Medicare Blog | Medicare News | Medicare Information

Every successful advisor has one thing in common that continue to keep their business growing. They ensure to keep a healthy stream of leads flowing into their pipeline. How do they do keep the influx of leads coming in? Is it a “secret” they keep safely guarded? Below are great lead generation tips successful advisors use to stay on top of their game.

1. Network. Join a network within your industry and stay active in local business chapter. Become involved in local seminars that speak to potential prospects. Focus on quality of the network and not the quantity. Concentrate on developing referral partners to work with.
   
   
2. Build referrals partners. Build a professional relationship based on trust and reputation with fellow professionals. Ask for recommendations for referrals. Return the favor and see your referrals gain grown.
   
   
3. Build your reputation as an industry leader. Get involved and join a local service association that you may enjoy; such as, the local Chamber of Commerce, insurance professional association or even a church. These may not be immediate sales leads, but can be a great source for the long haul.
   
   
4. Ask your clients. Ask your existing clients to introduce you to one or two people who fit your client profile. Your client may be your most valuable lead generating asset.
   
   
5. Build a foundation. Focused on your goals and develop your personal brand identity: a trusted, well recognizable brand will lead to prospects.
   
   
6. Develop and maintain an online presence. Sign up and make good use of social media outlets like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Be consistent and post valuable information and promote benefits. Tell prospective leads what you can do for them.
   
   
7. Learn from your competitors. Look at what they are doing and what has been working for them. Implement those methods onto your own organization.
   
   
8. Focus and target your audience. Identify what their needs are. Once this has been determined, then the marketing message and campaigns can be tailored accordingly. Do the same to the other product lines, identify, categorize, customize, and so on. Soon, your hard work will pay-off, and you will see leads building up.
   
   
9. Commit and stick to a plan. Commit...Commit…Commit… It can’t be overemphasized. Always stick to your plan and don’t drift away. Advisors can always build life insurance leads through website, emails, telephone calls, and referrals program.
   
   
10. Invest in lead programs. Invest in Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM) that help manage an organization current and future customer sales leads.

Source: LifeHealthPro

• Assured Life Association/Woodmen of the World
  November 2013 Med Supp rate release for IL, TN, CO, MT, UT. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for IL. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for TN. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for CO. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for MT. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for UT. Learn More

• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

With today’s ever evolving internet technologies, its social forums, and marketing techniques, many businesses spend thousands of dollars every year on a professional website design, search engine optimization and pay per click campaigns.

The effectiveness of those marketing efforts varies by company, budget and their team’s dedication toward the success of the business. However, for those smaller businesses that lack the marketing budget and dedicated team force, there are simpler techniques that can help to market their brand and garner new business or leads.  Those three most important online traffic techniques for online marketing are organic search, inbound traffic and click through rate.

Increase the organization online visibility by working on the Organic search. Identify keywords that tie you to your industry. Be specific and direct and avoid using generalized words. Use these words on the websites pages, headers, title, meta-tags, and within URL’s. This will help increase the website rankings through the search engine result pages (SERPS). Remember, this your single most important arsenal.

Go further and optimize the website to be local, if the majority of you cliental are within your vicinity and not out of state, use news and articles that are of interest to your specific area. This will further enhance the site visibility.

Start a blog. Write articles that are relevant to your industry and stay committed. This can help increase the company’s brand and make it a reputable industry leader. It will also help bring more inbound traffic to the site.

Go social. Publish your latest news, releases and blogs to other social Medias; such as, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, etc., and see how this will also get your business noticed through organic search.

Track your inbound traffic. Find out where the traffic source is coming from. Is it coming from a search engine, forum, news, social network, maps, or online directories? All this data are great resource to have to identify areas that have successful inbound traffic, versus areas that need improvement. Hence, this information can be obtained by most web hosting companies with their web analytics programs.

Check your click-through rate. Also known as calls to action or CTA’s, are the links or words user click on to do an action. Check to see how many times a call to action has been clicked on. Find out what has been working well and where there is room for improvement. Create CTA’s that engage users to fill out product forms, a poll, or direct them to a landing page that advertises a new service, special discounts or a new product.

Dedication is crucial to the web marketing strategy success. Be persistent and check all organic searches, inbound traffic and click through rates. And with a little patience, those results will help market your business brand, garner new business or leads and better improve the website ranking along the way.

Source: LifeHealthPro

• UnitedHealthCare: PSM is excited to promote the 2014 UHC Proposed Plan Benefits. Don’t miss this opportunity!
  
  National Training Calendar. Learn More

• Coventry : At PSM, we want to ensure our agents have the resources and tools to sell successfully and provide Medicare consumers with valuable and accurate information and assistance.
  
  Training Calendar. Learn More

Precision Senior Marketing is looking for New Agents that want to get in on the ground floor of our Prescription Drug Plan being launched in Partnership with Community Pharmacies across the Country. We will be partnering with a preferred network of over 22,000 trusted community pharmacies including select large national pharmacy chain locations, the largest national pharmacy chain with over 8,000 stores.  The pharmacy program is currently planned to be offered to qualified seniors in all 50 States, plus Puerto Rico.

This new pharmacy program expects to have the largest "in-store" agent program in the country for 2013 Medicare open enrollment. Upon completing a free certification course and qualification process, agents will receive $0 access to a product-branded agent kiosk located inside select pharmacies within our network of preferred pharmacies.

By teaming up with select large pharmacy chain locations and a national network of trusted independent and regional neighborhood pharmacies across the country, this opportunity will be uniquely positioned to play a significant role in shaping prescription solutions for seniors. This program has been designed with community pharmacists to address the shifting Part D landscape and to meet the ever-changing needs of the current Medicare population, in addition to the 10,000 people who are turning 65 every day across America.

If you are a self-motivated and competitive individual who is looking for a unique and rewarding new opportunity, join the PSM team and take advantage of this ONCE IN A LIFETIME PROGRAM!

Build a better life for your family while making a positive difference for others!

Request Information online or give us a call at 1-800-998-7715 to be assured you get your choice of pharmacy. Locations are limited and filling up fast! We hope that you take this opportunity and look forward to continuing to offer you ways to grow and strengthen your business in the future.

• Assured Life Medicare Supplement Updates - Learn More
• Gerber Life Medicare Supplement Updates - Learn More
• New Competitive Rates from the Mutual of Omaha Companies - Learn More
• A Path to Selling Insurance Products That Carry the AARP - Learn More

Agencies grow using a variety of marketing, some more common than others. If you've reached a brick wall and your pipeline isn't as full as you'd like it to be, now is the time to look into jump starting your marketing techniques from a new angle. Although some marketing may seem unorthodox, as Maribeth Kuzmeski from Red Zone Marketing advises, "It's how you get your message out and how you drive others to you. There's not an advisor I know who has too many people to see."

The blog last week looked at using social media to connect with prospects. Here are a few other overlooked tactics that could give your business the jolt you have been looking for:

1. Virtual Appointments. In our internet age, face-to-face meetings no longer have to mean in person. Several web-based video meeting services, like GotoMeeting and Skype, are available for you to meet with your clients without leaving your business. When prospecting over the phone, prospects might feel more at ease working with you if they are able to put a face to a name. Especially with seniors just turning 65 and familiar with internet tools, you will be able to walk through the paperwork to get them contracted more efficiently without sacrificing the personal touch of meeting face to face.
   
   
2. Community involvement. Not only is getting involved in charitable organizations good in and of itself, it's also a great way to network with prospects and build relationships. Whether it is through your religious place of worship or another volunteer opportunity in your community, get to know the people you work with and fill them in on what you do. Chances are, someone there or someone they know could be an excellent referral for your future business.
   
   
3. Webinars. It's becoming increasingly difficult for prospects to commit to a seminar or event, however with a webinar you can potentially meet with more people while cutting the costs associated with planning an event. Using the same platforms as your virtual appointments, you will be able to educate a group of prospects leading to new clients.
   
   
4. Client surveys. Doing a yearly survey of your current clients is a great way to find out who is willing to give a referral as well as what products or services your current clients are also interested it. This too, will identify who might be interested in adding a final expense, short term care or annuity to their portfolio, as well as show what products may be missing from your portfolio that are of interest to your clients.
   
   
5. Direct mail. Surprise! As more and more agents have favored e-mail marketing some seniors have become "turned off" by the volume they are now receiving. This has made them more receptive to direct mail pieces again, and the response rates have increased in the last year.

Whether it's meeting with clients virtually or getting involved in your community, the success of your agency depends on how well you execute your marketing ideas. As John Comer, CFP or Comer Consulting acknowledges, "Marketing is easy to understand but hard to execute." If you have any questions about executing an unconventional marketing strategy, call your PSM marketer at 1-800-998-7715 for tips and techniques to get it off the ground successfully.

Please give us your feedback!
What unconventional marketing strategies have you tried? What do you find the most difficult aspect of your agency's marketing? Is there any topics you'd like to see discussed on the blog as far as techniques to guide you through your marketing efforts?

Source: InsuranceNewsNet

This week government auditors called for a cancellation of an $8.3 billion dollar Medicare program that some congressional Republicans think is a political ploy by the Obama administration. The money is going toward a three-year project intended to make quality improvements to Medicare Advantage plans and financially reward those plans that are scoring well by the Department of Health and Human Services. However the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative agency of Congress, uncovered that the plan’s spending "dwarfs" all other Medicare pilots undertaken in the last 20 years. Plus, they found the majority of the money is going to plans earning only three to three-and-half stars, an "average" score.

Available through 2014, these quality bonuses to Medicare Advantage plans will postpone the drastic cuts Medicare Advantage plans will be faced with under the new health care law. However, the GAO questions whether the bonus program will actually be an incentive to promote quality in insurance providers. Defending the bonuses, the Health and Human Services Department issued a statement saying, "the demonstration supports our national strategy to improve the delivery of health care services, patient health outcomes, and population health."

Orrin Hatch, the ranking Republican on the Senate panel which oversees Medicare, questioned if the administration had the legal authority to create the program. Hatch stated, "The White House does not have the authority to green-light spending on whatever program it wants. This report is just the beginning — I will be demanding answers."

Hatch also questioned the Obama administration’s use of a technicality in order to sidestep Congress and "write itself a blank check to spend more money for political purposes leading into this year’s elections." He and other congressional Republicans see the spending as a way to appease seniors, a key constituency of swing voters during this election year.

The Medicare Advantage bonus program is the costliest in Medicare history, with money coming from the Medicare trust fund. Next week the Medicare trustees will be releasing their annual report on the status of the program, which is already facing a long-term financial crunch.

Please give us your feedback!
Do you think President Obama is misusing the $8.3 billion for his own agenda of being re-elected this year? Or do you think the bonus plan is a good incentive to make Medicare Advantage companies to take better care of their policyholders?

Source: CNN, Herald-Tribune

• New Direct Mail Program - $390 per 1,000 - Learn More

If your sales aren't as high as you’d like them to be, it might be time for a new perspective. Whether you've encountered situations you haven't dealt with before, or ones that change midway through the sales conversation, a new perspective can help you manage the change.


Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Are you visiting/talking to enough clients and prospects? Are you being proactive and keeping your activity high? Determine your customer contact time as a percentage of your total working time. Although, remember not to confuse movement with action.
  
  
• Are you talking to the right people? Consider how your cold-calling strategy and any leads you are purchasing are working for you. What is the rate of return on your investment? Are you speaking with turning 65 leads or older seniors looking to switch plans? Also, make sure you are speaking with the decision maker in the household. Some seniors may prefer you speak to their spouse, caretaker, or child.
  
  
• Are you saying/doing the right things? Are your sales skills up to par? If not, look into taking a course or seeking out advice from someone you admire as a mentor. You can also talk with your marketing representative at PSM, who have sales scripts, tips, and techniques that can help guide you to fulfilling your sales goals.
  
  
• What is your predominant attitude? As cliché as it sounds, your attitude on each call is a small thing that makes a big difference. It sets the tone and drives the call. Are you excited about your product? Find an angle, and be aware that you will drive your sales with it.

When you look at these problems from a different perspective you will find you can increase your sales, improve your approach, and find creative ways to solve the problem you are struggling with.

Please give us your feedback!
What have you done to change your prospective in your business? How did it affect your closing ratio? What advice do you have for other agents who might be struggling?

Source: LifeHealthPro

• Forethought Freedom Process Improvements & April Incentive Contest Announcement - Learn More
• Are Medicare Select sales opportunities passing you by? - Learn More

A recent study conducted by Kramer Direct analyzed 53 mailings received by a senior up to eight months before his 65th birthday. They looked at the timing, format, and offers that were sent to him in order to increase the effectiveness of your promotions, communications and strategies with the market aging into Medicare.

The companies who sent information and were included in the study were AARP, Aetna, Bankers Life & Casualty, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Bravo, Colonial Penn, Humana, Physicians Mutual, United HealthCare, United of Omaha and Health Spring.

Eight-eight percent of the mailers were received between July and December, but the subject got a mailer as early as March. Envelope mailers were the overwhelming majority at 66%; postcards were used 30%; and tri-folds were used significantly less at only 4%. Most of the mailings proposed an offer to grab the prospects attention, with 45% of the mailers promising information or posing a question of interest to the senior.

The study concluded the following:

• To stand out from the competition and reach prospects before the other offers, it is best to mail six months in advance of prospect’s birthday.
  
  
• It is best to provide a mail-back option, rather than a single postcard with only a call-back option.
  
  
• Questions and new information are the best way to get the prospect’s attention based on the results of the study.
  
  
• Don’t just consider targeting the Turning 65 audience. Many agents have had success targeting ages 66+ to help prospects save money on their current coverage.

Since 1985, Kramer has provided pre-qualified leads to the insurance and financial industries. You can review more on Kramer Direct as well as view some of their current approved mailers by visiting the lead vendor page on our website.

PSM also works with numerous companies that offer free postcards to our contracted agents. To discuss these no cost options, please contact one of our Marketing Representatives at 800-998-7715.

Please give us your feedback!
Do you find these results surprising? When do you typically send out mailers to turning 65 prospects?

Source: Kramer Direct Research and Analysis Study

• 14 Ways to Generate Medicare Leads - Learn More
• How To Get Started in Medicare Sales - Learn More
• Heartland National Supply Requisition - Learn More
• Heartland National First Guardian Cancer Care Brochure - Learn More
• Heartland National Secure Advantage Hospital Indemnity Brochure - Learn More