Please expand upon...

[MIBizInsurance]

Hello all,

Understand MA plans have short window to enroll coming up and have few questions-

How are you folks marketing for this field?

Is switching from 1 plan to another an option? Is it so regulated that its not worth it ? (Assuming its best interest of client)

What if you find a perspective client who signed directly through a provider- can you take over account? How does change of agent work ?



Next, how do you market for new clients? Are you looking for folks who are just able to join this year? Ask as what little I've read seems fairly regulated.


Thanks.

 

[midwestbroker]

Marketing: I am captive and we have a telemarketing team for both inbound and outbound calls. Very regulated! But if you do them right, they usually know other seniors who they will refer you to.

I have been to senior centers, retirement communities, and working educational seminars.

Being worth it depends in the comm. and the effort to you have to put forth in marketing, money and time. Also what plans are offered in the area.

If someone is already directly enrolled, I doubt a carrier will let you take them over as then they would have to pay you a commission. Unless you change their plan, you are pretty much doing community service.

 

[Guest]

So, what exactly do you/your telemarketers say when they outbound cold-call, given that they have to be very careful not to cross the line with telemarketing regulations?

As far as marketing goes I have always used direct mail postcards AND FOLLOWED BY A PHONE CALL. Response from the card itself is horrible--it just gives me an excuse to call.

"This is Kyle with PCH Agency and we recently sent you a postcard about the newest Medicare health plans available for folks going on Medicare and was wondering why we hadn't heard from you yet?"

Talk about OEQ!

 

[midwestbroker]

Most of our calls are inbound from TV or direct mail ads.

The majority of our outbound leads are so-so. The telemerkets job is to get us in the door, and sometimes that leads into a questionsable lead.

I would think that your best bet would be to find some leads source or some IMO who offers leads from ads, either TV or mail.

 

[James]

I find it helpful when using telemarketing to sell the apointment and not so much the product.

So this is the basic approach I find succesful.

hello, Mr/Mrs ______ Smith, I'm James calling from XXX Agency, we mailed you some information discussing the changes of medicare, do you remember getting that?

(yes or no)

Great, I'm glad I called, we like to follow up personally to answer any question about your health care concerns. But first I need to ask you if you are on Medicare?

(yes or no)

Great I'm glad I called, I'll be close to you tomorrow visisting other seniors in your area, do you still live at (XXX street, sweet town USA)?

(yes or no)

Fantastic Mr/Mrs _______, I have times available which is best for you XX AM or XX PM?

Great I'm glad I called I look forward to meeting you. By the way Mr/Mrs _____ do you have any other coverage besides Medicare?

Sometimes I add something between the question if they have Medicare and going for the apointment, such as:

Do you have any questions or concerns about the new Part D Prescription Drug plans or the new Zero Premium Medicare Programs out today?

Or you can use something like this or use this to get to setting up the apt. if they object.

Does the rising cost of of your medical expense concern you?

At the end when I ask if they have any other coverage I'm basically fishing for people on Medicaid or TriCare, just not much you can offer them. Now this may be changing for here in TN for Medicaid or TenCare People as the newer plans seem to be covering some of this. Now if they say they have group coverage via retirement package, don't give up so quickly. Many of these plans don't pick up a dime till XXX amount is paid out, and the MA Plan can fit in nicely to limit their OOP. Plus more and more people are facing interuption with their retirement medical package.

 

[James]

Now that I'm more into the LTCi planning I do things a little different in my approach. You also have to understand that you need to change up your prospecting just a tad. What I do is find a older neighborhood, look for nieghborhoods that are not too affluent but where you see a lot of Buicks and Mercury Marqui's parked, several around me. You'll also see the men out cutting their lawns and the women tending to their flowers, once you spot this neighborhood you have discovered a Goldmine!

Now go down to your library or use the internet via the library and look up the streets within the nieghborhood, either drive around and write them down or use a map. Now you're going to pull up all the addresses using Criss Cross or other sources and you can start a succesful mail program. More then likely if you are dealing with a subdivision you'll have at most a couple hundred residences. So we are not talking about a large amount but you gonna hit them hard and consistently, at least three times.

1st hit, I use LTCi/Supplement mailer provided by either J/H or choose your main product.

2nd hit, call (you'll need to run them through DNC List), and offer an apointment to review their LTCi and/or Medicare Supplement.

3rd hit, use a newsletter displaying the savings of switching from a Supplement to the MA can save thousand or more dollars that can then be use to fund a LTCi Policy.

4th hit, since November is coming quickly you might as well send out a brochure/flyer for MA Plan.

Cross selling, you have a wonderful mix of LTCi, Supplement and the MA you can cross sell. Yet do not forget about Annuities and other W/L, I find sending out a Memorial Planner to be quite effective for Final Expense Planning. I'll have to scan in my memorial planner that I use and post it.

 

[midwestbroker]

Don't forget that there is Jan 1st to March 31st where they can change MAPD plans 1 time.

So, for some folks, there is an extra 3 months of selling!

 

[Braxtonut]

I would also agree that postcards are a good idea.

 

[G.Gordon]

I would also agree that postcards are a good idea.

You do realize that you replied to a post that was 4.5 years old since it's last post, don't you?

 

[WinoBlues]

You do realize that you replied to a post that was 4.5 years old since it's last post, don't you?

Maybe he just needed time to post not only a simple reply but a well thought out, and thought provoking missive.