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With just over two weeks until the Annual Election Period (AEP) starts on October 15, now is the time to check your portfolio, get certified, and solidify your business plans. AEP is the busiest season for Medicare sales, so it is important you are ready to meet the needs of your prospects and clients. Here are a few things to remember while you keep on track during the season:

• Check your portfolio – Several rate increases have taken place in the last few months. Now’s a great time to look into the specifics of each product in your area and determine if you have the most competitive in your portfolio. Having a variety of Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, Final Expense, and Hospital Indemnity options will be beneficial to reaching all of your different prospects.
  
  
• Take your certifications – Check out our Medicare Advantage/PDP Certification page for detailed instructions on how to certify with each of the Medicare Advantage products you are licensed to sell. If you have any other questions or concerns during the process please call your marketer at 1-800-998-7715 for more information. With the exception of United Healthcare there are no certification requirements for standardized Medicare Supplement products.
  
  
• Solidify your business plan - How do you plan to prospect and reach clients during AEP? Now is the time to decide. Maybe you’re taking advantage of the PSM Retail Pharmacy opportunity, hosting an informational event, or you purchased internet and mail leads. Now is the time to make sure your business plan is ready and confirm the details. Please also make sure you are compliant with the 2013 CMS Marketing Guidelines.

Precision Senior Marketing will be here to support all of our agents during the Annual Enrollment Period. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your marketer today at 1-800-998-7715 and they will be happy to assist you.

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Even the best sales people have calls that go sour. Sometimes a lead that was warm goes cold and other times a client who looks promising walks away. However, knowing when to change up your talking points, delivering your talking points in multiple ways, preparing alternative educational techniques, and asking open-ended questions can not only turn those sour calls around, they can even save some of them. Otherwise, in some cases, it’s best to know when it’s time to give up and move on to the next prospect.

• Get Away from Your Script – Rather than reading directly from a script, trying listing only a few talking points and asking open-ended questions. Scripts can often depersonalize you call and make your prospects feel like just another number on your list. By asking open-ended questions and only using talking points to help you remember to mention key features, you are free to allow the conversation to progress organically.
  
  
• Provide Alternative Information Methods – If you found you’ve caught someone on a bad day or seems to be in a rush to end the call, offer to send them more information. It’s a good idea to have supplemental materials available in version that can be either mailed or emailed depending on the preference of the prospect. Schedule a follow up call to see if you can discuss the materials at a time that is more convenient to them.
  
  
• It is All About the Customer – If you can, it’s important not to blindly call a prospect. Gather your notes from previous conversations to remind yourself what you’ve discussed previously and what points you should make on this call. Knowing as much as possible about the prospect as you can before you pick up the phone reduces a significant amount of risk. Also, though it can be easy to get caught up when talking up your product, remember to focus on the prospect and determining their needs. Apply the information to their specific circumstances.
  
  
• Use Open-Ended Questions – Even after preparing for a call you can find that your research and the client on the line don’t match up. In these cases, don’t panic. Instead, fall back on open-ended questions to discover more about the prospect you are speaking with. Be genuine and concise, asking what you need to know in order to learn about the needs of your prospect.
  
  
• Know When to Give Up – If the call becomes unsalvageable, don’t fight it or let it drag on, instead end the call before you reach a dead end. That way the sale might not be lost, even if the call did not go as well as you hoped. You can choose to schedule another call or follow up with an email. A bad sales call doesn’t necessarily mean the loss of sale. It’s an opportunity to learn from and try again.

The most important tip for calling is to not give up if they go sour. When you approach calls positively, with a good amount of persistence, your sales will be rewarded. Every call is another chance to hone-in and improve your sales strategy. The more calls you make, the more experience you will have, and the easier it will become.

Source: InsuranceNewsNet

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With just a month left to prepare for the Annual Election Period (AEP), Precision Senior Marketing wants to make sure you are ready to make it your most successful one yet. For the first time we are offering an “In-Store” Pharmacy Program for our agents during AEP. This program is an in-store insurance selling platform with access to 22,000 pharmacies to choose from nationwide. Including Walgreens, as well as independent stores, this program will allow you to meet with customers as they visit their pharmacist with questions regarding Medicare’s Part D benefit.

The is an excellent way to connect with the seniors in your community and grow your business through referrals. Once you establish a relationship with the pharmacist at your location, you can become their resource for those customers looking for the best coverage to suit their needs. You can keep a flexible schedule and coordinate what time is busiest for the pharmacy you are assigned to. You might also think about leaving a time sheet at the pharmacy for consumers to request a time to meet with you.

This is one of the largest “in-store” agent programs ever created. The Pharmacy Program is affiliated with an affordable Part D plan that gives agents full support, free personal training and certification, as well as kiosk and supplies. Ask your marketer for more information on this exciting new product entering the market. The complete unveiling happens October 1, 2012.

We’re excited by the response so far to this program and are starting to assign pharmacists to their locations and certify agents to sell. For the best selection of pharmacies, be sure to contact us! Partner with PSM to make the best use of this AEP selling season.

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