- Perfect Portfolio IntroLesson 10:48
- Why Should Agents Build a Strong Portfolio?Lesson 22:46
- Selling Opportunities by ProductLesson 32:56
- Building a Strong Medicare Supplement PortfolioLesson 42:49
- Building a Strong Medicare Advantage PortfolioLesson 54:51
- Building a Strong prescription drug plan PortfolioLesson 61:39
- Keeping Your Portfolio CompetitiveLesson 73:31
- Non-Medicare Plans for Your PortfolioLesson 80:55
- Perfect Portfolio OutroLesson 90:29
Why Should Agents Build a Strong Portfolio?
We just mentioned that some sales are time sensitive, and that’s a great reason to make sure you’ve got a variety of plans in your portfolio.
But it’s not just about that.
You want to be able to meet the individual needs of each of your Medicare clients. Those needs differ from client to client, so your portfolio should be equally diverse.
When you focus on meeting your client’s needs rather than just making a sale, that goes a long way towards building client loyalty.
But Jarred, you might be thinking… “I don’t want to overwhelm my clients with options.”
That’s a fair concern, because too many options would overwhelm anyone.
Just because you have a portfolio full of products and plans from different carriers, doesn’t mean you will present all of them to each client.
Remember, part of the value an independent agent provides is being able to simplify the Medicare world.
You don’t build a strong, diverse portfolio to run through every option available with each of your clients. You build it so that you aren’t limiting your own options when making recommendations.
What about this one – “I would prefer to not need to certify annually.”
This is a decision you’ll have to make for yourself, based on your overall business structure and how Senior health products will provide a higher level of service to your current client base.
Certainly, if Medicare plans are not the focus of your business, you may have limited time available to focus on the market.
But, take a moment and consider the sales opportunities you’ll miss out on by limiting your time invested. Also keep in minds if your client base is or will soon be eligible for Medicare they are going to need to talk to someone about how to choose a health plan, wouldn’t it be better for them to keep their questions coming to you?
If you go the Medicare Supplements only sales route, you can avoid those annual certs altogether, but you’ll miss out on prescription drug plan selling opportunities.
And if your clients are interested in Medicare Advantage, based on their own research and word of mouth, but you’re only selling Med Supp, you’ll miss out on those opportunities, also.
Here at Ritter, we have tons of helpful resources to get you through the certification process, like detailed FAQ sections for each carrier, and tips for completing their certifications to name a few.
These are just some of the reasons to build a strong portfolio as an independent agent. In our next lesson, we’ll talk about the specific opportunities of offering each Medicare plan type.
