Insurance – and Small Group Health Insurance, in particular – is a complex and competitive business. Your job as an insurance sales professional has become even more of a challenge since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted in 2010. Now, with a Republican-controlled Congress and White House, there’s increasing talk about repeal, repair, or replacement of the ACA, which makes your role even more important as employers, employees, and individuals consider future changes to health insurance.
Whether you’re focused on small group, large group, or individual health, you can help yourself and your agency by following these tips. They’ll help you succeed in your discussions to retain existing clients – and in your outreach to attract new clients.
THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE TRADE
Whether you’re a one-person shop or a multi-broker agency, it’s important you make the right choices when it comes to quoting and online enrollment. Not all tools are created equally, so when you’re comparing quoting and enrollment systems, be sure you carefully evaluate the options in the market. By doing so, you’ll be more able to deliver what your clients want and need. A single-carrier solution is not enough today. The quoting engine offered by Word & Brown, WBQuote, offers great benefits to you and your clients, including:
– Multi-carrier quoting
– 100% accurate rates
– Highlighted plan differences (when comparing current and prospective Medical plans)
– Multilingual translations
– Customizable output
– Single-page executive highlights
– Medical and Ancillary on one platform
– Deductible and Rx updates
– Online enrollment integration with quoting (EaseCentral, CaliforniaChoice)
ENHANCE YOUR MARKETING, INCREASE YOUR ONLINE BRAND
Using social media – including blogging – can help you build your reputation online. By contributing to other online sites, you can enhance your online profile and generate publicity for you and your agency. That can help you drive more traffic to your website and provide you with increased sales opportunities. Reach out to your local media to offer your expertise as an insurance-related subject matter expert. You may find yourself on local TV or radio, or quoted in the newspaper, which can also generate more traffic for your website, more new and repeat business, and increased referrals.
Consider sponsoring educational meetings: You can generate further buzz for yourself and your agency through the sponsorship of webinars and lunch-and-learn events. These can help you engage others locally or regionally and provide useful information to business owners, HR managers, or others who are seeking guidance on what to expect as the ACA morphs into the American Health Care Act or some other legislation proposed on Capitol Hill (or at the state level).
THE RIGHT PEOPLE BACKING YOU UP
The people you hire to work in your office are your support team and it’s important they share your commitment to customer service. Spend a little more time and money recruiting staff who understand the insurance business and how important relationships are to attracting and retaining customers. Choosing the right general agency partner is another key decision. For more than 30 years, health insurance brokers have trusted Word & Brown to provide them with access to the insurance sales tools, product and compliance training, marketing resources, and sales support – at no cost to you. If you’re not already working with us, we invite you to learn more about everything we have to offer, including a decades-long dedication to “Service of Unequalled Excellence.”
The people you hire to work in your office are your support team and it’s important they share your commitment to customer service. Spend a little more time and money recruiting staff who understand the insurance business and how important relationships are to attracting and retaining customers. Choosing the right general agency partner is another key decision. For more than 30 years, health insurance brokers have trusted Word & Brown to provide them with access to the insurance sales tools, product and compliance training, marketing resources, and sales support – at no cost to you. If you’re not already working with us, we invite you to learn more about everything we have to offer, including a decades-long dedication to “Service of Unequalled Excellence.”
Becoming top of mind doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and resources. Even if you are already “on top” locally, it’s important to publicize your work and your expertise. Word & Brown offers a variety of resources to help brokers like you quote and close more business and expand your service to clients. If you’re interested in learning about our exclusive tools, contact your Word & Brown representative or one of Word & Brown’s regional offices in California and Nevada.
