Open enrollment is that special time of year when some agents seem to know exactly what they are doing while others seem to struggle, unhappy with their progress and not sure how to get back on track. Selling health insurance can be a struggle, especially during this time of the year. There is so much competition and all anyone cares about are your sales numbers. The truth is that you have to perform this time of year and you need to focus on clients, not policy changes or new rules. Actually, you do have to focus on both, especially this year with some of the new changes that have been made.
One of the main changes that impacts health insurance advisors has to do with call recording. When you are on calls with clients about Medicare, the call needs to be recorded. While the software is established, available and easy to use for most, for many agents, this mandatory change is adding to the frustration of open enrollment. However, that’s not the way you should approach this change and instead, focus on avoiding the mistakes others are making with the new system. Rather than struggle with these issues, utilize the new system to your advantage.
Practice Makes Perfect
One of the biggest complaints thus far from agents simply has to do with the transition of actually turning on the recording software and remembering to notify the client that the call is being recorded. While this process is very straight-forward, not everyone is as comfortable with new technology as others. In this case, the best thing to do is to actually just practice using the software, making calls, getting calls and so forth. You can practice with a fellow agent and just call each other back and forth until you are used to the process.
Be sure to look around online for additional information about the specific software you are using. Because it’s compatible with both cell phones and office lines, as well as with working on the computer, you can look into the specific options that are available from the software you are using. You can also look at notes others have shared on what they like about the recording option, how they utilize it and so forth.
Leave A Reminder Note
If it helps, simply leave yourself a note for the time being to remind you to start the recording and to remind the client. Because it’s open enrollment, your mind is focused on so many things before an initial meeting. If you can make yourself a simple note of the mandatory things you need to do and discuss, you will have that reminder with you and pretty soon you will not need it at all. However, many agents find that notes are the best way to make sure they cover every spot during a conversation and do not miss anything.
This is also where you can get creative with each client. Along with call recording, there are new systems in place that allow you to keep track of important information about each client. Therefore, if you are having a meeting with an existing client, you can use your pre-meeting time to review information you have about them including their healthcare needs, budget and other factors that played a role in what Medicare services they signed up for last year. Being freshly informed on this will give you a major advantage during the call and impress the client.
Go Back And Listen
One trick agents are utilizing with the new software is to go back and listen to calls. For many, there are a variety of advantages to doing this including the ability to train and learn how they can improve their sales style, handle a client in a meeting and so forth. There’s a reason why these calls are ideal for training purposes as they show what real people focus on during talks, how an agent can manage the call and more. You can also learn the difference on handling a meeting with someone who has been on Medicare against someone who is completely new to the experience and enrollment.
Another benefit of being able to listen to your calls is that you can improve your communication with your client without having to ask them multiple questions over and over again. Yes, you need this information, but if you are not sure of something or the client is struggling to connect important dots, sometimes frustration can set in. Being able to go back and reference the information allows you to streamline the meeting, even if you feel that the client is not getting important points. If that’s the case, you can go back through the call and make notes of where you felt the client struggled to grasp certain topics or options and refocus your attention on that in your followup email.
Limiting Calls
Eventually, a primary advantage of call recording for Medicare consultations will be that you can limit the calls you have with clients, especially during open enrollment. Because your time is limited, the recording will allow you to streamline your conversations, knowing how to cut time without seeming disinterested but also in ways that benefit the client because you are focusing on key areas that the client wants you to focus on. You can also learn more about the clients needs and limitations this way because you are hearing the information again, without having to be focused on clarifying things or other distractions that come during client meetings.
It’s never easy to be on the phone with someone and evaluate dozens of Medicare enrollment options for them and make sure that they understand everything completely. Instead, by utilizing the call recording software, you are able to improve your customer service, sales strategy and also offer better service to your client. This is something that may take some time to learn this year. However, next year this will be an advantage that you are able to utilize throughout open enrollment. Be sure to practice with the new software and make sure that you are comfortable setting up calls before you get started.