Independent Health Insurance Agent Association

[Alston]

Sounds like a good program. I may sign up.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

You'd want to call me first Alston - senior agents with a lot of knowledge qualify for free membership and can run some presentations with other perks...especially down the road.

There's a saying:

"either you need the meeting or the meeting needs you."

We may need you.

 

[emg35]

I signed up yesterday and spent a lot of time reading last night, and I have to say the organization is great and I only expect it to get better.

 

[007]

I'm his FIRST new student and glad I signed up too...

 

[sman]

I don't - never will. It's impossible to keep up with the nuances in every state - a myriad of different plans and underwriting rules.

Two items:

1) The main association benefits are general training on the industry with regards to plans, underwriting rules, etc...You make a great point that all states are different which is something new agents are not aware of. However, they're aware of it when they join.

2) I'm affiliating with industry experts in a variety of states to run various training sessions. For example, I have a CE instructor lined up to cover licensing. I have a former underwriter lined up to get into great detailed training from the perspective of an underwriter.

I'm not going to be training, for example, on Arizona details. I'll have an Arizona affiliate do that training session.

Frankly, a larger benefit is a community atmosphere. Most people are simply not gonna post on message boards all day and over 80% of all member who have joined have not posted a message here yet. They don't don't feel comfortable and what I hear is "I don't want to waste anyone's time with a ton of questions."

Here's an example - most of us know you can get a free Google website; important to those without any money and want a web presence.

Exactly how do you go about it? Complicated - especially adding CNAME records so your domain directs. But I had someone who designs sites give me the play by play so:

"click the lower right square box for full screen."

Zoho Show - Public Documents

then you take that a step further and host a live "web building webinar" where members set up their site step by step.

Fair enough.

 

[GreenSky]

I'm not gonna go that route - I don't want to earn any overrides off members or be compensated in other ways except for dues.

What I'm doing is lining up top contracts for a variety of products so new agents don't have to fight and claw for top deals. But those will just be member benefits.

That's my point. Allow ALL the commission to go to the agents. You simply keep the monthly fee.

The FMO receives at least $150 override on MA plans. I'd be VERY happy to pay $50 per month to get $150 times 100 applications!

Rick

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Well there's strength in numbers - and at the rate of current membership and a few things happening next month we'll have that strength quickly.

With a lot of members I go to those MGA, FMO's etc...and say:

"Ok, this is the deal. We have "X" number of members we'd like to route your way, however you're gonna:

A: Pay "this" amount of commission
B: Give everyone a release if requested as long as you're protected for chargebacks

If they say no, I'll say "fine - plenty of other outfits would love "X" amount of members."

Right now I'm hooking up company direct training. If anyone's followed along they know I'm really pissed over the lack of industry training.

I've been on the phone with most of the major carriers going over how lack of company-direct training affects everything from wasted money on underwriting to client dissatisfaction.

Every one of them said "yes" - that they'd design something where someone from the company would run webinar training for members.

So screw letting the GAs or MGAs train people on Assurant plans and rules - let someone from corporate Assurant do it.

I was on the phone with my local Blue Cross - they'd love to get on a webinar and talk about not only the plans, but the standards they expect out of their agents.

A few of them want to "kick it upstairs" to get some sort of training program put together. I said that's totally unnecessary.

They can simply run a webinar going over the brochure, plan benefits, underwriting rules and ethics. You don't need a company to spend the next 8 months putting together some special training program.

If this spreads....there goes all the unethical GA, MGA, FMOs - anyone mistraining their agents.

I have one member (won't post his name but he's welcome to come on here and confirm) who was told not to put pre-ex on applications - that the carrier's job it to catch that stuff in underwriting. And it's not Mega.

 

[producer]

I am still trying to figure out why John would endorse a lead company through his association that is also an insurance agency.

Beneplan.com...scroll down to the bottom of the page, and they clearly state that they are an insurance agency.

That seems stupid. Why would I buy leads from another insurance agency competing against me?

Someone please correct me, if I am wrong here.

 

[TXINSURANCE]

This is not always the case.

I own an Insurance Agency.

I also own a lead company.

These are two separate companies, two separate buildings, two payrolls and my agency doesn't receive a single lead from my lead company (does not need to). We have done this since 2003 in this fashion - never had a problem. If you don't believe me this is fine as well, we have no shortage of clients and waiting lists in a lot of markets for good reason.

But I agree most people selling leads and insurance are usually double dipping and being slimy. The bigger issue is if leads are affiliate or non affiliate. Any lead company paying someone to generate leads (affiliate) the quality is horrible - then you run into issues of severe overselling and the problem gets even worse.

I think John is one of the good guys. How he goes about doing it - that's his business but clearly there is a void he is filling and that is commendable. If he makes a few bucks in the process - Welcome To America, good for him.

I really like what I see on his association - good stuff. I will be providing free contributions as well - anything I can do to help, I wish the best to him.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

New Lead Afflilate: ASAP Quotes

I would like to announce that as of Monday ASAP Quotes are now offering IHIAA members exclusive leads for $18. Details:

• $2 per lead discount or $18 (retail $20)
• Full account control - can pause your account at will
• Free age and health filters
• $25 initial deposit - no auto-rebilling. Billing occurs on the 15th and 30th of each month

This allows agents to receive exclusive leads and control costs at the same time. ASAP does not generate quotes by email spam or banner ads.

I personally signed up and have received leads this week with a 25% closing percentage or 1 out of 4 leads after returns.

This offer is exclusive to IHIAA members - to become a member visit IHIAA-Home

I think is says a lot about their confidence in their lead quality when $25 down gets you in with no contracts.