First day cold calling a FLOP

[OHInsAGNT]

I am sorry to tell you that you can no longer cold call seniors for medicare supps or mapd plans. These laws went into effect on Dec. 1, 2008. I would suggest you learn these laws before you get caught and lose your license.

I'm a neutral party. I've never sold a medicare related plan of any sort. But, I am familiar with the law. You are not allowed to call anyone for Medicare Advantage, a government supported program. You can call for Medicare supplement insurance as you wish. They are two entirely different products.

 

[jody108]

Re: First day in the Clink

Never fear, I'm on my way with more goats and a whole lot of scotch. Would have been there sooner but I had trouble hooking them up to the sleigh.

They broke into the case of scotch while I was sharpening my spear and looking for my winter loin cloth.

Great, drunk goats ... what am i supposed to do???? I'm already positioned on my bed, jumping the goat I brought along.

Please come quick .... I need a drink and ... Hey! do you have girl goat for mine ... maybe that will make him stop charging me.

QUICK!!! I need you at my side ...

I'm just relieved to know you are near!!!!

Except, one thing ....... the inmates are looking at me funny ... especially when i bend over to pick up my phone script ....

"Bubba, stop it ..."

 

[Jacob59]

Get your ducks re-arranged!

If it was as easy as just calling people up, everyone and anyone would do it. Cold calling is just not very effective.

You need a marketing plan.

Do some seminars, find some senior groups that you can speak to, find another agent that does complimentary things, do some unique direct mail.

Find a way to see people on a favorable basis.

I disagree that cold calling is not effective. My first year in the business I sold right at 200 apps of Medsupps and LTC Just going door to door and making a few calls on the phone. Its not one size fits all. It's all about your abilities, personality, and what you believe you can do. While i was doing that, many other agents in our office could not believe i was selling so much cold calling. But it was ME that knew i could do it and continued doing it for another 3 years. Today, almost all of those clients are still on the books sending me lots of renewals and referrals. I don't cold call anymore because i don't want to nor need to. Good Luck!

 

[jody108]

I disagree that cold calling is not effective. My first year in the business I sold right at 200 apps of Medsupps and LTC Just going door to door and making a few calls on the phone. Its not one size fits all. It's all about your abilities, personality, and what you believe you can do. While i was doing that, many other agents in our office could not believe i was selling so much cold calling. But it was ME that knew i could do it and continued doing it for another 3 years. Today, almost all of those clients are still on the books sending me lots of renewals and referrals. I don't cold call anymore because i don't want to nor need to. Good Luck!

You're not with the FBI are you?

 

[arnguy]

Get your ducks re-arranged!

If it was as easy as just calling people up, everyone and anyone would do it. Cold calling is just not very effective.

You need a marketing plan.

Do some seminars, find some senior groups that you can speak to, find another agent that does complimentary things, do some unique direct mail.

Find a way to see people on a favorable basis.

Come on, Paul, you know the difference between complimentary and complementary!

 

[Vitamin C]

Help me out here.

Ohio quoted approx. $1,000 average commission.

Moonlight's quoting $1,316 first year commission on a sale...

what products are you selling?
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I'm not the CMS police but isn't the quote below leaning towards a violation of their new rules?

Nice work. Yeah...it's best to leave them alone in a situation like yours.

I've got a case now where I saw a lady last Monday that had an MA plan. I presented her an alternative MA plan that she wasn't really interested in...her doctor isn't on their network. I then discussed a med-supp for her, including rates.

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Greensky,

Thanks for your quite candid posting so us newer agents can know what time it is.

Whether or not your name will be cleared is immaterial. Based upon my experience and what others have said, your leads are really worth nothing and you are a poor business to work with. But it's a nice gesture on your part.

But Chumps is right. Even if the court clears you which is highly doubtful, the damage done to your company seems terminal. You should be doing anything and everything to try to prove you're not a cheat.

How's that for a positive post?

Rick

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Come on, Paul, you know the difference between complimentary and complementary!

You're absolutely right arn - my bad...guess I forgot my gingko biloba (sp?) that day!

 

[Russ]

Help me out here.

Ohio quoted approx. $1,000 average commission.

Moonlight's quoting $1,316 first year commission on a sale...

what products are you selling?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I'm not the CMS police but isn't the quote below leaning towards a violation of their new rules?


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Greensky,

Thanks for your quite candid posting so us newer agents can know what time it is.

No...the lady called me up about looking at alternatives.

EDITS>>>Actually, now that I think about it, she was a referral from an existing client. I called her..she told me what she had...an MA w/Wellcare....I told her I was getting supplies for the 2009 AARP MA plans. When they finally sent me the correct forms and booklets for my area(about a month later), I called her back and set-up an appointment. To make a long story short, I eventually got her off of the Wellcare MA plan and back on Medicare and a med-supp.

Don't think I violated any of the silly CMS rules?

 

[Frank Stastny]

Don't think I violated any of the silly CMS rules?

Your question can best be answered by asking another question.

Did you help her and is she in a much better position with her health care now than she was before she talked to you?

To me that is the most important "rule" to comply with.

Can you envision an intelligent person seeing it any other way? Oh wait, CMS is a govt agency. There goes that argument. haha

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Help me out here.

Ohio quoted approx. $1,000 average commission.

Moonlight's quoting $1,316 first year commission on a sale...

what products are you selling?

In my case it was health insurance on a 53 year old female smoker. Copay type plan, monthly premium $439.