Spreadsheets for Medicare Clients

[Traveling_LA_Agent]

Hello all,

I started getting serious about doing Medicare last AEP and have learned a lot and continue to learn everyday. One of those things that I learned is that you really have to continually monitor your enrollments as there doesn't seem to be much notification from the carriers if for some reason the enrollment is termed. I was thinking of creating a spreadsheet to list my book of business by carrier and plan and any and all other pertinent info, like new to medicare, plan switch, effective date etc. Then I thought I would ask if any of you have already done something like this or could lead me to something already created to save me some time or maybe give me some ideas of things I hadn't really thought about.

Thanks for considering.

 

[kgmom219]

1. STRONGLY encourage all clients to do monthly bank draft. This will take care of 99% of billing issues
2. I have a spreadsheet that lists everyone, with carrier, plan and PDP. But that's more for AEP and to keep a count of how many people I add monthly
3. Its time for you look at CRM's for all the other stuff. Or the one card system.
4. Just take a day every month (or every Friday, whatever works for you) and review the grace reports. Or compare commissions to the spreadsheet.

 

[vic120]

You need a CRM, radius Bob is a cheap one you can use effectively when you are starting out.

 

[mickeyma]

Since you are just starting to get serious, you probably have a few clients and a few dollars to spend.

Office Depot or Staples: buy 2 sets of 4x6 RULED index cards (one in alphabetic letters and the other with monthly names). Buy two plastic boxes to hold them. You may have trouble buying the monthly name cards from the office supply stores so do an internet search.

Put leads in the alphabetical box. If someone says call back in a couple of months, put that lead in the monthly card box. If a couple of weeks, stick it in the alphabetical card box.

Takes notes on the back of the ruled cards.

On your computer calendar, put the name of a lead you are supposed to call in a couple of days or a couple of weeks. A reminder will pop up on that day. Pull their lead card with notes on the back and call the prospect.

Check your alphabetical box daily & look at the back of the lead card to see when was the last contact, what was said and if it is a good day to call.

Your spreadsheet can be Excel or a free spreadsheet from OpenOffice.org. You can also use Google Sheets (it's free and stored in the cloud but bulky to use). Back up your data on a flash drive ($12 at the office supply stores) and store the flash drive in a location away from your office.

Put a password on your spreadsheet and backup files on the flash drive so if some one steals your computer they will have a difficult (hopefully impossible) time to open it.

I own Microsoft 2010 Office, which has Access. This allows me to run queries on one company, one plan, one year, ages, upcoming birthdays, etc. Seems difficult, but YouTube solves everything.

Good luck. I wish you success.

 

[Todd King]

Since you are just starting to get serious, you probably have a few clients and a few dollars to spend.

Office Depot or Staples: buy 2 sets of 4x6 RULED index cards (one in alphabetic letters and the other with monthly names). Buy two plastic boxes to hold them. You may have trouble buying the monthly name cards from the office supply stores so do an internet search.

Put leads in the alphabetical box. If someone says call back in a couple of months, put that lead in the monthly card box. If a couple of weeks, stick it in the alphabetical card box.

Takes notes on the back of the ruled cards.

On your computer calendar, put the name of a lead you are supposed to call in a couple of days or a couple of weeks. A reminder will pop up on that day. Pull their lead card with notes on the back and call the prospect.

Check your alphabetical box daily & look at the back of the lead card to see when was the last contact, what was said and if it is a good day to call.

Your spreadsheet can be Excel or a free spreadsheet from OpenOffice.org. You can also use Google Sheets (it's free and stored in the cloud but bulky to use). Back up your data on a flash drive ($12 at the office supply stores) and store the flash drive in a location away from your office.

Put a password on your spreadsheet and backup files on the flash drive so if some one steals your computer they will have a difficult (hopefully impossible) time to open it.

I own Microsoft 2010 Office, which has Access. This allows me to run queries on one company, one plan, one year, ages, upcoming birthdays, etc. Seems difficult, but YouTube solves everything.

Good luck. I wish you success.

I'll take your idea and correct it a little bit. It makes no sense to do an alphabet box. Those should be numbers which represent the day. You only need one box. Keep the monthly dividers in the back, except when the beginning of the month rolls around. Keep the lead in the day that you are supposed to call back that month. Have to call back in 2 months, just file the card in that month (in the back).

Why do I say this? If you are supposed to go see Mrs. Potatohead on the 12th of the month, you have to search through all of the the alphabet cards just to find it and then look to see what day it is. Why would you do this everyday until the 12th? Or in your example of having to see someone in two weeks, you put it in the alphabet box. What good does that do for you when you have to search through your whole alphabet box each day just to see who you should be seeing that day? Makes no sense.

 

[sman]

I'll take your idea and correct it a little bit. It makes no sense to do an alphabet box. Those should be numbers which represent the day. You only need one box. Keep the monthly dividers in the back, except when the beginning of the month rolls around. Keep the lead in the day that you are supposed to call back that month. Have to call back in 2 months, just file the card in that month (in the back).

Why do I say this? If you are supposed to go see Mrs. Potatohead on the 12th of the month, you have to search through all of the the alphabet cards just to find it and then look to see what day it is. Why would you do this everyday until the 12th? Or in your example of having to see someone in two weeks, you put it in the alphabet box. What good does that do for you when you have to search through your whole alphabet box each day just to see who you should be seeing that day? Makes no sense.

Or you could just use a CRM and a calendar and have it all at the click of a mouse.

 

[mickeyma]

I'll take your idea and correct it a little bit. It makes no sense to do an alphabet box. Those should be numbers which represent the day. You only need one box. Keep the monthly dividers in the back, except when the beginning of the month rolls around. Keep the lead in the day that you are supposed to call back that month. Have to call back in 2 months, just file the card in that month (in the back).

Why do I say this? If you are supposed to go see Mrs. Potatohead on the 12th of the month, you have to search through all of the the alphabet cards just to find it and then look to see what day it is. Why would you do this everyday until the 12th? Or in your example of having to see someone in two weeks, you put it in the alphabet box. What good does that do for you when you have to search through your whole alphabet box each day just to see who you should be seeing that day? Makes no sense.

Todd, you need to put the leads in alphabetical order so that if a prospect calls, you get his lead card immediately. You don't need to search 31 days to find the prospect.

Also, you don't need a stack of index cards with number because you entered the date on your calendar which automatically pops up.

You name would be in the K alphabetical cards and your name would be on the calendar on April 5 to remind me to call back.

I search through my alphabetical daily to see if it is time to follow up with a phone call without making me sound like a pest. Example: I mailed you a brochure exactly one week ago today. If I call sooner, that's no good. Sounds pushy. Even if the name was on my calendar, I would need the lead card notes to refresh my memory when I call.

Remember, this system is for the new comers who can't afford the monthly payments for a crm. They don't need a crm until they start building a good list of prospects.

 

[somarco]

Didn't know anyone still used paper prospect cards and files any more.

A college friend was once a Mass Mutual agent and he had the neatest system I had seen. I don't think it was the Al Granum OCS but similar in some ways.

He had two (or more) long wooden boxes, similar to the library card catalogue drawer. The cards were index card size, maybe 4x6, and tabs at the top. There may have been more than one card for each prospect or client.

If your client/prospect had a May birthday you would punch a hole in the May tab. July birthdays had a hole in the July tab and so forth.

He also had an object like a long ice pick. To find his May birthdays he stuck his "pick" through the first May hole and all the way to the back of the box/drawer. When he pulled up the pick he had everyone with a May birthday.

No idea what the system was called but we were impressed with the simplicity.

Maybe another old timer knows what I am talking about and can do a better job of explaining.

 

[DS4]

Didn't know anyone still used paper prospect cards and files any more.

My leads are in this filing cabinet, A-E, F-M, N-Q, R-Z. I'm totally old school. I even submit all paper apps.

 

[somarco]

I'm totally old school. I even submit all paper apps.

Do you drive to their home to collect premiums or make them come to you?