When you’re first starting out as a health insurance sales professional, the idea of your first open enrollment (OE) can be intimidating. Below are six open enrollment tips for insurance brokers to help you navigate this season with confidence.
Open Enrollment Tips for New Insurance Brokers
1. Plan Ahead for a Successful Open Enrollment Season
Start early. Create a detailed list of key tasks and a timeline of important deadlines. This helps ensure nothing falls through the cracks and employees enroll on time. Be sure you are giving enrollees adequate time to complete their enrollments. Negotiate with your client what is the right amount of time to allow employees to review plan information before completing their online enrollment.
2. Educate Yourself on Carrier and Plan Changes
If your group is enrolling in coverage with the same carrier, that doesn’t mean that nothing is changing. It’s customary for insurers to adjust deductibles, copays, or other plan details. It is important you stay up to date, so you can help enrollees find and enroll in the coverage that best suits their needs and budget. Find out if your carrier partners and general agent are offering product training sessions or webinars. Both can help you enhance your presentation.
3. Communicate Early and Often During Open Enrollment
Use multiple channels – like email, social media, webinars – to communicate with enrollees about what networks and plans are available, what’s new, and deadlines for enrolling. Make full use of visual aids like photos, charts, infographics, etc. They can often convey what you need to more easily than words. Don’t try to communicate everything in one message. Break down complex information into simple, more digestible pieces for better understanding. If you have multiple plans to discuss, consider separate communications for each, or segment by carrier.
4. Avoid Industry Jargon in Client Conversations
We all know that our industry is packed with acronyms and jargon. If you use terms unfamiliar to your audience, orally or in print, they may lose interest or misunderstand what’s being communicated. Be sure to explain any technical terms or acronyms that are in your communications. While you may have a limited window for discussion, try to avoid rushing through info that could be misunderstood. Nurture your reputation as a valuable consultant to employers and employees – rather than a “salesperson.”
5. Leverage Technology to Streamline Open Enrollment
Use your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform to track client interactions and follow-up. Ensure your meeting (or recording for those who cannot attend in person) is accessible to all. You may have a client with both remote employees and a hybrid work schedule. (That’s some days in the office, other days not.) Some may allow virtual seminars, others may not. Discuss options with your client and work to find the right balance that maximizes employee participation and response.
6. Encourage Questions and Keep Employees Engaged
Plan for a Q&A. Whether you’re hosting a live enrollment meeting, a virtual meeting, or a recorded presentation. Your pre-recorded session can even include some anticipated questions (and responses) that are frequently asked by employees.
Set Yourself Up for Open Enrollment Success
If you embrace these tips, you are sure to have a more successful open enrollment. Ask your W&B rep for other ideas about how you can push potential enrollees to respond before your OE deadline.
If you’re not already doing business with us, it’s easy to get started. Call 800-869-6989 or register online today.
