgotten about you if the last time you contacted them was your initial appointment last AEP. That’s why you have to conduct your business like the big corporations do — stay in touch! 

Think of your business, your products and your clients.  What types of ongoing communications yield greater client satisfaction, repeat business and referrals? Here are the next five in My top 10 ways to stay in touch with clients:

6. Hold educational sessions. Depending on your industry and product, your current clients might benefit from additional education.  If you’re in insurance or financial services, the list of topics is endless. These meetings are not designed to be sales events, but are set you up to let your clients know you’re there for them as a trusted advisor.

7. Connect with social media. OK, so your clients probably shouldn’t be adding you as a friend on Facebook, but they can follow your business and “Like” it.  There When used effectively, social media can help you reach clients in innovative new ways.  Of course, make sure to keep these outreaches strictly business!

8. Video messages. YouTube, Vimeo and other services make it possible for anyone to present relevant information to a worldwide audience.  You can make a message or series of messages that provide greater insight into your products and your services.  You can even create your own channel that your clients can watch and refer people to. I know a life insurance agent that does short, information-packed videos to teach his clients about the different forms of insurance.  This establishes his credibility and allows new clients a way to get to know him prior to calling.

9. Send emails. We all get more emails than we can read each day.  You could use form emails to send to your entire client base through a CRM, but a personal email is more effective.  You could send a “thinking of you” email that contains an interesting article.  You can also send new product information that attaches all the company bells and whistles to make it compelling and interesting.

10. Conduct a survey. Do you really want to know what your clients think or what they want? You should, because that’s the key to determining how to get them to buy more or refer more people to you.  Several online survey platforms like Survey Monkey will allow you to send a simple, short survey and even offer an incentive for their feedback.

As you stay in contact with your clients, not everything you do will be a hit. Some things will miss.  What matters is being consistent and being motivated to serve. The effort is worth it, so stay in touch!

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My community marketing story: Special Olympics Utah

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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.