What Do You Say to Start a LTC Conversation?

[Arthur Rudnick]

DHK stated:
"I'm no veteran by any means, but you've got to find the PAIN"

Bingo! You have hit the nail on the head.

And Bill is correct; the only people who have pain are the ones who have had to deal with LTC services for a family member, usually a parent.

No one else has a clue as to what this is about. You can show these people all the MetLife & Genworth statistics in the world and it goes right over their heads. The only way to "sell" this stuff is to be in front of someone who knows from personal experience what LTC is all about.

I've been specializing in LTCi for 16 years and approximately 85% of my policyholders purchased a policy because a parent either spent time in a nursing home, used home care or spent down their life's savings to pay for care. Or, a combination of the three.

With this product, you can throw away all of the sales systems, financial needs analysis and retirement planners.
In most cases, if there's no pain, there's no sale.

 

[billberry12]

You are right on Arthur. That is why my focus from now forward is Assisted Living, and Independent Living Communities. I am not going to Nursing Homes for one simple and sad reason. I have found that by the time someone gets to a Nursing Home, basically, very few family members ever show up. Sad but true. It seems the family has accepted that these patients no longer exist. I know this sounds harsh, but it comes from 11 years in this business. Forget everyone else. You are wasting your time with all the fancy stuff (questionnaires, selling tactics, etc) that Arthur mentioned do not work. It's all about PAIN and HURT and COST of Care to MY Folks. That's it.

 

[Blue]

We sell it differently. Not in the over 65 market that much. We program a basic benefit and market it with our under 65 health plans. May sound weird, but it works well. One of our producers has won the carriers sales incentive trip 4 years in a row.

 

[billberry12]

Define basic benefit????

 

[Briefcaseboy]

Know the state laws pertaining to LTC. Interview people in the Department of Health and Human Services. They can also e-mail you a lot of LTC stuff pertaining to spend down and how they make attachments on property etc. I also interview nursing home administrators, home health care providers, assisted living facilities. Know the rates ( private room-semi private ) and cost of living increases, should allow so much on a daily benefit for medications, phone service, cable TV etc. Some nursing homes provide telephone, cable etc., some don't. You can become a LTC expert in your particular area.

 

[billberry12]

Blue, are you going to define basic benefit?