With the 2022 Medicare Advantage Annual Enrollment Period coming to a close, it probably feels like you are getting to the end of running a marathon. As an agent, we know it is very satisfying to know you have helped so many people get the right plan for their medical & financial needs.
Celebrate Success & Look for Ways to Improve
Once things come to a close, it’s time for you to evaluate what went well this AEP and what could use some fine-tuning.
Review Your Success from AEP:
- How many leads did you get?
- Where did your leads come from?
- How much did you spend on marketing & advertising?
- How many events did you hold?
- Which marketing efforts produced the best leads?
Evaluate Areas to Improve:
- What is your cost per lead? Is it reasonable?
- What efforts could have fostered more leads?
- What took the most time with the least return?
- What can you delegate out next AEP to give yourself more time to sell?
Take notes on this information and see how you can improve your sales results and serve your clients next AEP.
Self Care is Key
Once you’ve completed your post mortem, it is vital to take a little “you time” before implementing changes and improvements in the business. After all, you just finished what was effectively the equivalent of running a marathon in the insurance world. Make sure you take breaks to get up from your desk to stretch each nourishing food and take the time to relax after work. If you neglected your workout routine during AEP, try and get reacquainted with the schedule.
Take Time to Rest Between Enrollment Periods
Make sure you’re resting between AEP and the beginning of the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP) that runs from January 1st – March 31st. Once you’ve regrouped after AEP, it’s crucial to develop a strategy to follow up with clients during the Medicare Advantage OEP. Ensure that when you sign clients up for a Medicare Advantage plan, you let them know to get in touch with you if they have any problems with the plan.
Do’s
Ask the best way to follow up with them and take note of their preferred method of communication. This shows respect and builds trust with them.
Don’ts
Miss out on your commitment to follow up. It is essential to follow up with clients – don’t just assume that they will get in touch if they aren’t happy with their plan. That is not true with all clients – some may find a different insurance agent. You are more likely to retain these clients if you follow up early and are known to have excellent customer service. This will be sure to get you referrals as well.
Stay Compliant
Make sure you follow the compliance standards set by CMS for the Medicare Advantage OEP.
You Can
- Check-in with Medicare clients and ask them how their current Medicare plan is working for them
- You can discuss their options during the Medicare Advantage OEP if they verbally express that they want to change their current plan. They may not have their preferred providers in their new plan, ask about other plans, or ask about keeping their current plan for the whole year; they may even directly as about changing their coverage.
- Only discuss their options for the Medicare Advantage OEP once they have expressed unhappiness with their current plan.
You Cannot
- Tell clients about the Medicare Advantage OEP while signing them up for a plan during AEP
- Send out marketing that tells clients they have the opportunity to change their coverage during the Medicare Advantage OEP.
Make sure to go over client notes after AEP and compile their information into a spreadsheet or file them on paper with any information you want to remember. Set several clients to speak to each day so that you can get to everyone but not get too burnt out too quickly. This is an effective customer service strategy to keep you on your “A Game” for every client.
Want to learn more about how you can wrap up AEP and start 2022 strong – contact Agent Pipeline at 800.962.4693
