Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is approaching quickly! If you haven’t started planning, you’re already behind. Preparing for AEP is much work, but if you plan well, the benefits will be substantial. Well-thought-out strategy and development are the keys to a successful AEP.
Organize & Set Goals
Not being organized for AEP could set you up for unavoidable failure. Start planning ASAP. There are many activities insurance agents need to do throughout the year to prepare for AEP. For example, find a planner or calendar that will work for you, and mark important dates.
It will help you keep everything organized. Write down and put your goals in place you’ll see them daily. Go over daily what hard work you’ve put in and what needs to be done – develop a plan.
Some of the important dates you should mark on your calendar: certifications open, last take to for AHIP, and date marketing materials need to be submitted to Agent Pipeline for review.
Marketing
You’re an insurance agent – and you’re your marketer. Without marketing yourself, there would be no leads generated for qualified beneficiaries. Without qualified beneficiaries, how will you be enrolling individuals in Medicare Supplements, MAPDs, and other Medicare health plans?
One of the easiest ways to start marketing yourself as an insurance agent, and the Medicare health plans you sell, is digital marketing (social media, blogs, websites, email marketing, etc.). Other options are print marketing, direct mail, building partnerships, among other things. Download our guides for digital marketing, or watch our on-demand training here.
Maintain Relationships with Existing Medicare Beneficiaries
AEP is NOT about new beneficiaries alone. It is also, maybe even more so, about your existing clients. AEP is the time, once a year that they can finally make changes to their Medicare health plan that they have been frustrated with all year. Perhaps, rates are increasing for the upcoming year, now is the time to help your beneficiaries make a change into a plan that meets their medical and financial needs.
Right now, leading up to AEP, contact your existing clients, let them know about scheduling a no-cost annual review. You can do it online in a virtual setting, or sit on their porch and conduct a review through the window.
Cross-Selling
When it comes to cross-selling to your Medicare beneficiaries, there are specific rules. Most importantly, you can’t sell a client more than one plan in one day, nor can you discuss more than one type of product without written consent.
You have to fill out a Scope of Appointment (SOA) form when you meet with a client. You can also use Agent Pipeline’s online enrollment tool and complete an online SOA that can be signed via email. The Scope of Appointment (SOA) is where you list what products you intend to discuss, and the client agrees to those terms. If your client wants to look at cancer policies, but cancer policies are not listed in the SOA, you must tell your client that you cannot discuss it until another appointment has been set.
Always get licensed to sell ancillary products!
Checklist for AEP Prep
Are you ready to sell?
- Get Certified – You cannot legally sell Medicare unless you’re certified with AHIP and certification by the specific carrier. While AHIP is required, many carriers have developed their own certification which is also required before enrollments can be submitted.
- Get Contracted – You can not sell a carrier’s products until you’re a licensed and appointed agent; you can also not become certified and ready to sell for the specific carrier until you’ve completed the contracting process. (Agent Pipeline can help you with that).
- Gather Information & Supplies – Get information and supplies from your carriers or an FMO (like Agent Pipeline). These will help you better market yourself and guide your clients. In terms of marketing materials, Agent Pipeline’s marketing team provides agents with many different customizable marketing materials for AEP.
- Organize Your Leads & Referrals – Don’t begin trying to sell until all of your lead and client information is safe and organized. Comment on leads post-appointment to document what you spoke about and what you sold.
Let Agent Pipeline Guide You to Success for AEP 2021
Agent Pipeline works to be the FMO leader in products, services, and solutions that enable and transform the way our insurance agents and agencies conduct business.
We can help you tackle AEP like a breeze with our experienced sales and marketing teams that can help you reach levels of success that you never thought possible.
Ready to get started? Call us at 800.962.4693.
